A GSM Gateway is in simple terms a mobile phone appliance that when attached to a PABX phone system will enable you to make calls from your Phone System using a mobile network. By putting an Unlimited or Capped Call Plan SIM card into the GSM gateway and programming the PABX to direct outbound calls via the Gateway, $000s can be saved. Anyone who gets their landline phone bill will see that any calls made to a mobile number are the most expensive. Mobile numbers have high call rates and it is easy to run up a big telephone bill if you make them regularly. If you want to make calls to a mobile phone number it is often the mobile carriers that offer the better deals, not the fixed wire carriers.

Metro Hotel A has a total of 50 rooms to let, at present they have a company plan on their landlines with one of the country's leading Telco's. They had 6 dedicated voice lines and they did at that time spend around $1000 a month on phone calls to landlines and mobiles within Australia. Then they add a 4 port GSM gateway and 4 Telaustralia Unlimited Call Plan SIM Cards for $119 per month each. On these call plans, all calls to Landlines and Mobiles within Australia are unlimited and untimed so their bill for calls to mobiles & landlines will come to $476 per month…a total saving of around 50% or $6000 per annum. As they now have 4 GSM Gateway lines committed to outbound calls, the total quantity of landlines has been reduced to 3 which also save them a further $100 each month on line rental charges.

What you need to have is a programmable PABX phone system, and that system needs to facilitate at least one free analogue port. Also needed is an active SIM card on the mobile phone plan you want. Your PABX Maintainer will install the Gateway for you and program your PABX system so that you can nominate which lines will route via the GSM Gateway.

Generally, using a GSM Gateway for PABX Phone Systems works out less expensive than VoIP. If you on the other hand making lots of International calls, VoIP might suit you better. The real advantage of using a GSM gateway is simplicity. Once installed and programmed there are no other ongoing support costs, call quality issues or technical support required. Imaging connecting a Mobile Phone, and then leaving it on a shelf in your office, that's what connecting a GSM gateway is comparable to doing. On average prices for a unit start from $500 Aus installed for a single SIM device and in the region of $1800 for a 4 Channel device. Units can be purchased in increments of 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28 right up to 32 Channel (32 SIM cards) that are able to be connected to Primary Rate ISDN 10/20/30 PABX Systems.