The Telephone is a telecommunications device designed to transmit speech by means of electric signals. Generally attributed to the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, the first was built in Boston, Massachusetts in 1876.

The history of additional inventions and improvements include the carbon microphone (later replaced by the electret microphone now used in almost all telephone transmitters), the manual switchboard, the rotary dial, the automatic telephone exchange, the computerized telephone exchange, Touch Tone(R) dialing (DTMF), the digitization of sound using different coding techniques including pulse code modulation or PCM (which is commonly used for .WAV files and on compact disks). Newer systems include ISDN, DSL, cell phone systems, digital cell phone systems, and the third generation cell phone systems that promise to allow high-speed packet data transfer.

Business Phone Systems Buyer's Guide
Table of Contents
• Phone System Introduction
• Types of Phone Systems
• Sizing a Phone System
• Basic Telephone System Features
• CTI and Advanced Features
• Office Phones Dealers
• Office Telephones Pricing
• Buying Tips

A business phone system is one of the most important purchases your office can make. The telephone is often the easiest way to reach your customers, clients, and partners. It should also be the easiest way for them to reach you. You do not want your important business calls into your office to be routed incorrectly, disconnected, or faced with a bewildering array of automated options.
There are many factors to consider when buying a business telephone system. For example, you need to get enough capacity for your current needs while planning for growth. A small business phone system will have fewer bells and whistles, but should still provide the core set of features you need.

You will want to ensure compatibility with other equipment you already own or may need such as voicemail, messaging on-hold, headsets, or conferencing equipment. And you will need to choose a phone system that supports all the features your business requires.

Managing all of those factors while keeping costs down can be a huge challenge, but BuyerZone can help. This Buyer's Guide will help you understand the types of decisions you need to make, how to choose a business telephone system, and how to find a phone system dealer.

Types of Commercial Phone Systems
Phone Systems Buyer's Guide
There are three major types of commercial phone systems on the market today: key systems, Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems, and KSU-less phones. The type of system you choose will depend on how many stations (extensions) you need and what features you require.

A fourth type of phone system uses Voice over IP (VoIP) technology to route your internal calls over data networks, instead of traditional phone lines. For some businesses, VoIP systems can provide significant cost savings and other benefits.
Table of Contents

* Phone System Intro  * Types of Phone Systems
* Sizing a Phone System  * Basic Telephone System Features
* CTI & Advanced Features  * Office Phones Dealers
* Office Telephones Pricing  * Buying Tips
* Find a dealer

Read more in our VoIP Phone Systems Buyer's Guide.

If your company has more than 40 employees, or if you demand advanced functionality from your phones, PBX systems are often the best solution. You may know PBX systems as the massive telecom cabinets used by huge companies. While that still can be the case for large installations, the technology has progressed to the point where a powerful PBX for a small company can sit unobtrusively on a desk.

Most come standard with all the features you might want. In addition, they are totally programmable, so they can support the most complex implementations. You will likely pay a premium for this flexibility, but in many cases the price difference between PBX systems and less adaptable solutions will be smaller than you might expect.

In the 5 to 40 employee range, key systems are more typical. This type of phone system uses a central control device called the key system unit (KSU) to provide features that are not available with ordinary phones. For example, a central unit typically allows users to make calls to another in-office extension, and prevents other users from accidentally picking up a line that is being used. Modern key systems also come standard with most features a business would expect - but in some cases they are less customizable.

While there are technical differences between key and PBX systems, the distinctions to a user have become relatively blurred. Many key systems include features that were once available only on PBXs, and some systems operate internally as either a key or a PBX depending on the software that is installed. The term "hybrid" is often used to describe systems that resemble both key and PBX systems. River of Mobiles | Cellphones World Latest Mobile Phones | Modren Cell Phones | Best Cell Phones

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