sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Other TDM Phone Systems VoiceMail Systems and Programming Talkswitch 240VS Installer

Has anyone installed on lately? This model has the remote and local access to configuration. It also has the voice mail to email feature.

Jerry

I take it the Talkswitch is not a popular item around here. It's rare that anyone replies to anything I've ever said about it.

Jerry, it's probably more of a situation where this is not a mainstream product yet. Most folks here are up to speed on the products that they sell, with them being the more well-known brands. Not too many people are willing to stick their necks out on a product that they have never worked with before. That would by my guess anyway.

They just released a feature "voice mail to email" which I think is an awesome feature for a phone system.

Give it a listen https://home.swbell.net/jshollis/voice_message_111.wav

Also the unit can be programmed across the internet.

Jerry,

Talkswitch has 3 big issues; price point(retail and dealer), lack of features, internet electronics store sales.

It's nice that you can send vm to e-mail but that is a feature far down the line to the basic requirements. The fact that talkswitch refuses to offer a multiline key handset and only operated in PBX is a major negative.

There are now several systems that offer those handsets AND more features for the same basic price and can scale to larger size. Talkswitch really offers no "wow" factor in the market place. There is not a single reason other than the 2x4 bpx function for the price that I can see why anyone would want to buy it (this is from the consumer side) From the dealer side, Talkswitch has decided to take their product retail. It's available all over the web for sub $600 which leaves about - well we're not supposed discuss price in open forums but I think saying that it's less than Grant is OK.
I am sure you've seen all the discussions about how most interconnects feel about this on this board. While just about every mfg is doing it - I just got an e-mail this morning telling me I can buy the latest Avaya IP no certs, minimums required for dealer cost - talkswitch is going out of their way to cut out the middleman.

So, it offers nothing I can't offer with something else that actually gives more features to the customer and allows me to make more money.

Hey guys.
I know Company who sells lines(brokers). They started selling Talkswitch. Usually it is for small and cheap customers, but at the end of the day its became more expensive anyway and because it is only single line telephones customers very unhappy. They used to line apperances and can not accept other type of operation. Even regular Transfer it is a pain. I am not talking about Hold pick up. You have to Park, Announce the call and ussually it is in one room. Crazy!!! They have 2 clients who demend another system after that one been installed and they sold only 3. Because those guys can not do wiring they raises price for Installation and eventually cost of that system for clients became more expencive that they will pay for package deal to Interconnect.
By the way notification to e-mail it is not something unusual. There are many Third party VMs which have Unified Messaging.

The idea behind many cheap phone systems is to get rid of the installer and service person.
Guy buys on internet or at the drug store, I don't care. If they can install and set up fine.
But when a problem pops up and the customer needs to be doing HIS business instead of learning how to trouble shoot phone systems and lines, now they call to find someone to help.
Guess what, not many phone techs know squat about this system, because there is no INCENTIVE to learn.
(you can't make any money selling, and on that cheap end of the market none servicing it.)
You can't know every system. I won't waste my time learning a system hat has no income potential.
Yes, if I had nothing to do I might go work on one
if I had a manual. But I would be in the same boat as the owner, shooting in the dark learning a new system.
So if he gets help, he's like a letter without a Zip Code.

Back in the day, I picked up a few turkeys and have repurchased a lot of systems just to see them gone. When I bring a product into stock, I try to see what it can do and where it might fit.

As mentioned above, the Talkswitch starts with two strikes against it. Sure, Unified messaging is nice, but a system that is in essence maxed out the day it's installed doesn't instill confidence in the customer that buys it. Just like someone selling a "Webcore two line phone" to a 2 line business (no, not me).

If you're buying a $150 4-line phone or a 2x4 PBX and you want me to install it, I will do your cabling, but don't expect me to sell you the phones or mini-PBX, I've already been there and done that. 6-12 months down the road when the unit doesn't work, you deal with the consequences, because I know my infrastructure is sound.

All that said, the entry level Unified Messaging VM system is going to retail for about $1K. If anyone has severely broken that price point, I'd be interested in knowing about it. I just realized that I don't get "The Mart" anymore and the "Gear" is pretty thin compared to the "Mart", but the Mart may have missed January publication.

Carl