How to choose a PBX for the office and how to install it?

Any modern office of the company can not be imagined without a mini-PBX. After all, this device is responsible for the organization of high-quality internal communications and the rational use of city telephone lines. Today, the struggle between office workers for the right to make a call from a single available number has remained far in the past. In our time, this problem is solved by using external and internal lines. The number of fixed telephone numbers does not need to be increased. How to choose a PBX for the office and how to install it? The answers to these and other questions you will find in this article.

What is a PBX?

Office mini-ATS is a small automatic telephone exchange. It is designed to serve a small number of city numbers. With this device, a company can afford not to allocate a separate line to each number that is used. This leads to a reduction in the cost of paying for calls.

Mini-ATS concentrates the load on the line. Due to the fact that each of them is used more intensively, the company can refuse part of the stationary numbers or ensure the normal operation of the enterprise with the available deficit.

The principle of the mini-PBX operation for the office is similar to the operation of multi-channel stations, where telephone operators operate. The only difference is the number of serviced rooms. For an office installation this number is much smaller. Also for mini-automatic telephone exchanges the breakdown into internal and external lines is characteristic.

How to choose a PBX for the office? More about this is written below.

How to choose an office PBX?

In order to make the right choice when buying a mini-PBX, you need to determine the input data and indicate the desired criteria.

The input data means the number of available fixed lines and the desired number of working internal numbers. The standard distribution is as follows: each city line corresponds to 3-4 internal lines. In any case, when determining the number of serviced rooms, it is recommended to consult with a specialist in installing a PBX for the office. The smallest capacity of such a device is 3 fixed lines and 8 internal subscribers.

It is necessary to clarify whether free external and internal channels remain after the installation of the office mini-ATS. Such a stock should not be large, but if it is completely absent, a number of problems may arise in the near future. We should not forget about the internal lines for faxes and modems.

Also it is necessary to be defined with the manufacturer. The most popular companies that produce mini-ATS for the office are Panasonic and LG.

There are a number of important issues that you just need to discuss with a specialist in connecting a mini-ATS:

• The presence of a built-in adapter for the possibility of connecting an uninterruptible power supply ;
• The need for a connector for connecting a computer that negotiates protocols;
• The ability to set the load distribution mode evenly on each of the city lines.

Now you know how to choose a PBX for the office. It's time to learn more about the basic functions of this device.

The main functions that are equipped with a PBX

Office mini-PBX has the following main functions:

• Call forwarding. This function is the most popular regardless of the type of business activity. It allows you to forward an incoming call to a fax or a specific employee of the company. To do this, simply dial the appropriate extension number on the proprietary telephone and put the handset. The outside party will hear the melody until a new connection is established. If a particular employee is not in place, or his line is busy, the external call will be returned to the system phone again.
• "Interception" of a call. This function is necessary in case one of the employees approached another desktop, and at this time his phone rang. A PBX for the office allows this employee to take the call even while traveling around the perimeter. To do this, the employee will have to dial a certain combination of numbers on any of the devices.
• Receiving a call during a call. If you make a parallel call during a call, a certain signal will be heard in the handset. By typing simple code, you can answer this call.
• Connection order. If unsuccessful attempts to get through to the landline number, which is constantly busy, you need to dial a special code. The PBX will notify you that the necessary line has been released and the connection will be established automatically.
• "Follow me". This feature allows you to redirect to any of the internal numbers in the perimeter of the office. Thus, an employee may not be in the workplace, but all of his incoming calls will be accepted by him.
• Conference call. This feature allows you to connect one or more additional participants to a phone conversation. Participants of the conference can be both internal subscribers, and external.
• Connection to the conversation. Due to this function, the manager at any time can connect with any of the subordinates, even if at this moment a telephone conversation is being conducted. Only the subscriber with the appropriate priority level can connect to the conversation. This process is accompanied by a beep. The corresponding priority levels are assigned during the installation and configuration of the PBX.

Additional PBX features

In addition to the basic functions that office mini-PBXs have by default, there are a number of additional ones that are useful in this or that particular case. Some of them are described below.

