AddVant Insight

iPBX or IP PBX is the new version of the old PBX (Private branch exchange) -the traditional (some would say old world) office telephone system.

The IP PBX systems is answer to the current changes and needs of communication by providing integrated infrastructure, smart services such as unified messaging, ability to work from home, easy to implement and easy to maintain and many more features and abilities.

This section is going to discuss what we should pay attention for when considering new phone system and cover some of the available solutions in the market.

Lets start with the traditional PBX:
Unless you are mid large organization you most likely have to have contract with service provider that do every thing need to be done with the phone system start with moving person from one physical location to another or update any routing in the system and you either pay per call or have monthly bill that in most cases you do not understand why you have to pay so much.

Now if you sure you get more features then you need with your current phone system, do not need to expand and you are happy with your monthly bill then you may don’t want to replace the current system.
The old systems are doing 90% of the job.

But if the answer for any of the above questions is No then in this place I will try to go over the things you suppose to pay attention to.

Does the IP PBX can make me coffee?
No thanks… but a good IP PBX can do a lot for your business, here are some of the functionality you may get in a good solution:

Connectivity:
FXO - connection to the local telephone line.
FXS - ability to connect to a regular Analog telephone.
WAN port - to connect to the Internet service provider in order to be able to connect to real VoIP service.
LAN port - to connect to IP Phones and computers from the LAN (switch is requiered in most cases)

Telephony:

Ability to connect to both PSTN line (local telephone provider) as well to VoIP service that provided with ATA device.
Connect to VoIP service provider
Connect to IP Phone extensions
Connect to Remote Extension that will enable you to work from a distance location and make/receive your calls.
Report and statistics on your organization calls
Control you phone bill
Have Voice mail on all extensions
Receive your voice mail and faxes to your email
be able to route your calls according to cost, priority or any other parameter.
Block un-wanted phone numbers
Prioritize a special list of phone numbers such as your most important customers
Multi Extension ringing
Call hunting and many other options almost as much as you can imagin

Networking and FireWall:
The system may have routing capability such as DHCP server, and client
QOS - Quality of Service to prioritize VoIP or other traffic
Some systems has build-in Firewall
IDS - Intrusion detection
Dialers to service providers
VPN - Virtual Private Netork

You can choose many option some included in the pricing some are additional features.
It is important to see what is best fit your needs and what is must for your business and what is nice to have.

Choosing the right solution can save you money and will help you to be efficient.

In this secession will try to cover the products and assist you to understand the flexibility.

Let us know what is most interest for you and will cover it in one of our next communications.