Anyone bought a small PBX in the last 5 years?

cjd · Jan 27, 2006

I'm trying to provide comparative costings for a journalist - using a hosted VoIP PBX vs a traditional switch like a Panasonic or Siemens box.

I'm finding it hard to get info - the market is rigged by the manufacturers selling only to re-seller/installers. If anyone has bought one and is prepared to give me a clue what it actually cost I'd be grateful.

PM or post, thanks

Spire · Jan 27, 2006

Hi

I just bought 1 of ebay this very day, I paid £150.00 for it , it is configured for 2 lines 6 extenions, and comes complete with 5 telephones, it will expand up to 6 lines 18 extentions, voicemail, call logging etc.

It has all the usual stuff music on hold, call transfer, caller display, night service etc.

seabro · Jan 27, 2006

Hi CJD,

I am also interested in the answer to this question as I install asterisk systems and always wondering how my charges compare to others.

One of my customer bought a 2 line, 3 extension system for £700 from a local telecoms company.

I thought it was quite cheap until a few days later they mentioned they are tied in to a support agreement for 7 years!

cjd · Jan 27, 2006

Spire said:
Hi

I just bought 1 of ebay this very day, I paid £150.00 for it , it is configured for 2 lines 6 extenions, and comes complete with 5 telephones, it will expand up to 6 lines 18 extentions, voicemail, call logging etc.

It has all the usual stuff music on hold, call transfer, caller display, night service etc.

That sounds like a bit of a bargain - hope it work!

Spire · Jan 27, 2006

Me to

KM-Tiger · Jan 27, 2006

cjd said:
- the market is rigged by the manufacturers selling only to re-seller/installers.

I don't think that's true, you can certainly get Panasonic gear at lots of places:-

http://www.tammsdirect.com/telsyst1.asp

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Telephones_and_Accessories_Index/PANA308/index.html

Though I would agree that re-seller/installers like to maintain mystique.

If anyone ever breaks Digium's stranglehold on quality FXO/FXS cards, then with Asterisk that's the way that small PBX's will go. Seems to me a *huge* business opportunity for someone.

cjd · Jan 28, 2006

Kent Manufacturer said:
I don't think that's true, you can certainly get Panasonic gear at lots of places:-

Thanks for the links; Panasonic told me this:

"Because of their technical sophistication and features, Panasonic "KX-TDA" Digital Hybrid IP PBX Telephone Systems and Components are only sold, installed and serviced exclusively by local Panasonic KX-TDA Certified Dealers. Ask your dealer if they are Panasonic KX-TDA Certified. These products are not sold on the internet or through other forms of e-commerce. For the names of Certified Dealers near you please use our dealer locator."

If anyone ever breaks Digium's stranglehold on quality FXO/FXS cards, then with Asterisk that's the way that small PBX's will go. Seems to me a *huge* business opportunity for someone.

good idea, although you'd be better installing asterisk on a PC, plug it into a router and bi-pass all that ISDN legacy stuff.

DuaneJackson · Jan 28, 2006

I've got a 8 phone, 4 line Panasonic KX-TDA system I'm thinkig of selling.

It's virtually impossible to find ssomeone willing to install it - all I want is it cabled in, I don't wan a support contract.

Ozzy · Jan 28, 2006

I dont know what you class as a small PBX.

I have just purchased an Avaya IP Office 406 with 4 internal extensions and 3 external. I also have Voicemail Pro and some weird call logging and analysis software. Total price was around £2,500 but I installed it myself as I used to work for an Avaya (when they were Argent) dealer and had installed a few of their units previously.
The Voicemail (AutoAttendant) system was £900 on its own though.

cjd · Jan 28, 2006

Ozzy said:
I dont know what you class as a small PBX.

I have just purchased an Avaya IP Office 406 with 4 internal extensions and 3 external. I also have Voicemail Pro and some weird call logging and analysis software. Total price was around £2,500 but I installed it myself as I used to work for an Avaya (when they were Argent) dealer and had installed a few of their units previously.
The Voicemail (AutoAttendant) system was £900 on its own though.

What do you think it would have cost to have it installed by dealer?

Ozzy · Jan 28, 2006

About £500 if I remember correctly.