If the secretary receiving calls on the proprietary telephone is busy, the incoming call can be queued. The external subscriber will hear not a beep, but a voice message, which you can create yourself. This can be both an advertising message, and a simple request to stay on the line.

Another option is to unload the secretary a little - to grant the right to external subscribers to independently dial the necessary internal number of a particular employee of the company.

The possibility of using speech processors allows each internal subscriber to be provided with an answering machine. In addition, such voice mail allows processing of incoming calls without involving operators.

In order to determine which of the employees made any long-distance or international calls, it is possible for each employee to issue a personal code, using which the person will be able to use long-distance communication. If the employee does not have a special set of figures, then he can not call a paid line.

Below, both standard and modern types of office mini-PBX will be described.

Analog PBXs

Analog mini PBX can be used when the number of internal subscribers is not more than fifty, and the functional capabilities of the telephone network are not shown high requirements.

Such equipment transforms the speech into a pulsed or continuous electrical signal whose amplitude varies. To date, analog mini PBXs are capable of serving up to 46 ports.

The main advantage of such equipment is a lower cost in comparison with the digital ones with the same capacity indicators. The disadvantage of analog mini-PBXs is a small number of service functions.

Digital mini-automatic telephone exchange

Digital PBXs can serve more than 50 ports. Such equipment converts speech into binary pulse streams using the pulse-code modulation method.

Digital mini-PBXs have a higher cost compared to analog. But thanks to this, such a device has a large number of service functions. Also these mini-PBXs are much easier to install in offices.

Wireless mini-ATS

Wireless PBXs for the office provide mobility for employees and do not require wire routing. When using such a device, workers have available radiotelephones with which to move around the perimeter.

Unlike cellular, wireless is free. The capacity of such mini-PBXs can be increased without any problems. The operation of this connection does not require the availability of permits.

Unlike wired phones, radios are protected from listening and secretly connecting. The sound quality when using wireless mini-PBX is characterized as high.

Virtual mini-automatic telephone exchange

Virtual mini-PBX for the office is a product of the most modern technologies. It is on the server of the Internet operator, does not require the purchase of additional equipment and operates on the basis of the network available in the office.

When using such equipment, communications costs are reduced to a minimum. If necessary, the expansion of the capacity of this mini-PBX is very fast.

If the office has changed the location, then the change of existing phone numbers is not needed. Also, there is no need to call specialists to install and connect such a mini-PBX - all control is carried out via the Internet.

Mini-PBX using GSM

Mini-ATS GSM for the office is designed to organize telephone communication in those places where there is no possibility of carrying out the usual line, but there is a signal from the mobile operator.

GSM-gateway helps to increase the number of external lines, while ensuring a reduction in office costs for mobile communications. Its installation is possible in any building, city or country where your IP network will be available. A PBX for an office using such equipment provides the opportunity to carry out as many mobile calls as possible using an inter-network or corporate tariff in the case when they are lower than the usual cost of calls.

Installation of office mini-ATS

Installation of PBX for the office includes design and configuration. Listening to the opinion of a specialist in connecting such equipment, you need to determine the most relevant options for you and the required capacity of the telephone exchange.

The next stage of the installation is the installation of equipment. Usually it is located inside a special cabinet. After connecting external and internal ports, all cables are crossed and labeled, and the primary system testing process is carried out.

Next is the stage of programming and setting up a mini-PBX. This process is purely individual for a specific client, because the wishes and requirements of each are different.

If the company's offices are located in several buildings, each of them should install its own PBX, which will communicate with each other using a digital or analog trunk. Usually, one system phone is used, installed by the secretary. The remaining staff should be provided with conventional apparatus. If there is a need to supply all employees with system telephones, you will need to purchase additional system boards for the mini-PBX, which will entail additional costs.

Conclusion

Mini-ATS for the office is a special device for uniform distribution of the load between subscriber telephone lines. Using such equipment allows you to direct incoming calls to any communication device, forward them, set the standby mode. This modern device allows you to effectively organize the operation of the enterprise and reduce the cost of telephone communications. The article describes how to choose a PBX for the office and how it should be installed.