As your company grows, hybrids can be expanded by adding a circuit board to the KSU, whereas most key systems cannot. And since hybrids are more sophisticated electronically, they offer almost any special feature a small or midsize business would want. Also, the internal lines of a key system may not work properly if they get too long; if you need to space out a few phones across a manufacturing floor, get a hybrid.
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PBXs These systems are larger and more sophisticated than key systems and hybrids, and their cost makes little sense unless you've got more than 60 or 70 people who will be on the phone. The maximum number of stations is unlimited -- the more you need, the more you pay. Prices begin at around $500 per station.
The configuration of a PBX is completely programmable. Therefore, a PBX's capacity is not measured by lines and extensions but in terms of ports, the total number of wires it can connect. A hybrid measuring 32-by-64, for example, could have a maximum of 32 lines and 64 extensions; an equivalent PBX would have 96 ports (32 plus 64), which could consist of any combination of lines and extensions. PBXs can support the most complex special features.
The expense of a PBX makes sense only for large companies or for businesses that depend heavily on telecommunications.
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Centrex Centrex is a service leased from your local phone company that provides the functions of a PBX (you'll still have to purchase phones). Rates vary considerably from region to region, but Centrex costs are comparable with those of PBXs, from $400 to $800 a station. The real trade-off is financial: Should you buy equipment or lease a service?
Centrex does offer one physical advantage; because it is run from the phone company, it can link any number of offices you may have spread around town. Though it can be done, it is difficult to link disparate locations using a PBX. On the other hand, if you are at one location and want to reconfigure your system as you add employees, you'll have to pay the phone company to do it. Still, like a PBX system, Centrex will likely be too costly for the vast majority of small businesses.
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Phones and wiring
Common to all these systems are phones and wiring. A vendor will present you with a choice of phones and will probably tell you that you should rewire the building. A few notes on each.
The actual phone on a person's desk (the station set, in industry lingo) should be easy to use, durable, and aesthetic, since it is what your employees will have to deal with every time they make or take a call. Phones vary wildly, from a gray box with a keypad and traditional handset to an all-digital console. Prices for the former start as low as $30; stripped-down "feature phones" begin at about $60, but quickly rise to $200 if they come with a liquid-crystal display that shows the number you're calling and programmable keys that automatically call frequently dialed numbers and such. Station sets account for a hefty chunk of the final system price -- from 25% to 60% -- and should be chosen carefully.
Consider simple digital phones if you are buying more than a basic key system. They will be more versatile as you add features. Also, phone companies are starting to offer more complex services, many of which require digital phones.
Wiring can also make up a major portion of your purchase, from 20% to 50%. Naturally phone companies may suggest rewiring, because they can make a bundle on it; the wire itself is cheap, but the labor to install it isn't. If there is existing phone wire in your building that is up to code, it can probably handle a new key system or hybrid.
If you decide you have to rewire because you are changing the layout of the office or expect to add people, then go all the way. Run extra wires to handle extensions that will be needed as your company grows. Put in extra phone jacks, so if you renovate later you won't have to rewire. And if you have any intention of buying computers, run high-grade wiring that can accommodate data communications alongside the phone wires. Once you've opened up the walls and are paying people to crawl through basements and ceilings, it is most cost-effective to do it all at once.
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Features
Many features that a business would want come standard even on basic key systems. However, the set of features offered may differ slightly from one vendor to the next, so you have to know which ones you need. Some advanced features do cost extra.
As a result of competition, manufacturers have added more and more features. The utility of many of these is questionable. The features explained below should be more than adequate for most businesses. If your vendor offers others for no additional charge, fine, but it is unlikely you would want to pay extra for them.
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Hold, Transfer These are basic necessities found on every system. They allow you to put a caller on hold or transfer the call to another extension.
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Conferencing This feature allows three or more people from different extensions to speak over the same phone line. While it's universal now, the clarity of voices on some systems degrades as more people get on the line, so try it out.
Intercom, Speakerphone An intercom allows you to talk to another person in the office without picking up the phone, by speaking toward a microphone built in to the phone. With speakerphone, you can hear and talk to a caller without holding the handset, freeing you up to use your hands or walk around the room. For either, get a demonstration to make sure the voice coming over the speaker is clear.
