Help in buying phone system

[gtgren]

Hello
I need some help on picking the right Telephone system for a new office. I have a computer background and have no knowledge of telephone systems. Can someone please tell me what is good company to review, what are great products, costs, etc?

Here is the current office situation:
Employees: 1 to 4
Office Size: 2000 square feet
Office Networking(I do not if this matters or not): Will use a Windows 2000 networking with Wireless connections.

I have just begun to do research on the different telephone technology. Based on my research it seems that I should use :

*Key Systems versus PBX,
*Get a digital system because they tend to be better equipped to connect with accessories such as voice mail or caller ID.
*IP telephone technology is getting better and a good choice.

The main company that I have seen is Avaya.

Like I said I have no knowledge about telephone systems, so any input would be greatly appreciated. I may have missed the target above and not taken in account many things. So experts talk to me! Thanks

 

[skip555]

I would quote you on a key system

nothing wrong with analog in this size a anolog system will interfafe with caller id and vioice mail just fine.

depending on what you are doing I wouldnt think Ip unless you had specfic needs for it

a little more backgrond about what kind of business and what phone needs are would be helpfull.

based on the above a couple of systems coem to mind


avaya would be a good choice I would think partner acs or evan a refurbished partner 11 would fit the bill


panasonic ta 624 would do nicly

 

[gtgren]

The office is used for research, but it will not take a high volume, of calls. Just a normal office setting. Need music while the caller is on hold, call forwarding, etc.. How much should I budget for spending?

Where could I find a partner acs or evan a refurbished partner, panasonic ta 624 ?

 

[Mongo5150]

Any online reseller will have refurbished Partner II or ACS processors. If you will desire voice mail, I would recommend tan ACS because of the voice messaging card. Which you can get fairly cheap and goes right into the ACS processor.

 

[upstateny]

Check out the Avaya Partner ACS or the ESI IVX 42 or 72e - all are great options for a business of your size - the 72e will do IP telephony / remote phones or links to remote systems

 

[capitol31]

You also might want to check out the Comdial DX80. Its loaded with features, affordable and specifically designed for a 'small' business. Exactly what do you need(# of phones, # of lines coming in Voice Mail)? If you don't mind me asking, where are you located? If you want to check the out the DX80 go to

http://www.comdial.com

- products,systems,DX80

 

[crashtest1000]

Avaya just releases the Small Office (bases on the IP Office) it starts at 2 ALOG trunks 4 SLT's and 3 IP extensions.

It also comes with TAPI, Voice mail and Phone manager applications included.

From experience people with Computer knowledge can get their head around this system very quickly and install it them selves.

Don’t by a system you cannot manage (program) yourself in the log run it will cost you.

 

[geraldshort]

check out Altigen, I have been working with it since 1997. great administration and troubleshooting tools for non-technicians. has both IP and analog capability.

Gerald

 

[eartel]

We are a Nortel dealer and would recommed a Norstar. For info check our web site at

http://www.eartel.net

and go to the FAQ section on what you should consider before buying a phone sytem.

EARTEL
888 416 4327
310 549 0387 Fax
rluna@eartel.net

 

[jerryreeve]

every so often this question comes up and then you see everyone touting their favorite system, nothing wrong with that but it seems you are looking for more general answers.

*Key Systems versus PBX,
as small as you are talking a key system is probably what you would use, there are also "KSU-less" phones out there that put up to four lines on your desk with intercom to the other desks (not what I normally recommend but I would want you to know that it is a possibility) Whatever you do decide on it is a good idea to select a system that allows you to upgrade to a larger system without having to change out the desk sets also (mainly a convienence, with only 4 phones this would not be a hard and fast rule)

*Get a digital system because they tend to be better equipped to connect with accessories such as voice mail or caller ID.
Almost all new systems have the ability to go with VM or CID. (the "KSU-less" mentioned above probably does not) New technology systems are for thye most part digital instead of analog or hybrid since this reduces the number of cable pairs needed to connect to a desk set

*IP telephone technology is getting better and a good choice.
I am still wary of IP systems mainly because, as a telephone tech, the ones I see are the ones in trouble and not the ones that are working. Contact people who bought and are running the different systems (not the people who sell them) and see how they work for them.

see thread461-304793 for more discussion, there were around 45 posts last I checked and the discussion was lively.


JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com

 

[avayaman]

1 to 4 employees is pretty small. If you have to go Ip, then Avaya Ip office or Norstar BCM. If not, I would think a Norstar CICS would be the best bet.

Paul Beddows

Avaya Consulting, Implementation, One on One EAS & Definity Training for PBX Administrators.

Vancouver, Canada
E-mail avaya@vancouver.hm

 

[biglebowski]

if you are able to get it the siemens hicom office 100 range is designed for 1 to 64 extns and can use isdn bri. On a budget this is a good option but I don't know if it's available in the u.s

 

[PeaveyPhones]

I've installed all the brands (except Altigen) mentioned above. They are all good. The Avaya IP solution for a small office is interesting. If it's not too much more than a standard key system then I would look in that direction. Especially if you as a data person are able to do some of the programming.
Just as important as the system is the local dealer who is going to support it. MAKE them show you SYSTEMS they have installed and talk to the customers. Anybody with a truck and tool pouch can install a key system. Not all of them do a good job of support.
Richard

 

[cpuppy]

gt

1-4 people...hands down id say stick with a new partner acs... stay away from anything refurbished, considering you can pick up a new acs with phones and voicemail under 1600.00

regards

chris
tech@avayatelephone.com

 

[Bobg1]

You might also want to check with your local telco and see if they have centrex available. For a small group it can be quite reasonable. It can give you the same functionality as having a system, but you are just using the telcos system.

 

[PeaveyPhones]

I was gonna recommend the Centrx idea. Curious to know if maybe they can support IP feature phones. Thing is, the CO down the road in anytown USA is a full featured PBX that one can take advantage of without a large outlay of money.
Richard

 

[upstateny]

Biggest downside to centrex for 4 or 5 users is the cost of a mailbox on each of the lines - $12/month times 5 users = $60 - a small system can be leased with a $1 buyout and have monthly lease payments of $100 +-. At the end of the lease you own the system and have no monthly costs. Beyond that a digital phone system with integrated voicemail will provide far more functionality than centrex. Spend the $ and buy a small phone system.

 

[bpatters69]

I work for a major RBOC in the SE......Guess who?

I agree with the other posters. A partner ACS would be a great choice for your application. Pricing is very competitive too. I think you can pick up a refurb for $1 to $2k. Add voice mail and some other features and you are done.

I can't see how an IP enabled system would offer you any kind of advantage. You don't have multiple offices to connect and an IP based network which you could use to get around tolls. Another advantage of using IP as a medium for voice is to centralize functionality. One other reason to consider IP voice is if you would save on wiring cost by running both voice and data over the same network. One last advantage (according to Cisco) is if you use IP phones, move adds and changes are much easier as the IP address follows the phone with functionality. How many moves would you have in a 4 person office?

The Centrex idea has some validity. You could install a Centrex vs buying a switch. Advanages would be you would not have to maintain a switch or worry about obsolesence. Disadvantages include high cost depending on options and if you put the Centrex under contract, having to ride out the term if you decide Centrex is not the right solution. I also see customers install Centrex because they have multiple sites served out of the same central office which would all 4 digit dialing.

To summarize, look at the partner key. PBX would be overkill.

I hope this helps. Bill

Bill Patterson
Florida

 

[conleycomm]

If you are looking or a small office system that will give you the features and punch of a large office PBX at an affordable price, then you might want to look at either Bizfon 680 system or the Talk Switch NCS-24. Both will run you around $1800 for a package, very user friendly to administer and full of features like Auto Attendant, Voice Mail, Virtual Extensions, Follow Me features, etc...

If you want to discuss features or ease of self administration, you can email me at craig@mysolutionguy.com

Good Luck,

Craig

 

[telario]

All phone systems mentioned are great, if you want ease of use and the ability to set it up yourself give Samsung a look,two extension off 1 pair, either Digital or Analouge effectively doubleing the size of your system, cool looking telephones, great voice mail and Ip Solutions.

http://www.samsungusa.com.