More and more businesses are looking for used phone systems.  People are tightening budgets in every area and this is no exception. So we thought about it here at Stargate and decided we better do a post to help people understand the pros and cons of the used and refurbished markets. It can be a great way to get a deal on a telephone system but it can also be way to get something that does not work for you and costs you more in the long run. Actually it may not be that long.

Here is a list of things that you should know if you want to purchase a used or refurbished system. Keep these things in mind and you should be able to steer clear of any problems and get a system that will serve you well for years to come. If all the stuff below get’s to be just too much then skip to the end of the post for a way to make things quick and easy.

First things first

1)    So first off, keep in mind that right now telephone system manufacturers are offering very aggressive discounts so depending on the used system you find, it may only save you a very small amount over a new system. It does not make sense to purchase a system with no warranty or ongoing support if you only save a tiny amount. Or to get a system that does not accomplish what you need. Bottom line? Get a price on a new system so you know whether  the used system price makes sense. 

Who is going to install the system?

2)    Take into consideration that the system needs to be installed by someone. Sure you can go get that system you found on Craigslist but who is going to install it? Telephone systems need to be installed by someone who knows something about that particular brand of phone system. Having someone who knows nothing about phone systems or who is used to working with a different brand of phone system install the phones you found at a discount website may end up being a very frustrating and costly experience. 

Phone system manufacturers have different ways of doing things and different software components to the systems they design. So it would not be a good idea to ask someone who has only worked with Panasonic systems to install a Toshiba phone system. Bottom line? Make sure you if plan to buy a particular brand that you first find someone who can install that brand of system and has worked on that kind of system before. Otherwise you may be purchasing a fancy paperweight.

Ugh! Details, Details, Details.

3)    Next take care to purchase enough system and not too little. What does this mean? Most phone systems have a “switch” or “central brain” of the system which routes the calls to and from the phones. It typically comes with a basic configuration. Maybe it can handle 4 lines and 8 phones. From there the system can be expanded in features and capacity. So if you need voice mail you add a voice mail card to the “switch” to give your system that feature. If you need more than 8 phones for example you would install an “expansion card” which would allow you to add more phones to the system. So the bottom line on this one is that you need to do some research on the system you are looking at to make sure you are getting the right components and that they all work together.

4)    Software: We are used to the phones we use just working when we pick it up and rarely if ever think about the technology behind it. But it is important to keep in mind that phone systems used in business have software installed in them, and that changes the game a bit. So remember that if you are looking at a used phone system it is best to purchase something that is not pieced together. In other words unless you have expert help you don’t want to go out and get parts from different places and put them together and try to make a phone system out of them even if all those parts are all from the same manufacturer. Telephone system hardware often only works within a particular product line. So “Product Line A” phones may not work on a “Product Line B” system even though they are both “Brand X” phone systems. To compound matters more, some hardware may work with the software on your system while other components don’t. So you can end up with multiple levels of incompatibility.

5)    Does the system you are looking at do what you want it to do? Here is one quick example; Say you want the voice mail on the system you are purchasing to forward calls out to your cell phone when someone reaches your voice mail. This is a fairly common request. Many manufacturers have two or three different voice mail modules for the same system. They do this to provide choice and cost flexibility to their customers. The thing is only one or two of these voice mails modules may do the function of sending calls to cell phones. So if a particular feature is important to you make sure you find out if the system you are looking at can do that feature. You may need to read the technical specifications which can typically be downloaded at the manufacturer’s website. This may be a 300 page PDF file so use the search function to find the right section.

So how do you remember all this stuff and avoid problems? Fortunately you do not need to become an expert on phone systems just to save a little money on the purchase. Remember that we promised you a way to make all this easy when we started the post. Here’s way to make it easy.

Refurbished systems can be purchased from a phone system dealer. Dealers handle these types of orders frequently and can quickly determine what you would need and install the system for you rapidly and guide you through the challenges we talked about above.

If you get your refurbished or used system from a dealer you can get the same cost savings you wanted elsewhere and you should also be able to get:

a.) A price on a new system so you can compare.

b.) A dealer will assure that you are getting hardware that will all work together so you don’t have to worry about learning all the details of telephone systems.

c.) Dealers will make sure you have the correct software to run the system.

d.) A dealer will ask questions to find out your needs and help you find the hardware components that actually do the things you want your system to do.

e.) Ongoing support. You will know who to call if you have trouble later or just want to ask a basic question.

f.)And a dealer can often offer you a warranty on refurbished hardware which you won’t get elsewhere.