KM-Tiger · Jan 28, 2006

cjd said:
Thanks for the links; Panasonic told me this:

"Because of their technical sophistication and features, Panasonic "KX-TDA" Digital Hybrid IP PBX Telephone Systems and Components are only sold, installed and serviced exclusively by local Panasonic KX-TDA Certified Dealers. Ask your dealer if they are Panasonic KX-TDA Certified. These products are not sold on the internet or through other forms of e-commerce. For the names of Certified Dealers near you please use our dealer locator."

Click to expand...

Interesting as the links I gave were to Pansonic analogue equipment. Personally I think they are shooting themselves in the foot, as the ready availability of their gear was part of their success in the small business market. Good for you though, as it makes your virtual PBX more attractive.

good idea, although you'd be better installing asterisk on a PC, plug it into a router and bi-pass all that ISDN legacy stuff.

No I want to interface with PSTN lines for a couple of reasons:-

I don't want to change our telephone number, though I want to add some DDI numbers which could come in by IP.

Our internet connection is ADSL. Given there is no SLA on that, to rely entirely on it for telephony would be foolish. The numbers don't seem to add up to change to a leased line or SDSL.

seabro · Jan 29, 2006

kent,

asterisk with a analogue interface card sounds like just the ticket.

I know you knew that already, are you going for it?

cjd · Jan 29, 2006

Kent Manufacturer said:
Our internet connection is ADSL. Given there is no SLA on that, to rely entirely on it for telephony would be foolish. The numbers don't seem to add up to change to a leased line or SDSL.

The SLA issue is an interesting point. BT is going 100% IP by the end of this decade tho' so presumably they will start to provide business quality services as they churn out ISDN. (I'm aways a bit sceptical about the value of SLAs - they don't get your your service back any quicker if it goes down.....)

But it does seem reliablity (or perceived reliablity) is a critical issue for VoIP.

SDSL is the final answer and one assumes that prices will fall as that becomes clear - I'm not expecting it to be a fast process though.

KM-Tiger · Jan 29, 2006

seabro said:
asterisk with a analogue interface card sounds like just the ticket.

I know you knew that already, are you going for it?

Yes, that's where I'm aiming, though I'm at the experimental stage right now.

I've bought a Digium card with 2 FXO interfaces and a couple of IP phones (Grandstream). I've installed asterisk@home on an old PC, and nearly got it all working. I say nearly as at home I am behind a Draytek2600VG router and that seems to be keeping VOIP to itself, so I'm going to change back to an older non-VOIP router. My business is nothing to do with IT or Telecoms, so all this is a part time hobby. I'm very busy with my proper job right now, so it will be a while before I get there.

Ultimately when I've finished experimenting I will look for someone who can give me a commercial contract to install, configure, monitor and maintain a hybrid asterisk server.

KM-Tiger · Jan 29, 2006

cjd said:
But it does seem reliablity (or perceived reliablity) is a critical issue for VoIP.

Yes, it is, and I think SLA is probably a red herring, analogue PSTN lines have no SLA, for instance. But practical experience is that analogue telephone lines are almost 100% reliable, and ADSL is far from that.

Out of interest I have my ADSL connections monitored by www.l8nc.com , so I get an email every time they go off, which is more frequently than you might think. Even when connected is the connection any good? This was a bad day last year, and the problem cleared by the Monday, but I don't think I would have been making many VOIP calls that day!

cjd · Jan 29, 2006

Kent Manufacturer said:
I've installed asterisk@home on an old PC, and nearly got it all working........Ultimately when I've finished experimenting I will look for someone who can give me a commercial contract to install, configure, monitor and maintain a hybrid asterisk server.

If you get it working and want to play with VoIP sending calls to PSTN numbers, open a free account - you get 5 free minutes - and point your * box at it. There's set up instructions here:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/index.php?action=Asterisk

There's a couple of guides there too.

KM-Tiger · Jan 30, 2006

cjd said:
If you get it working and want to play with VoIP sending calls to PSTN numbers, open a free account - you get 5 free minutes - and point your * box at it. There's set up instructions here:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/index.php?action=Asterisk

There's a couple of guides there too.

Thanks for that. I have already looked at your service and I might well become a customer.

But as I said before this is a spare time project, so don't hold your breath!

cjd · Jan 30, 2006

Kent Manufacturer said:
don't hold your breath!

If I'd held my breath waiting for VoIP I would have died in September 1994

(That was the first time I got 2 BT engineers to rig it up for me)

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Anyone bought a small PBX in the last 5 years?

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