Print Article for : Phone Systems For Sale

Your Online Guide » IT Hardwares » Computer Hardware Guide

[P299]Phone Systems For Sale

by Amy Nutt, Amy

Asterisk phone systems are an excellent, fully integrated VOIP PBX solution for businesses of all sizes. The set up eliminates the tremendous cost of setting up a traditional PBX system. This high cost often eliminates the possibility of using PBX for small businesses, but with Asterisk, even the smallest business can have all of the benefits of PBX in their office without spending money they do not have.

What Is Asterisk?

Asterisk is an open source software PBX that can be used by businesses and individuals alike. It is designed to run on Linux, but it can run on other platforms as well, including Windows. Asterisk was developed by Digium, Inc., who also sells the hardware necessary to set up Asterisk phone systems. Compared to other PBX options, Asterisk is incredibly affordable and has many features that are hard to find elsewhere.

Benefits of Asterisk in the Office

Besides the fact that it costs thousands of dollars less than a traditional PBX system, Asterisk provides its users with numerous other benefits. Since Asterisk phone systems are VOIP PBX systems, they use broadband connections to connect the telephone network to the traditional global telephony network. Calls can still be made and received in the same manner that they are with a traditional PBX system. Additionally, because the connection is made through the Internet and not the phone line, employees that work remotely can be connected directly to the office PBX through their Internet connections. When someone calls your office and chooses extension 10, that extension could actually be your home-based worker, and the customer would be none the wiser.

For large businesses that have locations in several geographical areas, using asterisk will allow the various offices to connect over the network. This can eliminate much of the expense of conference calls a company spread over several states usually faces. Additionally, employees who must travel frequently can stay connected to the office PBX system as long as they have an Internet connection.

Asterisk phone systems allow every extension to have its own voicemail box. These voicemail boxes are connected to the employee's email accounts, so no one will ever miss a message again.

If you should ever have a problem with your Asterisk system, you can easily get help directly from Digium. They have friendly Asterisk consulting professionals that will help you get the system up and running as quickly as possible. You can call to ask questions about bugs that you find, and they are happy to help, as this type of feedback helps them improve the software for future users.

Asterisk supports a variety of VOIP protocols. Among the protocols it accepts are MGCP, H.323, and SIP. The program can connect IP phones to the traditional phone line easily. This flexibility makes the system easy to integrate into established businesses.

If needed, Asterisk phone systems can interface with traditional telephone lines. The product comes with several high-end features, such as voice recognition system integration, call data record, and text-to-speech system integration. All of these features make it one of the best PBX products available.

Benefits of Asterisk for Customers

Your employees are not the only ones who benefit from Asterisk phone systems. Your customers will benefit as well, both directly and indirectly, when you implement this system. It has features that are found in the most expensive products on the market, such as on-hold music that supports both MP3 and streaming media. Customers will have shorter wait times because the call queues allow agents to monitor the queue while they take the incoming calls, so they can shorten the calls if needed.

Asterisk phone systems offer the best of both worlds to their users. They provide a plethora of features to the business at a fraction of the cost of their traditional competition. There are other VOIP PBX options out there, but Asterisk is the oldest and most well established, making it the preferred choice among many business owners.

As a retailer for commercial phone systems, I am often asked what criteria should be considered when revamping or replacing a business phone system. While there are many individual considerations that are specific to each situation, most of these fall under the umbrella of knowing what you have and what you need, and finding the best price.

First, you will need to know what type of phone system you have, what type of phone system you need and your current expansion possibilities. Both Key systems and PBX can be expanded, although Key systems will only afford you so many lines. Expansion is almost always cheaper than bringing in a new system, so if you can expand on your current system, weigh the costs of doing so against replacing the entire system. Based on your current usage and expected growth, you should be able to surmise what course of action to take regarding expansion or replacement.

Next, you will want to find the features you need at the lowest price. Indeed, it's as simple as it sounds. If you are expanding, you will simply add more lines and handsets in conjunction with your current setup, so features really don't apply unless you are upgrading handsets. If you are only expanding the same setup, you are more or less relegated to adding more of what you already have. If you are replacing a phone system, however, features and price are your main consideration.

Get a high quality, expandable phone system with the features you require that will handle your future volume needs while keeping an eye on the bottom line. It's no different than buying a car while you are considering starting a family. You want something that meets your needs now, but that will also be capable of handling your needs in the future for the absolute lowest price.

Buying a commercial or business phone system doesn't have to be complicated. Like anything else, once you are familiar with what's out there, a little research and cost/benefit analysis will go a long way toward helping you get exactly what you need.

Article Source : Pg. 375

About Author

Both Amy Nutt & Kingston Amadan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Amy Nutt has sinced written about articles on various topics from Culture and Society, Recreation and Sports and Women. provider offers telecommunications solutions including Asterisk Phone Systems and software, and other telephony hardware. When looking for. Amy Nutt's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.

Kingston Amadan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Customer Service, Education and Web Development. Click to purchase and more. Read more. Kingston Amadan's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.