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Choosing The Right Phone and Voice Mail System
By Jason Morris
Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even for
companies with a low number phones. Before investing in any
type of phone system or voice mail system, you need to
estimate how much your company is likely to expand over the
next few years and if possible how many phones you may
require. Failure to do this could cost you or your company
a lot of money in upgrade and restructuring costs further
down the road. It is better and cheaper to plan and allow
for expansion at an early stage, than wait until it is too
late.
If you plan to remain under ten phones then I would
recommend you invest in a KSU-less phone system. Basically
these look like normal phones that carry all the technology
and software needed to run a small phone system of up to
four lines and eight to twelve extensions. These systems
incorporate many of the features that full PBX phone systems
offer (though not voice mail). So be sure to check with
your supplier what features are available on these types of
phone systems. These systems are relatively cheap compared
to other types of phone systems. They are also easy to
install, so can be quickly re-located to another office or
building. This type of phone systems usually arrive as a
boxed product that is installed by you, and carries a
manufacturer¡¯s warranty. You will have to make enquiries
with your vendor as to the level of after sales support that
is available. You may find it is much less than if you had
purchased a larger more expensive phone and voice mail
system. One major disadvantage of KSU-less phone systems,
is that they cannot integrate separate voice mail systems.
If you do choose to purchase one of these KSU-less phone
systems, then you will have to use a voice mail service that
is offered by your telephone company.
If you decide that you must have a fully featured voice mail
system, and can confidently predict your company will expand
beyond ten phones within next few short years, then you will
be better off investing in one of the fully featured KSU
phone systems on the market. These phone systems are typical
in companies with around ten to forty users. Some suppliers
may recommend installing something called a Hybrid phone
system. These systems are ideal for small to mid sized
companies of about fifty to a hundred employees, and offer
many of the features much larger PBX phone systems offer.
Below is a check list for when you are selecting a new phone
and voice mail system and supplier:
1. Try to estimate how much your company will grow in the
next three to five years. Look at how many lines and
extensions you have at the moment and decide how many your
company may require in the future.
2. Contact potential phone systems suppliers, and arrange an
appointment with them for a full demonstration. A number of
these can be sourced off the internet or through your local
business pages. This will also give them a good opportunity
to have a look at you and evaluate your potential
requirements. Remember to ask them about their experience
and if necessary ask for referrals. You could even ask to
see a phone and voice mail system they have recently
installed.
3. Make sure you decide on a rough budget for your proposed
new telephone and voice mail system. Ask around other
businesses of similar size, what amount they have invested
in their phone systems.
4. When potential suppliers provide you with a quote for
your new phone and voice mail system, go through them
carefully, ensuring they include all of the requirements
your business will need. These may include extras like; Full
voice mail capability, additional handsets, call handling
software, automated attendants, service level agreements
(SLA¡¯s) and any other additional features.
5. Once you have decided on one or two suppliers, it is time
to get them back round. Remember, they want your business.
Bearing in mind the budget you decided earlier, make your
decision based upon not only price, but which supplier you
think can provide your company with the best service before,
during and after the installation of your new phone and
voice mail system. Any good potential supplier will be more
than happy to answer any questions you may have about the
phone system they intend to supply and install for you.
Thanks for reading
About the Author
Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. Specialists in the supply and installation of quality business phone systems and accessories from leading manufacturers. For a free quotation on one of our range of Panasonic phone systems and for free technical advice click Panasonic Phone Systems
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