Introduction
Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even for companies with a
low number of users. 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. 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 users then I would recommend you invest in a
KSU-less 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 offer many of the features that a
full PBX phone system offers. 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 relocated to another location. This type of phone system
usually comes 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 system. One major
disadvantage of KSU-less phone systems, is that they cannot integrate a
separate voice mail system. 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 users within next few
short years, then you will be better off investing in a proper fully featured
KSU phone system. These systems are typical in companies with around 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 systems
offer.
Below is a check list for when you are selecting a new phone and voice mail
system and supplier:
Making a call
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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.
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Contact potential 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 system they have recently installed.
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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 they have
invested in their systems.
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When potential suppliers provide you with a quote for your new phone system, go
through them carefully, ensuring they include all of the requirements your
business will need. These may include extras like; Voice mail, additional
handsets, call handling software, automated attendants, service level
agreements (SLA’s) and any other additional features.
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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.
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