When it comes to buying a new telephone system for your business there are a number of things you need to factor in to your decision, these are:
Capacity – For a business that is growing you will want to ensure you have the capacity in your telephone system to cover any future growth. The majority of telephone systems can cover 12 incoming lines and 24 extensions at their limit. For a small entry level telephone system you need to bear in mind that the parts will not be transferable to larger models, with this in mind you need to make sure the system you buy will be able to grow with your business.
Direct Lines – The second thing to consider is how many direct lines you will want. If you want direct lines that allow direct dialing, the display of caller ID and the feature of displaying the number no matter which line you pick up on or where it has been transferred from, you need to get a system compatible with ISDN, which is a service most countries are able to provide.
Voicemail – You need to decide if you want a voicemail function for your telephones, applicable to each individual handset. A voicemail option will often be available if you have direct lines but you will need to decide on certain aspects of it, such as the amount of messages that can be stored and whether you want the ability to forward messages to other phones or as emails.
The Handset – This should go without saying, but when you upgrade your telephone system you will need to get new telephone handsets. The handsets you choose should be right for the type of use you expect to get out of them. You will be offered basic handsets but will have the option to spend a little bit more to upgrade and get handsets that have more features, better build quality and will look better. You may not think it is worth the money but in the end you will be relying on these phones for some time and so it may be worth spending more money to get better quality phones.
Installation – Once you have decided what system you wish to go for, all that is left is to have it installed. The company you buy the system from will doubtless offer an installation service but they may not necessarily be the best option. You can get a different service to install the system if you wish who may be more adept at installing it to your requirements. There is no point spending money on a new telephone system only to have it installed in a half hearted manner. Ensuring it is installed properly and that the connections create a high quality line to talk on is important.
Tags: business, business telephone systems, communications, telephone systems