Phone Systems

Phone Systems

In many businesses, the staff answers phone calls while trying to go about their other work at the same time. Any member of your staff might be acting as a phone operator or you may be using voice mail or an answering machine. This is not an effective way to take calls as, however hard you try, you are going to miss some calls which might mean missed revenue or opportunities. And as your business grows, so will the number of phone calls being made to your offices, and this could pose a major problem for your business. This is why it is so important for growing and thriving businesses to look at the different phone systems available.

Choosing a phone system is a very important decision as there are many different types of phone systems available that suit different needs. Having the right phone system in place for your business can make all the difference to how your business in perceived, how good your customer service is, and how much your business can make financially. Let us take a look at some of the major kinds of phone systems on the markets today.

KSU (key system unit) less Phone Systems

These are best suited to really small businesses which have around 8-10 employees or less. These systems cost $100 to $200 per phone. These systems are developed to give all the features of a small phone system but in a decentralized way. All the phones in the system have separate circuitry which allows them to converse with each other without the use of one central device or cabinet. A KSU-less system does not require fixed wiring and can thus be unplugged and moved to a different place; in effect can be used as any other office machine and not a permanent addition to your business premises. A KSU-less phone system must be compatible with the existing telephone wiring and should also work with answering machines and modems.

Key Phone Systems

Key phone systems are generally used in offices which need 60 or less working phone stations. These phone systems cost around $200 per station. This type of phone system comprises a central control cabinet known as a key unit. A key unit allows users to call an extension phone and also stops others from inadvertently picking up a line which is busy. Key phone systems need professional installation and regular maintenance. All telephone lines, external and internal, have to be connected to the key unit. All this wiring and connecting turns out to be as costly as the phones, thus making the entire phone system expensive.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Phone Systems

PBX phone systems are used by large businesses with more than 60 employees. These systems are very expensive and the cost could be as high as $1000 per line. PBX systems are configured in such a way so as to be fully programmable and thus they can support the most advanced and complex features.

Nowadays some phone systems are using features of both; the key systems and the PBX systems. These new systems can work as a key system and a PBX system depending on the software they use. Such phone systems are referred to as Hybrid phone systems.

The New Entrant: Smart Phone Systems

In the modern era, homes too are becoming hi-tech with programmable lighting, high speed internet connections, complex security systems, data networks and many more advanced appliances. A phone system is also finding a place in today’s ‘smart’ homes.

With a ‘smart’ phone system for your ‘smart’ home, you can:

• Receive calls through an automatic attendant and also feed different pre-recorded greetings.
  
• Make use of more advanced phone system functions without having to do expensive re-wiring.
  
• Program a different ring for each family member so you know who the call is for before answering it.
  
• Preset the system to turn to voice mail on weekends, in the nights or whenever you don’t want to be disturbed.

Phone systems have thus not remained in the domain of large business firms anymore. Whether you are looking to improve communication devices at home or in the office, with such a wide selection of excellent phone systems, you should be able to find the perfect phone at the right price.