Phone System for small business

[sammyboy]

Hi Just wondering if anyone can recommend a phone system for a small business. Need about 3 handsets and a pbx capable of presenting a professional image ie queue calls, email messages, music on hold etc. any advice greatly appreciated.

[VideoTraining]

I like www.3cx.com

They are cost effective and offer great features.

Kind regards,

Tony Morris
www.DVDcoach.com
Online Computer Training Made Easy

[bradzo]

Hi Tony and @sammyboy

I installed the "free" version of VoipNow server (www.4psa.com) but couldn't get 3cx's softphone to work with it - the "free" Express Talk softphone could at least connect to the voipnow server (a virtual machine running CentOS 5.3) - just couldn't make calls to another extension.

I didn't install 3cx's server though - their softphone would work with that out of the box of course.

Oh well - it was a play platform anyway!

YMMV of course, but I think this is a great way to reduce costs within the office, but you do need to connect your voip server to a pstn provider to make and receive landline calls - if I haven't stated the bleeding obvious!

Cheers
Brad

[JohnSheppard]

My advice would be to stay away from Skype. I am currently using it and I'm not happy with it. It cuts out occassionally. Some of that may be attributed to my setup here however my other irk is calls get missed on my skypein number and I know for certain that is Skype's end with the problem.

I also think that SIP based phones are the go for business as that's what all the real phone people use.

I also tried 3CX, it's a great peice of software but it was too much mucking around in my opinion.

I'm about to try mynetfone's virtual pbx with SNOM IP phones, might work...might not

[Adam Randall]

We use Trixbox

[VideoTraining]

Originally Posted by john.sheppard

My advice would be to stay away from Skype. I am currently using it and I'm not happy with it. It cuts out occassionally. Some of that may be attributed to my setup here however my other irk is calls get missed on my skypein number and I know for certain that is Skype's end with the problem.

Hi JOhn, your comments are very interesting. I have used SKYPE for a long tme and have never had a hickup. The only time I have heard of people having issues is when their DSL connection was having problems.

I am sure that if there are issues with the SKYPE network or service that they will be resolved asap - they are now the largest international carrier in the world - and growing.

Good on them too!

Kind regards

Tony Morris
www.DVDcoach.com
Online Computer Training Made Easy

[JohnSheppard]

Hi Tony, You are right to an extent and some of it may well be related to DSL (I am in Cairns and we don't get the greatest of Internet service here).

When I said missing phone calls I was inaccurate (for berevity), what I experience is as follows;
1. Person rings from Brisbane landline, goes straight to message bank
2. I ring here from my land line it works, rings through fine
3. I ring from mobile, it works, rings through fine
4. Person from brisbane rings from mobile, it works, rings through fine
5. I adjust message bank time out, fixes the problem for Brisbane landline, but now my time out is WAY too long for everyone else.

That's a Skype issue and I think it unlikely to be fixed as anything I've ever read from Skype and issue solving is hopeless...they're target market is home users. I don't think they can even be contacted...

Other issues are 1300 numbers are REALLY common now, and skype are still charging 30cents per minute. (It hurts to call telstra lol)

I'm not a phone tech, but there are no QoS things happening with Skype either, if the network sucks, Skype sucks.....with some alternative offerings that can be avoided...say something like nodeline from internode.

Plus, plan for growth...you can't get nice phone equipment that is skype based and expect it to grow with you....

It all just ads up to it not being a good idea IMO....it's your business...one lost phone call justifies the cost of getting a good quality 100% reliable and scalable system.

[JamesMillar]

Without a doubt www.mynetfone.com.au They are Australias biggest VOIP provider and they have fantastic residential and business plans, services, hardware and support. We have three different businesses running their service and all are integrated easily with call groups etc via their simple web portal. At any time of the day we can login and add any one (or more) of our employees phones from one completey separate business to the other as a call group feature. Simultaneous or sequential ringing call group, follow me features to voicemail and email, IVR, virtual assistant etc etc. They also have very cheap conference call features with all plans (proper dial in numbers for host, guests etc with pin numbers - unlimited callers. Skype does not handle this well).

You can get a 2 or 4 trunk (line) or more business plan for $60 to $100 per month with a bundle of included calls. They can provide Virtual PABX which is far better, far simpler and far cheaper than conventional hardware based PABX. Its all managed via their web portal accessable 24/7.

Well worth it.

[digital.hybrid]

I'm new to Flying Solo and to the forums, so forgive me if this isn't allowed, but I run a small unified communications company offering a suite of web-based communications services.

One of our new-ish flagship services is EzyTELECOMMUNICATIONS.

We offer fully-featured VoIP-based hosted PBX services. You get all the bells and whistles of a hardware PBX without the expense. All you need is something like a Linksys SPA922, SPA942 or SPA962 to get the most out of our system. These can cost as little as $200 per handset.

We provide call waiting, DND, voicemail with delivery to email, conference calling, call recording, IVRs, call queueing and more for one small monthly price plus call costs. And you can have handsets at remote offices hooked into your PBX and all calls between extensions are free.

For example, a 10 extension hosted PBX costs only $49.00 and includes everything including EzyFAX, which is our email2fax/fax2email based service.

We're about launch the new website, but for the time being, you can download all of our info from the placeholder at www.ezytel.com.au

Again, I hope this post isn't out of order in regard to the forum rules. If it is, please let me know, and I'll reign it in next time.

Cheers!

Kerry

[Intuitive]

We use Skype as well and we're pretty happy with it.

Call costs are kept to a minimum, service is good and when we telecommute our phone line comes with us.

regards