Hotline Feature allow a phone to be setup to direct-dial another number as soon as the handset is lifted. This goes by many names: Hot Dial, Ring-down, Auto Dial, even "Bat Phone".

Basically, it means setting up a phone so that when the receiver is lifted off the hook, it will immediately dial another phone without any input from the user. These are common in unattended lobbies, behind security gates, or in hallways where a locked door requires you to be "buzzed-in".

Programming a Hotline phone on the Nortel Networks Norstar system is not too complicated if you are familiar with the system programming. Any phone can be a Hotline phone. The Norstar system allows you the choice between having the hotline phone call an internal number (another station) or an external number (some destination off-site).