You keep your company running by keeping tabs on a finely tuned array of high-tech equipment, but tucked away in an obscure closet is the one piece you may depend on most and probably know the least about: your phone system.
For most savvy managers, whipping together a sophisticated computer network is a piece of cake. But the mere mention of PBX (private branch exchange) can make all that skill and knowledge melt away. It used to be easy to ignore the PBX, but with communications playing an ever-growing role in computer operations, more IT managers are inheriting PBX responsibilities.
At one time, choosing a proprietary standalone PBX phone system was like Russian roulette--make a poor choice, and you could be locked into escalating technical support costs, poor migration paths, and complex system management. But now, with telephone and computer operations converging on the corporate network, creating and maintaining a telephone system can be a simpler and more cost-effective process.
These new systems use standard Ethernet connections and deliver more functionality, such as universal messaging. And while many network-based PBX systems cost about the same as traditional PBXs on a per-seat basis, prices are plummeting by as much as 20 percent annually. Network PBX systems may even be more affordable when you also consider the potential system management cost savings, easy integration of remote offices, and reduced long distance charges.
Hailey Lynne McKeefry is a freelance technical writer based in Belmont, California, who contributes regularly to ZDNet Tech Update..
