Cheap, yet functional phone system.
September 14, 2010 1:09 PM Subscribe
So, I'm setting up a small office (3-4 stations). The roadblock I'm running into is the phone system, or lack thereof. My client would rather not drop three grand on it - understandably - but, this limits my options. Any suggestions? Used is fine, but I'm having trouble tracking one down locally. Thanks, in advance.
They need it to do all the basics you'd expect - hold, transfer, intercom - and not a lot more. Expandable would be good, but not necessary.
They need it to do all the basics you'd expect - hold, transfer, intercom - and not a lot more. Expandable would be good, but not necessary.
I was going to recommend our PBX system (TalkSwitch) but I went to the site and noticed even a basic set up will cost about $2,200 plus installation.
posted by 2bucksplus at 1:22 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by 2bucksplus at 1:22 PM on September 14, 2010
Our office (6 full-time, 2 part-time staffers), uses the Linksys SPA-9000 IP Phone system with the SPA-922 phones. They work great, and will certainly be considerably cheaper than a PBX.
posted by brand-gnu at 1:26 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by brand-gnu at 1:26 PM on September 14, 2010
This in the USA? The local phone provider should be able to setup those features for cheaper than you could roll your own system. Plus I like being able to call telco support rather than some contractor.
posted by anti social order at 1:27 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by anti social order at 1:27 PM on September 14, 2010
Yeah, here in California I once worked for a company who used the phone company's "business lines" type package. It was fine. Everybody got a direct line and there was an overall "company line" that could be redirected to extensions and everything. Not too complicated, but for 3 or 4 people it might be enough.
posted by rhizome at 1:33 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by rhizome at 1:33 PM on September 14, 2010
Response by poster: Sorry, this is Canada (Calgary).
posted by converge at 1:38 PM on September 14, 2010
posted by converge at 1:38 PM on September 14, 2010
If you wish to run your own PBX within the office - Switchvox offer a free home system that is limited to 8 extensions. You may have to purchase a Telephony Interface card if you want to connect external analog lines to the computer running the system (the computer runs the system exclusively), otherwise you arrange voice services through your interenet provider. You can then use Polycom or SNOM phones which are connected directly to the computer using a switch. This obviously requires hardware in-house that must be supported, however it gives you good control over the system and no on-going subscription costs that would be needed with a hosted system.
As mentioned above the alternative is to go with a Hosted Voice system, whereby the PBX is hosted virtually by the provider. In this model the hosting company provides you with router on-site into which you connect your IP telephones. The PBX functions (transfer, etc) are hosted online.
posted by clarkie666 at 2:44 PM on September 14, 2010
As mentioned above the alternative is to go with a Hosted Voice system, whereby the PBX is hosted virtually by the provider. In this model the hosting company provides you with router on-site into which you connect your IP telephones. The PBX functions (transfer, etc) are hosted online.
posted by clarkie666 at 2:44 PM on September 14, 2010
For that size, I think a phone company managed solution would be best. They don't (I assume) have the resources to be administering a VOIP server, if they are balking at $3000 for a business phone system. As well as some kind of traffic shaping router to keep everything flowing well.
And quite possibly are at a bad spot in the internet connection curve- you probably don't need anything but a basic internet line, but there probably isn't enough room to be adding VOIP to the mix. And the price you'd pay for the extra equipment and fatter internet pipe probably makes the telephone company solution easier to take.
Because even with the $3000 phone system, you *still* have to pay the phone company for the lines.
Plus, you have to buy VOIP phones. When one breaks, you have to buy another one at significant cost.
VOIP is great for a lot of things, but I don't think the small office like that is it.
posted by gjc at 4:52 PM on September 14, 2010
And quite possibly are at a bad spot in the internet connection curve- you probably don't need anything but a basic internet line, but there probably isn't enough room to be adding VOIP to the mix. And the price you'd pay for the extra equipment and fatter internet pipe probably makes the telephone company solution easier to take.
Because even with the $3000 phone system, you *still* have to pay the phone company for the lines.
Plus, you have to buy VOIP phones. When one breaks, you have to buy another one at significant cost.
VOIP is great for a lot of things, but I don't think the small office like that is it.
posted by gjc at 4:52 PM on September 14, 2010
Best answer: Yeah, this is the textbook hosted VoIP situation.
But if they really want stuff in their office, get a secondhand Norstar. Looking on Craigslist here (Toronto) I see a few 616s for $1000 including phones. With Nortel having tanked, Norstar's not fetching what it used to. One way to get used for slightly more $ and less trouble is to find a dealer that handles/handled Norstar, they'll have used kit in the warehouse to support existing customers and that they've picked up on trade-in.
There's so much used Norstar out there, I couldn't see bothering with a modern local phone switch (especially VoIP) for a small office. We had an 8x24 MICS with two-channel Startalk and it held up fine until we took the opportunity to replace it when we moved to a much larger office.
As an example here is a 14-phone CICS for $1400, so you can picture what a smaller system might cost you. Or here's a 4x14 CICS (but no phones or voicemail) for $350 -- not that I suggest piecing together from eBay, but it gives you an idea of what this stuff goes for now.
(Note that Norstar and Meridian are separate products and that Meridian is overkill for you.)
posted by mendel at 8:01 PM on September 14, 2010
But if they really want stuff in their office, get a secondhand Norstar. Looking on Craigslist here (Toronto) I see a few 616s for $1000 including phones. With Nortel having tanked, Norstar's not fetching what it used to. One way to get used for slightly more $ and less trouble is to find a dealer that handles/handled Norstar, they'll have used kit in the warehouse to support existing customers and that they've picked up on trade-in.
There's so much used Norstar out there, I couldn't see bothering with a modern local phone switch (especially VoIP) for a small office. We had an 8x24 MICS with two-channel Startalk and it held up fine until we took the opportunity to replace it when we moved to a much larger office.
As an example here is a 14-phone CICS for $1400, so you can picture what a smaller system might cost you. Or here's a 4x14 CICS (but no phones or voicemail) for $350 -- not that I suggest piecing together from eBay, but it gives you an idea of what this stuff goes for now.
(Note that Norstar and Meridian are separate products and that Meridian is overkill for you.)
posted by mendel at 8:01 PM on September 14, 2010
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