Telephone Systems

Business Telephone Systems: Buyer's Guide


Assessing your telephone system needs
There are lots of factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a new business telephone system and it's important to spend time to consider all the options before selecting a system. Below are a few of the main ones:

1. What call volume will your telephone system have to deal with now and is that volume likely to grow?

2. how many incoming lines (possibly including modem and fax machines) and user extensions do you require.

3. Do you need to ensure compatibility with any equipment you already own (headsets, handsets, conferencing equipment, cabling etc).

4. What special functions would you like your telephone system to perform?

You may not know the answer to all these questions about telephone systems yet but by the end of this guide you will hopefully understand a little more about what’s on the market and what would be right for you. We are always available to advise you further.


Buying a new business phone system is one of the most important purchases any business will ever make. Choosing the right phone system then, will be one of the most important decisions you make for your business. The selection of a phone system can help you to grow and develop closer links with your clients. either bring a business closer to its customers and clients or, cause confusion and chaos amongst all that use or interact with it. Enabling Communications offer totally free consultancy, regardless of the size of your telephone system requirements. We pride ourselves in advising you on the best telephone system package for your requirements, that incorporates the facilities you need with 'no excess baggage' and at very competitive prices.

De-mystifying the phone system jargon
The world of business phone systems can be an endlessly confusing jumble of jargon and abbreviations. So if like most people, you don’t know your VOIP from your PBX then please read on.

PBX telephone Systems
Private Branch exchange or PBX, is a term that comes from the era of the centralised switchboard operator and although what it initially described has now become obsolete the term still refers to a telephone system which automatically selects an available outside line for the user, unlike KSU type systems, where the user manually selects the line for an outgoing call. Traditionally, PBX telephone systems have been very expensive and only suitable for large companies investing significant funds in their telephone system. However, advances in technology have now made possible virtual PBX’s, most commonly using broadband internet to carry the data and has reduced costs brining the advantages of this type of telephone system to small and medium sized businesses.

KSU Telephone Systems
KSU stands for key system unit. KSU type telephone systems have a central hub (the key system unit itself) which allows some features which normal phones cannot offer, such as allowing one extension to call another in house extension, and preventing other users from picking up a line that is already in use. This type of telephone system works most efficiently in systems with up to 50 users.

VOIP or IP Telephone Systems
VOIP stands for voice over internet protocol and the later term IP or IP telephony just stands for internet protocol and your call data is carried over the internet rather than over traditional telephone lines. VoIP telephone systems have the benefit of reducing the cost of phone use, as data and voice calls can be carried by the same network. IP systems are by far the most popular option these days for majority of businesses, with the adaptability of the telephone systems, their relatively low running costs and ability to integrate easily with client management software these telephone systems offer many benefits over traditional phone systems.

KSU-Less Telephone Systems
As suggested, this is a phone system that offers similar features as a full KSUtelephone system, without a lot of the expensive technology. However although KSU-Less phone systems are very cheap and simple to set-up, these telephone systems are really only suited to small phone systems with less than 10 users. KSU-Less phone systems can be easily unplugged and relocated, as they are not permanently wired into your office.

Further Reading
Mitel Telephone Systems
NEC Telephone Systems
SpliceCom Telephone Systems
Siemens Telephone Systems

Telephone System Facilities

Further factors to consider are the expansion possibilities and add-ons you may require or wish to invest in at a later stage, below are a few examples:

Voice mail - message facilities

Call recording - the ability to record and store call conversations

Call logging - records the numbers dialled by individual extensions

Call barring - barring users from dialling out certain numbers

Automated attendant - callers are offered numbers to press to get to the correct department/extension

Conference calling - handsets used must have a reliable and efficient microphone as well as a speaker

Paging - again, ensure microphones and speakers are adequate

Calling line identification (CLI) - requires a good handset with an adequate display screen

Music on hold - can add your own choice of music or radio station ?

Directory phone book - an internal directory listing all company contacts available for users to dial

Door system - the facility to link a door lock to the telephone system

See our full range of telephone systems at Enabling Communications