Steps To Buying Ip Pbx Telephone Systems

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Steps to buying IP PBX telephone systems

Buying an IP PBX telephone system is a major step, especially for a business that has decided to move from a traditional PBX to an IP PBX. More companies of all sizes are taking this step, and achieving good results, including lower costs, better features, and greater collaborative capabilities. But despite the obvious advantages, purchasing an IP PBX telephone system requires careful research and consideration, a good deal of planning, and a detailed analysis of your current needs.

Hosted or on-premises?

The first step to making your buying decision is to decide whether you want to deploy a hosted system or an on-premises system. It’s not always an obvious decision, but a hosted system is often best for smaller businesses, because it gives you the advantage of lower up-front costs and easier maintenance. An on-premises system does give you more control over your telecom environment, although it is best-suited for companies that have in-house staff that have a competency in telecom maintenance.

Your needs analysis

Buying an IP PBX telephone system is a lot like buying a car. There’s a big difference between a Yugo and a Cadillac, and there’s a big difference between different vendor’s IP PBX offerings. You need to decide ahead of time exactly what you need and want in your IP PBX, so that you can make an intelligent comparison. The good news is that the IP PBX is likely to come with far more features than a conventional PBX, at little or no incremental cost.

Installation and support

After you’ve bought it, what do you do with it? Unless you have skilled staff on hand, you will need to look to outside consultants to install and maintain your IP PBX. This becomes a factor in your buying decision, and this is why it is often a good idea to purchase your unit from a value-added reseller or integrator that will not only provide you with the equipment, but will also install it, and maintain it over the long run.

Other equipment

An IP PBX does not operate in isolation, and your purchase decision will have to take into account compatibility with IP phones and PSTN VoIP gateways. In most cases, this will not be a problem, but compatibility is not universal, so make sure your IP PBX purchasing decision includes information about compatibility with these other devices.

Security

When installing an IP PBX and VoIP service, security is a consideration. Make sure your IP PBX is compatible with your current firewall equipment. Most modern firewalls are IP PBX compatible, but if you have older equipment you may need an upgrade.

IP phones

Another equipment consideration is the IP phones themselves. If you have a large investment already in existing standard office phones, you need to consider whether you want to replace them with new IP phones, or just add adapters to your existing phones. The adapter option will mean lower up-front costs, but it is possible that your old phones won’t be able to accommodate all the new features of your IP PBX. IP phones are generally more feature-rich.

Who are you buying it from?

There are two different areas to review here. Chances are, you are not buying direct from the manufacturer; rather, you are buying it from a value-added reseller or integrator who is going to handle all of the installation, integration and maintenance for you. This offers you the advantage of a single point of contact and knowledgeable staff. However, it will be necessary for you to research both the manufacturer of the IP PBX, and the VARs themselves in your decision-making process.

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Alicia Chong -
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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/voip-articles/steps-to-buying-ip-pbx-telephone-systems-2054189.html

Article Tags:
voip, telecommunications, phone, systems, office, business, telecom, voice over internet protocol

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