How To Choose Between Popular Phone System Models

In the 1870s, Alexander Graham Bell, together with his assistant Thomas Watson, discovered that sound can travel over electrical wires. This discovery gave birth to the telephone in March 1876. Since then, communication via the telephone has come a long way. Phone system models come with a variety of functions and features. There’s caller ID, call waiting, forwarding, and message recording to name a few. Whether it is for your home, a small business or a multinational organization there is one to suit your needs.

Here are some of the popular phone system models on the market:

1. Answering Machines. Answering machines make it possible for callers to leave a recorded message for a person who is unable to answer his phone. An unanswered phone plays a recorded greeting followed by a  beep signaling the caller to leave his message. The message can then be played back, saved or deleted at any time. Some answering machines even allow remote access to the messages. A number of  phone equipment have built-in digital message recording features like Panasonics’ KX TG6413T phone model that can store 18 minutes worth of messages. On the other hand, AT&T’s  model 1739 is a dedicated/stand alone digital answering machine that provides a total of 40 minutes recording time.
2. Intercom. Intercommunication devices allow individuals to have a conversation over a short distance, say between rooms or between floors. At the push of a button, you can easily contact a family member or an associate without having to scream your heart out or run up a flight of stairs. A base unit  is situated in a selected area of the home/building with one or more portable or wall-mounted units  placed in and around the vicinity. Apart from the voice-only type of intercom systems, video intercoms are also available in the market. A video intercom is a great security tool that allows you to see the person outside your door without having to open it. Companies like Panasonic, Siemens and Nutone offer various models of intercoms.
3. PBX. For companies and organizations that require a greater number of telephone lines, the PBX or Private Branch Exchange is an effective business solution. Instead of leasing multiple independent telephone lines from the phone company, the PBX phone system allows a company to have one dedicated phone number (trunk line) for people to call. Telephones (as well as  facsimile machines  and credit card machines) can then be connected to the PBX via an assigned extension number. Once a call comes in, it can be easily routed to the desired local. One of the more popular PBX systems is Nortel’s Meridian, which  can offer  60 to 80,000 extension lines. Just Like NEC’s IPK II PBX system, Meridian provides different features to suit your growing business needs including VoIP compatibility.
4. VoIP. With the advent of the Internet, you  can now make calls  using your computer via Voice over Internet Protocol. At a minimum, all you need is a computer, a headset, a microphone and an Internet connection to make a PC-to-PC call. To call anywhere in the world  using VoIP,  you will need additional  software from companies like Skype and Vonage. These companies charge a much lower rate than making calls through traditional phone companies. Businesses that want to take full advantage of VoIP technology can invest in digital phone systems provided by companies like Avaya and Cisco.

Whatever telephony needs you have, from the simplest answering machine to the latest state-of-the-art digital phone equipment, there’s  definitely a phone system out there for you.