IP phone systems the modern way to connect to your customers and suppliers. They offer a range of functionalities that can increase productivity and squeeze more out of your phone line. Read more about what they have to offer here...
IP telephone systems are fully integrated and fully functional systems that enable you to effectively talk to your colleagues,
clients and suppliers using an onsite telephone system.
IP stands for Internet Protocol, and is often used along with VOIP, meaning Voice Over Internet Protocol. Essentially what happens during a call is that voice calls are made using the same type of system that is used to connect computers to the internet.
However, with a IP phone system, rather than connecting you with the world wide web, you are only connecting to an internal network, using your very own mini telephone exchange that is installed in your office.
The mini exchange, known as a PBX (Personal Branch Exchange), directs calls that come into your business from your phone line provider. Normally small businesses have an ISDN2 line, which means that for each phone line coming into your building from your provider, you actually have 2 phone lines that you can make and receive calls on.
However this is not always the case and you can connect using a normal analogue phone line, the advantage of a normal line is that from it you can run a ADSL internet connection which you cannot do with a ISDN phone line.
There are a number of different companies that provide these PBX exchanges such as Panasonic, which are not particularly expensive. There are many different types of systems that are available, and what you want depends on what you need.
Within your office you need to ensure you have a cabled CAT5 or CAT6 network system that connects all of the wall sockets to the PBX exchange system.
These types of cables are able to carry your telephone calls as well as carry a wired internet connection around your office.
Each socket is then assigned a number in the exchange which will then give you a range of different telephone extensions. The number of extensions available depends on the size of equipment that you have bought as well as the number of extensions that are required.
The IP telephone system main part of any office, connecting you with the world.
This type of system though offers you the most type of functionality. Some of the most advanced telephone features are only available with this type of installation. Not only can you place calls on hold, but workers are able to work securely off site using telephony software on computers very similar to well known types from firms like Skype and Google.
However, rather than using third party servers, your workers in any part of your business just need to have access to your server and then you can call them using their internal telephone extension, reducing call costs and ensuring all is private to your business.
The installation of a good telephone system is key to your firms development. Once installed, you will be able to develop new services and products that can bring you closer to customers and ultimately make you more money.
