|
Posted by The Other Mike on December 28, 2005, 10:16 am
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. Work
for a company that has about 30 employees. We currently have a
digital phone system (not sure which one) with voicemail and a single
T1 line. We have an 800 number and get calls constantly throughout
the day (sometimes all the lines are used up). I'm a network engineer
(new to the company) but have no experience in phone systems and have
been told "go find a new one". Apparently we've had all sorts
problems with the system crashing, lost voicemails..etc...so they want
to start over. So where do I even start to look for a new system?
How do I know which ones are good and which are junk? Buy or lease?
Any advice would be appreciated.
|
|
Posted by Dale Farmer on December 28, 2005, 10:47 am
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
The Other Mike wrote:
> Was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. Work
> for a company that has about 30 employees. We currently have a
> digital phone system (not sure which one) with voicemail and a single
> T1 line. We have an 800 number and get calls constantly throughout
> the day (sometimes all the lines are used up). I'm a network engineer
> (new to the company) but have no experience in phone systems and have
> been told "go find a new one". Apparently we've had all sorts
> problems with the system crashing, lost voicemails..etc...so they want
> to start over. So where do I even start to look for a new system?
> How do I know which ones are good and which are junk? Buy or lease?
> Any advice would be appreciated.
Look in your local yellow pages directory for PBX vendors. Establish
a relationship with one of them and be prepared to spend some real
money. 30 employees, say 40 extensions, I'd put the ballpark anywhere
from $8k to $50k, depending on what level of reliability and features
you are looking for. You may be able to upgrade your existing PBX,
preserving your investment in desk sets and line cards.
--Dale
|
|
Posted by David Ross on December 28, 2005, 10:51 am
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
> Was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. Work
> for a company that has about 30 employees. We currently have a
> digital phone system (not sure which one) with voicemail and a single
> T1 line. We have an 800 number and get calls constantly throughout
> the day (sometimes all the lines are used up). I'm a network engineer
> (new to the company) but have no experience in phone systems and have
> been told "go find a new one". Apparently we've had all sorts
> problems with the system crashing, lost voicemails..etc...so they want
> to start over. So where do I even start to look for a new system?
> How do I know which ones are good and which are junk? Buy or lease?
> Any advice would be appreciated.
Even if you never buy from them <www.ablecomm.com> is a great site to
learn about phone systems in general and Panasonic and NEC in
particular. I've setup 5 or so system from them.
But if you want a T1 interface, study then really really really consider
bringing in a firm to at least handle that aspect of things, if not all
of it.
|
|
Posted by Carl Navarro on December 28, 2005, 12:55 pm
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
wrote:
>Was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. Work
>for a company that has about 30 employees. We currently have a
>digital phone system (not sure which one) with voicemail and a single
>T1 line. We have an 800 number and get calls constantly throughout
>the day (sometimes all the lines are used up). I'm a network engineer
>(new to the company) but have no experience in phone systems and have
>been told "go find a new one". Apparently we've had all sorts
>problems with the system crashing, lost voicemails..etc...so they want
>to start over. So where do I even start to look for a new system?
>How do I know which ones are good and which are junk? Buy or lease?
>Any advice would be appreciated.
The first place to start is identifying your present system :-)
Once you know what you have, you can start identifying the problems it
has. A T-1 can have 24 incoming voice lines and with 30 employees, it
isn't likely that you have 24 working lines, unless you're into
bookmaking. It may be that you just need to work with your present
or a new vendor and repair the present system, or, keep the phones and
replace the cabinet.
Of course, the crash may be so bad and the system/vendor may be such
that you really want to replace the system. In that case, sit down
and analyze what you have and what you are trying to accomplish. Are
you growing? Do you anticipate more lines or employees in the next 3
years, will they telecommute, etc. etc. Then create a proposal
request, or call a telephone system vendor, and get a few quotes.
A good vendor might be able to identify issues that you haven't even
thought of when it comes time to replace the system.
Of course, you could always post your system and thoughts here and get
a few opinions :-)
Carl Navarro
|
|
Posted by greg t. knopf on January 11, 2006, 2:31 pm
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options
Hello,
The Other Mike wrote:
> Was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction. Work
> for a company that has about 30 employees. We currently have a
> digital phone system (not sure which one) with voicemail and a single
> T1 line. We have an 800 number and get calls constantly throughout
> the day (sometimes all the lines are used up). I'm a network engineer
> (new to the company) but have no experience in phone systems and have
> been told "go find a new one". Apparently we've had all sorts
> problems with the system crashing, lost voicemails..etc...so they want
> to start over. So where do I even start to look for a new system?
> How do I know which ones are good and which are junk? Buy or lease?
> Any advice would be appreciated.
Have you looked into Asterisk software? It is a PBX application running
under Linux on an x86 system. It is freeware developed mainly by a
company called Digium. Digium sells PC boards such as one to terminate
a T-1, for example. It might be a very worthwhile, and much cheaper,
alternative to other PBX systems mentioned in earlier replies.
Links:
http://www.asterisk.org/
http://www.digium.com
You might be pleasantly surprised.
- greg
gknopf@indy.nonotmorespam.rr.com
(remove "nonotmorespam" in the above, of course)
|
| Similar Threads | Posted | | Business Phone System | June 21, 2007, 3:35 pm |
| Small business phone system | September 13, 2005, 2:35 pm |
| Phone System for Small Business | October 24, 2007, 10:34 pm |
| Cordless Phone Answerers - Unfair Business Practices? | August 9, 2005, 7:41 pm |
| phone system help | July 28, 2005, 4:30 pm |
| Questions on setting up a new phone system | February 2, 2006, 2:06 pm |
| Medium-sized phone system questions | May 11, 2006, 9:01 pm |
| Fully hosted IP phone and computer system | October 4, 2006, 1:55 pm |
| Looking for a phone system for a small psychological office | October 29, 2006, 6:38 pm |
| Simple Internal Phone System Question | February 26, 2008, 1:27 am |
|
|
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML site map