atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems Other Telephones & Systems Looking for a 1st phone system for my parent's small biz

I work in an office with an Inter-Tel Axess system that was put in before I got here... it's great and i've had fun learning all about it as that's part of my job.

My parent's have a small business - retail and service. A few years ago I set them up with a Siemens Wireless system cuz i didn't want to run wires to all of the desks plus they'd be able to walk around with a phone when needed but still be able to have page / transfering calls.

I'm looking into getting them a "real " system but am wondering what if anything were my options. I'd have to run wire unless there are any wireless systems besides the siemens type available.
I'd like an auto attendent and the ability to have 2 or 3 phone lines. + the Fax.

At max we would need 7 phones. I'd like to be able to have at least 1 cordless if possible.

The budget would be pretty low - 1 or 2k at most which is why i'm not sure if its even possible.

Thanks for any help, if not i'll just stick with the siemens for now.

- Andy

I think you'll be hard pressed to find a real system in that price range. Even if you buy it and install it yourself, seven phones plus a cordless of any level of quality is going to cost at least that much. You really will have to use something wired, despite your reluctance to run cabling. Wireless technology is great for a lot of applications, but really not in your situation.

There are many refurbished wired systems out there of good quality that you may want to consider. All of the big brand names will be able to cover your basic needs and soften the investment blow by being refurbished. Systems such as the Partner are widely-available on the refurbished market.

Panasonic also has a multi-handset wireless system comparable to the Siemens equipment you currently have. All of these systems have their limitations though. Keep in mind that wireless equipment technology changes dramatically on a regular basis and many times, wireless systems might not be supported or even available for expansion later on down the road. There's much less risk with wired systems.

Thanks for the response!

I've sorta come to the realization of that as well... wireless isn't all its cracked up to be. But i'll research the partner system to see where that takes me.

Could you give me a recomendation of a budget system that would have 6 or 7 phones that i could wire my self and maybe 1 or 2 cordless phones for under 5k? Is it possible?

The main reason i want to get a phone system is to be able to have a hunt group for their main number to roll into 1 or 2 additional, as now with 1 line customers get busy signals a lot and that's not good for business.

Thanks again for any advice.

- Andy

I agree with Ed. Even the advertised self installed systems with auto attendent cost more than that with the phones.

Andy:

Line hunting is a telephone company feature you pay for monthly, just like call waiting. In some areas, there is no charge for this, depending upon the phone company you are using for local service.

As for a system, if you look at the top banner of this page for Sundance Communications, the sponsor of this site, they have refurbished systems available. I think something like a Partner can meet your needs in that price range.

Hunting as you describe it is provided by the telephone company, not the phone system.
You might qwant to look into a three line or a four line phone instead of a system, although they have significant limitations.
There are a number of small and relatively inexpensive small systems out there new. There are also tons of Avaya Partner systems on the secondary (refurbished) market.

I have done some research and found https://www.talkswitch.com which has a good priced system that will even use conventional phones if i don't want to buy all new phones right now.

Anyone have experience with these and do they do what they promise?

Thanks again!

If you do a search on Talkswitch on this site you'll find many opinions on it.
Mark

I just got done doing an in-depth review of the Talkswitch and at first, it looked impressive. After I dug deeper, I realized that this system only supports single-line telephones. Even their proprietary telephones are just glorified single-line telephones. That's a huge problem with small office systems because the users won't be able to simply put a call on hold and pick it up at another phone. I don't think the folks are going to like having to park or transfer calls; we encounter this resistance all the time from our customers.

The other thing that bothers me is that in their literature where they decipher acronyms, most aren't even close to the true meaning. That sends up a red flag to me that this manufacturer doesn't really know the phone industry as much as they should from a manufacturer's standpoint.

Lastly, there are some features that are "in developement" that most other systems have had for decades. That bothers me because why in Heaven's name would you sell a product that can't AT A MINIMUM do what 90% of the other systems out there can do?

I think you should stick with the original plan I suggested. With the second budget figure, you are in a much better position to buy something that will be easily-supported for years to come. Don't get me wrong, and I am rarely right, but even with their free upgrade commitment, it just sounds too good to be true.

Thank you so much for your input. I was thinking that this was too good to be true. I'll look around for a system on the refurb end as well as from sundance. Also I'll call a local vender and see if they can quote me up a price just to see what i'm working with and if it's not that much more may be worth it to save me aggrivation and insure a quality job is done.

Thanks,
Andy

Andy,
I know we do not discuss specific prices here, but why install yourself? I know for a fact that there are systems out there that would do most if not all of what you are looking at, and they can be refurbished as ed said, or even new and still be in your price range. Certainly you could get a refurbished Partner system installed for around 2-5K and it will be professionally installed (well, hopefully.....LOL). Or you could even get a new system by some brands (NEC, Vertical Comdial, Vodavi) that would fit your price range of around 5k - but not less and possibly more. Search some vendors, thay have good products for the most part and can help educate and make sure a good job is done.

