Nortel Norstar / BCM

The small-office Nortel system, where 'On hold' is literally Music, Silence or Tones.

MakerNorthern Telecom (Nortel)

What callers hearTones or silence unless someone wired in music

Confidencemedium

Nothing wired to the MOH jack (recreation) RECREATION ErrorZap synth: line hiss, no program audio

Listen for

Gray Nortel M7000/T7000-series phones with a two-line display
A repeating tone on hold means the line is set to 'Tones'

Norstar was Nortel’s hugely popular small-office key system. BCM (Business Communications Manager) followed it and added voicemail and VoIP.

What callers heard

Norstar programming offers a three-way On hold setting: Music, Silence, or Tones. “Music” only works if an audio source is punched down to the system’s music port, since there’s no internal tune. Otherwise callers hear dead air or a repeating tone.

Sources

PBX Cookbook: Norstar music on hold
www.manualslib.com