So that is about it. Pay attention to the information above and you can get a great system without making any of the common mistakes we see when people get used systems.

The easiest thing to do is get expert help and avoid having to know all that stuff though. Find a dealer for the product you are interested in or just give us a call and we will guide you through the process. We are happy to discuss your options and you are under no obligation. Stargate Technologies can help you find the right system for your business while helping you get the same savings you were looking for in the first place by purchasing a used telephone system. sales@stargateti.com or 425-609-6200

Stargate Technologies is delighted to announce our own “Economic Stimulus Package“!  Due to aggressive discounts from our distributor, we are able to pass significant savings on to new Avaya IP Office clients, with up to 25% off of the National List Price for most components and software applications.  This discount expires on March 31, 2009, so this is the time to buy!  Call 800-553-7021 now for a appointment with a sales representative to customize your new phone system. 

Seriously, 25% off!

Stargate Technologies wishes you and your business a wonderful and successful 2009!

We have lots of exciting new developments to kick off the new year. Over the coming days and weeks we will be posting a lot of new content here on the Stargate site that will help you cut costs and drive revenue in 2009. As always we focus on technologies that are available here in Seattle and the Western Washington area. The best products and services you can actually use and find here in this region.

As you probably know on the Stargate blog we provide up to date news on technologies that help small businesses operate more efficiently and communicate with their customers in ways that deepen that customer relationship and enhance loyalty.

Stay tuned to learn more about how to cut telecommunications costs in this tough economy and how to use technology to stay in touch with your customers on an ongoing basis automatically in a way that drives more business contacts and sales.

So sign up for our RSS feed and visit us often to see what’s in store for 2009!

And again Happy New Year!

Many small businesses have questions about the best way to answer their phones. Often it is about balancing the need to handle call volumes and still give great customer service.

Here are 6 ways your business can answer the phones. Seeing some of the alternatives may help you decide if what you are doing is best for you or if there is a way that might make more sense.

1) Ring Attendant Phone Only
This is a common scenario and can be effective unless you want all calls answered live and someone has to run to this phone when the receptionist is out.

2) Ring to a Group of Phones
This can be a great alternative where a call can ring to the attendant station and also to one or more other phones. When the attendant is out or overloaded other staff can then assist with answering as needed.

3) Ring Everyone
This is typically not the best way for calls to be answered. Generally there are certain staff who will be interrupted by having their station ring all day long. But in some cases this scenario can make sense.

4) Automated Attendant
Although this method is generally one that business owners to not want to inflict on their customers it has become so ubiquitous that people are used to it. Most of the reasons that people hate to use auto attendants have to do with poor programming of the menu options in the first place. If one of the options above is not right for your company then the AA is probably right for you.

5) DID (Direct Inward Dial)
DIDs typically require a T1 or PRI in most cases. T1s can be expensive for small businesses and may eliminate this choice for some organizations. Keep in mind that DID’s will change many things about how your organization works. For example if you have sales staff that gets calls to their direct line and that staff person leaves your organization you will need that line to be answered and that voicemail associated with that number to be check regularly by someone. Also the people who have that number will call if for everything. In other words they will call that persons number even with they want customer service or some other option. Then they will leave a message and often not get the attention they needed in a timely fashion. For many companies however the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. One major advantage is sales staff being able to get calls faster and easier.

6) Mobility.
Mobility is a fantastic option that is unique to the Avaya IP Office telephone system. It means that calls that ring to an extension whether transferred there or coming in on a direct line can ring on that station and on a cell phone at the same time. So if have staff that is out of the office much of the time this can be a great option. The call can come back to the office voicemail if not answered.

Local Area Network is a short-distance data communications network (typically within a building or campus) used to link together computers, printers and other devices under some form of standard management.  Older computer networks used “dumb terminals” (terminals with no computing power) to talk to distant computers.  When personal computers (PCs) made their appearance, LANs were developed to enable PCs to share expensive peripherals, such as printers.  Today,some of the advantages of the LAN are:  A.  anyone on the LAN can use any device connected to the LAN, B.  Anyone on the LAN can access databases and programs running on client servers on the LAN, C.  The telephone system can be connected to the LAN, bringing a variety of new communications applications to the users.

