Buyers Guide to Selecting a PBX Telephone System

purchase of a modern PABX/PBX solution represents an important process for any business, the incoming voice solution of businesses is often the first impression any customer or supplier has of that business and it is critical that it is a favourable one.

It is important to understand that a PABX/PBX solution has many components and proper planning is essential when preparing to change, move or update your PBX solution to avoid disruptions and downtime.

3 Questions you always need to answer to begin the PABX purchase process:

How many users must the system accommodate? I.e. How many people will need a telephone device/handset or have access to one?
Do you have existing telephone cabling at your site or will your site require new telephone cabling?
Does the site have existing connectivity i.e. Existing BT/Gamma/VOIP infrastructure already in place or will you require new connectivity with your solution?

Once you have answered these basic questions you can then begin to refine the PBX Telephone solution down to the most exact needs required by your business or organization including:

Which PBX Phone System Brand should I choose?

This is a personal preference and our consultants can guide you on which PBX hardware provider best suits your needs and budget. Ultimately all brands offer very similar general features, it is only once we understand exactly what your requirements are that we can advise on which PBX switchboard brand is right for you and your organisation’s needs.

Each brand has their own niche area which best suits certain requirements. Allow us to guide you in this area.

IP vs Analog PBX Phone systems

Traditional analogue PABX/PBX solutions work perfectly well for standard installations where additional add-on features are not required, analogue telephone systems perform well in almost all standard environments and most end users will be unaware as to whether they are using an analogue or IP-based solution. Therefore, where cost and simple functionality are the key considerations we recommended an analogue telephone handset.

The alternative is an IP PABX solutions, these run via existing or new IP cabling. The advantages and disadvantages of an IP PBX based system include,

Advantages

Extension numbers can be programmed remotely and extension numbers follow users even when moving around the building
Easy remote maintenance and programming, ensuring maximum uptime.
No need to re-cable the building if existing computer network can be used, great for time and cost savings.
More sophisticated integration features with unified PBX communications solutions, including softphones.
Seamless integration of call transferring calls for businesses with multiple sites or branches over WANs

Disadvantages

Intial cost is higher than that of an analogue solution.
VLAN switching equipment may need to be purchased to segement the voice and data over the IP network.

Traditional BT Phone lines vs VOIP

With the advent of VOIP, hundreds of PBX voice options have appeared for businesses to choose from. This is one of the most critical decisions to be made in the purchasing decision process, as no matter how good the PABX hardware solution, if the voice connectivity feeding that hardware is poor the general user and customer experience will be bad.

Typically, VOIP lines are cheaper on usage and allow for free interbranch calling, but beware, below a certain usage the cost of leasing VOIP PBX switchboard infrastructure may outweigh the savings on lower call usage.

United Telecom’s expert sales consultants can assess your location, needs, and budget to assist in supplying first the most cost effective and stable VoIP/Voice solution for your organisation’s requirements and secondly one which meets the features and requirements demanded by your business.

Do I need Auto Attendant/Voicemail/Call transferring?

Nowadays all of the above PBX features are standard on almost all modern systems, before purchasing ask your consultant to confirm that your new system has all of the above switchboard features included. However as mentioned this feature set has become standard on 99% of PBX systems and will most likely be a standard feature or a low-cost add-on.

What type of switchboard phones and handsets should I choose, can I mix and match?

Almost all modern PBX phone system solutions can have a wide variety of corded and cordless handsets. It’s important when chatting to your PBX consultant to discuss who needs what type of phone and why? This process will uncover where there is potential for cost savings, you may even be able to reuse some of your existing handsets.

Types of PABX/PBX phone handsets include:

Simple analogue phones/handsets
Digital phones/handsets with caller line identification
IP Phones/handsets
Receptionist phones
Cordless phones
Conference phones
DECT cordless handsets for large roaming areas
And many more

Planning the PBX Switchboard move: relocating, renovating or replacing

A large component of the cost of a PABX solution is the infrastructure and labour required to get the PBX solution in place. Often connectivity suppliers such as BT, Gamma or any of the other such providers require significant lead times to have voice solutions installed and as such proper planning is required.

Don’t leave this too late!

Before embarking on a change of your unified communications telephone system make sure that you have consulted with your account manager around all potential snags and delays. These could include:

PBX connectivity availability
Number porting
Cabling, access to new buildings
User setups and more

Amongst an array of other issues to be considered when preparing for a new PABX telephone solution.

United Telecom’s services: What can we help you with?

United Telecom’s assists with the full spectrum of commercial telecommunications requirements from small business PBX systems to corporate unified communications rollouts, our services include:

PABX/PBX relocations and installations and reinstallations.
PABX/PBX maintenance and service contracts. Monthly/Quarterly/Annually
PABX/PBX Switchboard Cabling
PABX/PBX Switchboard Consulting
PBX/PABX Hardware and software solutions.
PBX Call Centre solutions: Hosted and On-Premise.
Unified communication solutions
Video conferencing
Connectivity including voice (VoIP) and data
Number porting
Wireless LAN setups
Fixed – Mobile convergence