Steve

If all your interested in is auto attendant and not voicemail then you might want to check out the FX-416 made by KCE It has auto-attendant, FAX detection and uses standard telephones so it fits your budget It doesn't compare to a good key system if you need more features.

Why not try a hosted system? Suretel is one of them. Everything is kept at their site. All you have is a soft phone running on your PC. Dont know what prices run but its an option.

My other suggestion, putting aside your budget would be to get an ESI system. You can have all wireless sets and still have all the functionality of a desk top set. You can also have a combination of both. VM, AA, off site forwarding, etc... all in one box!

You can also find a used Avaya Partner ACS and run plain ol' single line cordless sets as an extension. Then again, you would have to purchase VM seperately and lose a few functions that a desk top set would offer.

Hello All,

I am a Representative of Talkswitch, and was interested in seeing Talkswitch on this forum. I hope to address some of the issues that are being presented here and also answer any questions. Warning this email will be rather lengthy.

As you stated in the first response to this thread, most systems including the proprietary phones are going to result in much more than $2000. This does not included cordless. With Talkswitch you can use any cordless phone you like, even one your purchase at circit city, or business depot. Talkswitch markets to business that have less than 32 users or VERY small business. Ability to use any analog phone is a huge selling feature, not a hindrance as you've suggested.

You can put a person on hold from any phone by pressing the flash key. You can have someone else pick up the phone by hitting *500, the Pick up button on our phones, or by programing *500 into a programmable soft key on any handset. Saying Talkwitch does not do this is blatantly not true.

TalkSwitch was founded in 1990. Is a core founder of the SIP connect initiative with the leading IP telephony vendors in the industry including Avaya, BroadSoft, Cisco Systems, and Mitel. Received many awards through the last 15 years, included Comdex awards, Pulver Listings, and Internet Telephony Best of Show. Please, let me know which acronyms you feel are not represented correctly and i'll have a look.

Talkswitch Feature list...
Voicemail
Remote Extensions
Customer Installable
VoIP Enabled
Analog Phones
Remote Management & Configuration
Auto Attendant
Music On Hold
Intercom
Public Announce(PA System)
Fax Detection
Mode Scheduling
Call Handling
Dial – By - Name Directory
Remote Voicemail Access
Call Forward
Call Queue
Call Cascade
Ring Groups
Conference Call
Call Bridge/ Call back.
Call Screen
Call Park
Distinctive Ring

Talkswitch includes all of the above features as STANDARD. They are included on our Less than $700 - 2 line 4 extension box. Im not sure which other features are "in development" that other systems have had for decades. In fact, I dont know of another system that cost so little, that includes even half of the list above. Its possible, and if anyone else does know, please let me know so i can review it.

Interesting. Many of our customers say just such things, Including Clemson State University. “The flexibility of the system is just too good to be true,” he says. “We had a number of criteria that we needed a phone system to meet. TalkSwitch was the only one that met those criteria within our budget. It’s exceeded anything I could possibly have imagined.” But you can see for yourself here; www.talkswitch.com/download/talkswitch/case_studies/Clemson%20case%20study.pdf Or better yet type in "Talkswitch review" in google to see what many customers are saying.

I hope i could clarify some of your questions and would like to hear any other comments or feedback anyone may have.

Regards,

Amanda
Talkswitch Rep

I have a customer in Marina del Rey who is trying to sell off his Intertel AXXESS because he downsized and has a complete system sitting in boxes in his office, working when removed.

Sometimes you can get everying for the price you want, and I emailed him. Now if only I can get the winning lottery ticket without buying one.

you have mail

Re: Talkswitch. Give me a break. The only users who can operate a single line phone on a switch are power users, the guy who bought himself, installed
and wasted a lot of his time reading and working with the system and employees of big companies with PBX's that have in house trainers for in service training and questions. Thats why when you call the City you get cut off and misdirected.
*500 picks up what line?? I answer the phone and
press flash, then page the warehouse to pick up the call. I take another 2 calls and can't see that the w/h has not picked up the call, Im trying to talk to new customer and call is beeping back but i have no idea what the heck is beeping back
and no display to inform me. Now it's BFH time
for the single line phone. Sure there's a place for Slt systems, somewhere. But anyone who's in this business who has a warm body and is breathing knows that for the average person you need a key system with a button for every line and preferably
a display for the anyone who answers the phone a lot and no cryptic codes for things like paging and transfer. You can't do business with a company
you can't get in touch with. Spend your energy doing your business and not trying to figure out
a bunch of complicated codes.

I have a Talkswitch 24-CA. It's awesome. Add to the features listed above because a firmware upgrade was made available recently.

