Low Cost PBX Phone Systems
With the industry trend moving away from analog to VoIP, it can be difficult to find traditional PBX systems. But for some small business environments, analog PBX may be the best option. Here are a few manufacturers that still offer low cost PBX systems.
Talkswitch
The Talkswitch 200 series is an affordable entry level system for small business. You have the option of using only analog phones or a mix of analog and IP phones. Another advantage of the Talkswitch line is availability. These systems can also be purchased used or refurbished, which may provide significant savings over new equipment.
As with any analog PBX system, setup and maintenance is relatively easy. Talkswitch systems are also expandable, depending on how many lines and extensions are required. You can also add VoIP capability later, which makes the system more upgradeable.
Bizfon
Bizfon is a small manufacturer of both traditional and IP PBX systems. Their basic analog PBX systems are designed to be scalable, so that you can expand the number of lines and extensions by adding an additional control unit, which is called a box. For example, to expand your system beyond the main control unit (Box 1), you would add Box 2. This keeps the initial investment down, but allows for easy growth in the future.
Bizfon also provides a solid set of features, including auto attendant, voicemail, conferencing, and announcements. These features help project a large business image for your small business.
MicroSMB
For even more feature capabilities in a small business PBX system, MicroSMB offers another reasonably priced alternative. With systems providing from 4 to 16 lines and up to 24 extensions, the basic needs for most businesses would be met. In addition there are auto attendant, call forward, follow me, security, and other features not available on most basic analog PBX systems.
Another important feature of MicroSMB systems is the remote configuration capability. While you can configure the system using a PC with a direct connection, if you purchase and enable the remote configuration feature, then you can have a support rep from MicroSMB configure the system to your specifications. This can save you considerable costs and get you up and running faster.
Organizations with a single location and a small number of employees may prefer analog PBX. Also, some existing telecom environments may not allow for full VoIP access. When these or other factors call for a traditional PBX solution, consider these systems as good low cost phone system options.
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