Telephone is an easy way to stay connected with suppliers and consumers. In addition, it must also be an easy route for them to get in touch with you. Business calls need to be directed to the right department, in accordance to service levels defined. Therefore, when you decide to upgrade or purchase an ideal business phone system then there are several factors to consider. For example – You will need to
- Get sufficient capacity to fulfill your existing needs along with growth plan for future
- Get familiar with features of modern phone systems
- Select a phone technology that supports your business needs
- Find the right telephone network provider
Along with considering all of the above factors, you will also need to keep the costs down. Here is a brief buyer’s guide to help you select an ideal commercial phone system.
Different kinds of business telephone system
Commander or Key System
This system was designed for companies having maximum of 50 employees. Key system includes all core telephony functions necessary for business operation, but cannot support sophisticated applications like hospitality or ACD.
PBX or PABX System
The difference between commander or key system and PABX system is the way of using it. A user of the key system has to manually select the outgoing lines, while in PABX system the selection is conducted automatically. Traditional, PBX needed an entire dedicated room to install the requisite central switching equipment.
Over the period of time, the system has transformed a lot, and the main equipment size has been reduced to look good. Now they can be mounted on racks and stored beside your business IT server and its related equipment.
Hybrid Phone Systems
The hybrid system is a blend of traditional key system and IP environment. It includes call appearance buttons, which directly corresponds to individual stations and lines but also supports direct dialing to external lines and extensions.
VoIP System
Latest VoIP technology, allows regular voice calls to be sent over computer network. There is no need for using phone cables. It just requires an IP phone, adapter, and broadband service along with VoIP subscription service.
VoIP is software based, and if you select hosted IP PBX, then there is no need to invest in PBX equipment. The PBX functionality software is housed off-site, at provider’s data center. It can be easily accessed via internet. In addition, you can save on maintenance and upgrades because they are included in your monthly package.
- System dimension – The capacity of your business phone system will depend on the use of phone lines and number of extensions needed.
- Basic features – Office communication system can be geared with myriads of features for directing traffic and routing calls. Basically, all the functions are not used, therefore limit feature search and enhance workflow.
Core features like transfer, hold, paging, and call pick up are included in all the systems. Other valuable features are auto-attendant, direct-in-dial, conferencing, music-on-hold, LCR, tracking calls, ring groups, speed dial directory, and toll barring.
Grandstream GXP1625 IP Phone makes use of advanced security encryption technology. It also includes powerful VoIP features. Before you contact telecom dealer consider the total cost. Price of the system will include central base system, handset, add-ons, wiring and installation, training, programming and future modification.