Small family business with 2 phone lines - one for voice, one for fax, currently AT&T analog loops. Want to be able to answer every call (customers hate automated attendant) but be able to then transfer caller to one of a few (guessing 4) voice mailboxes if needed.

I know VoIP is all the rage but prefer to stick to analog loops (even if they are derived ala Comcast Business Class). Does anybody still make a KTS/hybrid that has basic functionality ala a Merlin II. I've seen an NEC Aspire with PRI at a prior location - nice but major overkill.

Check out this system it's small and has built in AA and VM you can leave the AA off for day and on at night.



TransTel Lynx

The NEC DSX 80 is a good system for your needs. You can get bundled packages for a song.

DSX40 would be more appropriate for a two line system

They absolutely do! Nice to see someone with enough common sense to ignore all the hype. If you talk to some dealers they will swear up and down that SIP or PRI is the way to go for phone lines and IP phones/system are all that's available.

I've made my living selling to small business just like yours and I can't imagine any of them needing anything beyond what you are asking for. I just wish manufacturers would listen but unfortunately the IT industry has largely taken over this business and they don't even know what POTS is.

-Hal

The ESI CS 50L would be worth looking at.

Xblue x16 will do the job very nicely.

there are many small systems out there that will do nicely , the key is always finding a vendor you can work with and who will support it

for a budget solution you could look at a refurbed partner ACS with a small VM card

If you were in Canada, id say call ModernWorks, they have a great little PBX that would handle your needs perfectly.

There are many out there, you might even look at one of the new Toshiba systems. They are a big jump from the old ones.

Ideally you would get something that handles the pots lines now, but is capable of doing VoIP lines/extensions (future proofing)

A samsung OS7030 would work well

For just two or three lines and a handful of mailboxes, wouldn't Centrex be a more suitable solution than a key/hybrid switch? There also exists PBX-less multiline phone bundles (available from many big box stores) that have most of the basic phone system features, including voicemail.

Welcome back Tim!

By "PBX-less", are you thinking of the at&t/VTech, Panasonic No-KSU sets sold by Office Supply & Electronics stores?

I second the refurb partner and if they really only have basic voicemail needs, the partner PC card voicemail.

Or what about a small analog panasonic system and maybe a refurb TVS-50? Cheap, does the job.