Business Phone Compare

The purchase of a business VoIP phone system is certainly a crucial one that you have to make, as the telephone is the most convenient method to reach your customers and associates. It is also the way they reach you and it must be a system which is of benefit to your business and a speedy and easy channel of communication for your clients and others.

Types

There are three primary types of business phone systems currently available in the market. There is the Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system, key system and KSU-less phone system. The system you order would depend largely on the features needed and the number of extensions that you want. There is another kind of system which incorporates the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, which works through the Internet and is considerably cheaper than the PSTN, besides providing other benefits.

Features

There are several features in these business phone systems, but companies hardly utilize even 10% of them. Rather than comparing all the numerous features of the different systems, it would be better to understand how you intend to use the system and then work backwards to select the features. The evaluation of features should be restricted to those which would enhance productivity and streamline workflow. Your employees should also be able to access and use the features without too much trouble, so the basic functions should be simple.

Pricing

When considering price, the total cost of ownership is the key, while just looking at price to make your decision can make you choose unwisely. The scalable and more dependable systems do cost more, but work out cheaper in the long run. Key systems can cost between $350 to $1000 per user, while the larger PBX ones can start at $1000 per user. Here, the economy of scale works, as smaller offices would not find anything less than $1000 per user, while larger companies with over a 100 employees would find it much cheaper.

The price for a business phone system would rely on five key factors; the base system, the phones, the add-ons, wiring and installation and then all the extras, like training, service and any alterations that you may wish to make.

How to come to a decision

There are a few key methods which would help you to make a considered decision in the purchase of a business phone system. These would include the following:

Interact: Talk to other business people about their systems and how they are working. You could get information about features, prices and vendors.
Ask for a demonstration: There is no substitute for hands-on experience for something that would be used by everyone in your office. Check the phones, see the ease of use of different features, listen to the speakerphone and evaluate voice quality.
Compatibility: The system should be compatible with the existing systems, including voicemail and others. Be sure of this before the purchase of a product which may be inferior or you may end up paying more for something you are not able to use.
VoIP option: The VoIP technology enables calls through the Internet and is much cheaper. This is the ideal option if you have operations that are spread out and is also the future of communication technology.