You can now do "call detail record logging"

I really like this system. The other competitors who tried to rival it are no longer in business. Those guys were Solopoint (Los Gatos, CA) and Voice Logic (Dallas, TX)

Mr. Hollis with your industry knowledge you are making Brokeda's case exactly,

There are many features that are already "out there" on many other systems but NOT for small business. SOHO is still catching up but catching up she is. The price for a Talkswitch and what it can do as opposed to the systems that have been around a while cannot be compared. They cater to two different markets.

for what you are looking to do go either ESI c-class with vm or ACS partner with small pc vm, go digital phones! you want to be able to say "fred call on line 1" and fred to go over to the phone and press line 1. i have been on server systems and as a phone tech i could not remember all the codes, page,park,cfwd, you get the point. plus what do you do about new staff in a store? train them all on how to use the pos, alarm codes, phone codes, and by the way train them on what you pay them to do! not worth your time. plan to spend more than you are thinking, not much more.

Not sure if you are still looking for a small system, but check out Allworx. We have a new small business solution thats a complete VoIP phone system (emulates PBX & Key system mode) and full DHCP network server and it does everything you're looking to do at your price point.

I think the Partner is probably the best solution. As already mentioned, there are tons of these out there.

Also, you can use any analog phone. Alot of small businesses will get a refurbished ACS 308 (3 lines, eight extensions), a couple of system phones, and maybe a cordless or two they picked up at K-Mart for twelve bucks. If this gets to be too expensive, the voicemail (which has the auto-attendant) can easily be added later.

I agree switching between lines on an analog phone can be a challenge for some people, but its real easy to answer a ringing phone or go off hook and make a call.

If you do install your own system, I would at least hire a professional to install surge protection on your phone lines, regardless of which system you choose.

Talkswitch, Allworx... call the exterminator 'cause they're comming out of the woodwork!

-Hal

I hear Sun Moon Star is making a comeback.
Solstar TCOIP system
Tin Can Over Internet Protocall

I appreciate your feedback. Was simply offering an option like everyone else is

What you are describing would be easily changed with 15/20 mins of training either with the VAR or by calling us direct.

I am certainly not saying Talkswitch is for everyone, but for some it is a very happy cost effective solution with many features.

As your aware.. when researching phone systems you have to look at Basic Requirements, Wants, and Price.

If a company is use to line appearance, doesnt mind refurbished equipment, and does not need voicemail/auto attendants then Talkswitch may not be the best option. Allworx, Nortel, and the others mentioned here are good solutions.

If a company wants many advanced or all-in-one features at an inexpensive price point, and is willing to take perhaps take 15-20 mins to learn how to use the features properly then Talkswitch might be the right solution.

This post requirements of "Auto Attendant, 2 or 3 lines, Fax and several phones one of which is cordless, with a budget of 1 or 2k" Is Talkswitch's target market.

Just providing an option. :thumb:

I haven't heard much mention of NEC, but their DS1000 is right in your price range - new with professional installation. It's a very nice little system too with tons of calling features. However, it does require the purchase of an analog card to add SLT's.

It has been a while since this thread was active (actually it has been 5 months). Lets ask Andy what he ended up doing rather than continuing in the dark. I will PM him and ask to respond.

Steve

Folks, please take a minute to review the date of the original start of the topic when posting. The last truly active communication for this topic was in March. Starting an old topic back up doesn't do anyone any good. Thank you for your understanding.

Hi Everyone, sorry for not getting back so quick.

After calling a few places in the phone book, and only one called back, we ended up going with them!

They installed a Tadiran Telecom system, with 6 extensions each with voicemail, an auto attendant (we had an employee with a good voice do the recordings) and a music on hold feature.
The system was very easy to use, and even has voice guided menues for any feature.
The phones have many buttons for one touch dials, as well as the status of other extensions and trunk linkes.

We had Cox Communications install 2 additional voice lines which are trunked together. So now we have 3 incoming voice lines.
Only problem is Cox tells me that since these lines are seperate lines there is no way to have the caller ID information come up as the main phone number when making outside calls.

So if we call someone and aren't using the main line it displays a different number, and it's a different exchange too because the old line was bought originally with verizon and ported to cox.

To get around this we had Caller ID block put on all outgoing numbers except the main one.

We did a 3 year lease for about 100 a month with a dollar buyout.

This was the best decision I ever came up with, originally everyone was against the idea, but now we have people being routed properly and leaving voice mails for their desired caller as opposed to paper slips written by whom ever answered the phone. And a recording is available for callers just wishing to know store directions and hours, so they press 1 from the AA and never have to speak to anyone!

AHH, i love it!

any q's let me know.

- Andy

Now that i went back and read some more of the posts i'll make one response.

This was a little over my budget (just over 3k installed) but since they offered a very lease deal it made sense.

The reason i didn't go with talk switch is that it's not supported by a dealer in my area (that i knew of anyway) and i thought if for not that much more i could go with a true system that was upgradeable i would do that.

I'm sure talkswitch makessense for many people in the situation I am, but since i can't always be on-call to support it i liked the piece of mind of a turn-key install, and support when needed, as well as future proofing.

Thanks for all the posts generated by the post.

- Andy

Thanks for updating everyone, Andy! Glad you were able to get a system.

Now that's what I call a success story. Thanks Andy for letting us know the outcome. I am very glad to hear that it went well and everyone is happy.