Well if you are located in the Seattle, Bellevue area you will be hearing more and more buzz about Ethernet Over Copper (EOC) soon, if you are not already. You can expect the cold calling hoards employed by the many alternative carriers to be pushing this as a new talking point. “You need to at least understand how your competitors are using this new technology” they will say. Or that great old standard “I would like to show you how you can save thousands and increase your productivity with EOC.”  followed with “I’ll be in your area on Tuesday so what time works best for you 11am or 2pm?”

So what is Ethernet Over Copper and should you stop to talk to one of these salespeople? The answer is maybe. Depending on your business needs there is a chance that EOC will offer you some surprising benefits depending on your business needs.

One advantage is that EOC will be offering increasing savings over T-1s. The second benefit is that unlike DSL and cable the bandwidth is symmetrical. That is to say you get the same speed up and down. And with an increasing use of VPNs and VoIP and emerging SIP trunking lots of up speed is becoming increasingly important. So to get 5Mb or 10Mb up and down for less than the cost of a T-1 will certainly get the attention of many business owners and IT professionals in the area.

Another nice advantage of the technology is built in redundancy. Since it is delivered by copper pairs if any loop fails you still have the connection, only just a little slower, at least as long as some loops remain.

So if you decide to talk to one of these salespeople about EOC then make sure you don’t focus entirely on price. I would be more concerned with the provider’s backbone. Just a couple of DS3’s may not cut it when they start getting lots of subscribers to this service. And of course what is the reputation they have for responding to customer concerns?

 One potential source of help would be to talk to a company that installs phone hardware but does not provide carrier services. They have a perspective on the industry that can be helpful to you because they get to deal with all the carriers and see how the work. Give us call or post any questions you have here and we would be happy to help as well.

Some newer phone systems on the market like Microsoft Response Point are marketed as “self install” phone systems. Low cost hardware and no professionals needed to install it. It is an attractive idea that I don’t blame people for trying. But it often has unpleasant results.

Is it really self installable? Here is how to know if it makes sense for your business.

The cost savings is the most attractive part of these offerings. Other attractive features include bundled packages that include VoIP lines to save additional costs on long distance phone calls which translates into more cost savings. And many business owners gleefully proclaim their delight at having an option other than the local phone company for dial tone service.

And as attractive as all of this is make sure you weigh the all of the factors to decide what option is right for you. Here are some of those factors to consider.

Are you technically savvy or do you have someone who can install the system who is technically savvy? And make no mistake it will take some technical capabilities. If you find it hard to install a printer or something like that on your computer network then don’t even think of attempting this project on your own.

What I see with Do-It-Yourself installs is that very few companies have the tools to do the wiring right. Then many companies attempt to install the systems and then end up needing help with the install. After they have made a mess it ends up costing more to have a someone come in and sort it out than it would have if they had just asked a professional to do the install in the first place. But what I see most often is even worse in my estimation. A company that gets the install in but not really working. Then they suffer with ongoing problems they never needed to have in the first place. In an age when so many things are plug and play sometimes people forget that a phone system is the lifeline of their business.

So if you are very technically savvy and can install a QoS Router on your own and don’t mind spending your own time on the administration of a phone system when programming changes are needed or a new phone is needed then this option might be right for you.

But if you would rather work on your business and keep your head in the game you know best then it is best to have a phone system installed professionally. But don’t rush down to Costco and get a system off the shelf and expect to find someone to install it. Not all of those systems have local support. Find a local company that sells, installs, and services phone systems and take a look at the options they have available and you are much more likely to be pleased with the end result.

On the surface this option make look like it costs more but in practice the time and headaches avoided translate into significant savings for your business.

All too often we see business that get the wrong solution when they buy a phone system. They make major mistakes that are very costly. So we decided to go over the 7 biggest mistake so you don’t have to make them. Please read these carefully and be sure to email us or post your questions.

1) Getting a system that won’t meet your primary needs. (Auto Attendant that does not have enough levels, or the system does not support multiple locations)

2) Buying too much system.  Bells and whistles are nice, but do they solve a business problem?

3) Buying a system that does not meet your needs, such as support for remote workers.

4) Overpaying for a system (buying a state-of-the-art PBX when a key system is what your business really needs)

5) Buying a rare system that no one is around to support.

6) Buying a system from a company that does not provide good support.  Check references and testimonials!

7) Not planning for growth.  Your phone system should expand to meet your line and extension needs for 5 years.