Telephone System Options
What telephone system is suited to a business depends upon three factors; the size of the business, what it needs the system to be able to do and the budget available. Before you can decide upon which system might be right for your office you need to decide what you require from the systems. Options available to a business include conference calls, answering machines, call transfer, unified messaging, paging, intercom, and wireless IP capability. Not all types of telephone system can supply all of these functions. In addition it is important to consider whether you need a maintenance service contract for your telephone system as it can have a serious impact on the business if the telephone system is out of order for a prolonged period of time. There are three main options available for business telephone systems; private branch exchange (PBX), Key Systems and KSU Less systems.
Private Branch Exchange
PBX systems are the most advanced of all the telephone systems available for businesses, and they are also the most costly. PBX systems are most suited to businesses that require over forty extensions. PBX systems have the most sophisticated telephone hardware of the three systems so they may be suited to smaller businesses which do not have forty extensions but require a higher specification system. PBX systems cannot be installed as a DIY option, but must be installed by telecom's experts. Usually, for a PBX system the telecom's company will offer a maintenance contract to service the system. Although these systems are the most costly the price has fallen in recent years, and, as such, they are becoming much more accessible to smaller businesses.
Key System
A Key System is a system that sits between the two other types of telephone system in terms of specification and cost. The system has a Key System Unit which gives the telephones extra facilities. Key systems are typically chosen by businesses with less than forty extensions. A Key System will need to be installed by a telecom's professional and, if required, maintenance contracts are available. It is possible to purchase a hybrid PBX/Key System which offers many of the facilities of the PBX system but at a lower cost.
KSU-Less System
The last option is the most basic and the cheapest. These KSU-Less systems are typically suited to businesses with less than ten extensions. These systems cannot be professionally installed and maintenance contracts are not available for them which means a malfunction would have to be fixed by the business itself. Another weakness of the KSU system is that these systems have a higher propensity for crosstalk.
