Three Words: Flexibility, Freedom, and Fun

Many businesses are perfectly fine with having one or more AT&T lines for $40 to $60 per month each, depending on whether long distance calls are included or not. Others are fine with a VoIP service such as Vonage, where they are provided with one or more analog telephone adapters to hook up their current analog phones, and enjoy monthly rates of $24.95 for unlimited incoming and outgoing calls. There are those of us, however, that need more than a single telephone number, and want a way to manage all the possible variations and features that can be found in an IP PBX server. Let's examine AusTex VoIP's use of the three F's to describe the advantages of an IP PBX based phone system:

FLEXIBILITY - is a key function of an IP PBX server. With a server, you have the ability to make choices, and lots of them. You're not tied down to just one phone service. You can choose phone equipment from analog to VoIP specific hardware with a multitude of features. You can locate your equipment anywhere using wired or wireless technology. Here are just a few of the many ways you get flexibility from your in home system:

• Choose your telephone service provider. The options are limitless. You can choose one or more companies for your inbound call needs, and one or more for your outbound needs.
• Choose as many telephone service providers as you'd like. Since many of these companies let you set up an account with no contract, you can pick one company for your local calls, another for your long distance calls, and yet another to handle your international calls. Which company is used when you make or receive calls is entirely up to you, and can be based on preferences such as cost, quality, and type of call.
• Don't like something about the service provider you are currently using...just cancel or change providers.
• Choose your phones! Put a 6 line, feature rich, color LCD phone in the executive office. Use a cordless base station with multiple handsets to scatter about the office and use when roaming. Set up the receptionist with a phone geared toward monitoring and routing to all other extensions in the organization . The possibilites are endless.
• Transfer your current phone number or numbers to the provider of your choice. Find a VoIP service provider you like, and ask them to "port" your number over. Most providers can do this, although there may be a small fee for doing so.
• Set up your phones to work with a wired or wireless connection. If you have ethernet outlets in your business, you can run a phone and a computer using only one outlet. If you don't have wired ethernet, the sytem can be set up using wireless routers, adapters, and/or bridges, even wireless phones. The possibilities are numerous, and shall we say, FLEXIBLE.
• Growth of your system is easliy adaptable. There's almost no limit to the number of phones you can run on this system. The only limiting factor is your internet service bandwidth. Businesses or homes with high speed cable or dsl internet serivce can generally run 4- 15 calls concurrently with perfect voice quality, depending on speed and the type of call compression (codecs) used. T1 lines and the g729 codec can substantially raise the number of concurrent calls possibe.
• Take it with you when you move. All you have to do is plug it in to the internet service at your new location, and with just a few minor modifications to point your telephone numbers to a new IP address, you're ready to go. Just as if you'd never left. Of course, all your old telephone numbers move right along with you.

FFREEDOM - from contracts, freedom of choice, and freedom to make your telephone system perform to your specific needs. Most typical phone companies require some type of contract with a minimum length of service. Early termination fees will most likely apply if you are not satisfied with your plan and wish to cancel the service. No more 1, 2, or 3 year contracts. Although many VoIP service providers offer lower rates for longer term plans, you choose whether you wish to take advantage of them. Most providers will let you try them out risk free, on a pay as you go plan you can terminate at any time. Almost all providers offer various types of service, from low per minute charges with no extra fees, to unlimited call out and call in plans which can be set up on month to month basis.

In addition to freedom from contracts, and freedom of choice, you also get the freedom to change your features on the fly. Most traditional phone companies and many hosted VoIP companies give you a minimum feature set to choose from. None, however, give you the sometimes overwhelming feature set found in a good, on site IP PBX system. The sheer number of features can be mind boggling. For a full list of features that are possible with an Asterisk based telephony system check here. Of course, you may not use or need all of them, but as your situation changes, it's nice to know the system can change with you. No more calling the phone company to ask for changes, or paying a-la-carte for individual features.

FFUN - exploring all the features, variables, and options you have available at your fingertips. There are as many ways to set-up and operate an IP PBX system as there are people's opinions. You may never even come close to using the complete feature set of your server, but, with a little research, you'll understand what is available to you. What makes it fun is, the power you have in implementing and choosing what you do with your system, and seeing it work when decide to give it a try. Here are just a few of the fun things you can do with an in home IP PBX:

• Blacklist phone numbers from annoying telemarketers or other pests. Add any telephone number to your blacklist, and the caller will hear the standard "this number has been disconnected or is no longer in service" recording.
• Set up ring groups. If you have multiple telephone numbers, you can set up your extensions in groups, and ring only the ones assigned to specific telephone number or group.
• Set up an IVR or integrated voice recording (digital receptionist) to direct calls when you don't answer. As an example, you could set up your business, home, or home office number to direct callers to specific groups (sales, support, etc.), voicemail, or allow the call to be transferred to a cell phone.
• Use find me/follow me to have your incoming calls ring both your desk phone and your cell phone. Use for lunch, meetings, or when leaving at the end of day. Easily toggle on and off.
• Make as many voice recordings as you wish, to handle all kinds of call scenarios. You assign these voice recordings to specific types of calls.
• Get an incoming DID from didforsale that allows up to 20 incoming calls for only $8.99/mth. This unlimited incoming plan is great for setting up your own conference calls.
• Set up a virtual telephone number for any US area code. Have business associates or family in Los Angeles, but live in New York? For as little as $2.99/mth for unlimited inbound, you can set up a local number for your business associates, or family and friends to call with no long distance charges for either party. They will call a local number, and calls will be routed to your home server. Set up as many virtual numbers as you wish.
• Similar to US virtual numbers, you can do the same in almost any country. Receive unlimited inbound calls from your virtual number for one low monthly price, from most countries around the world.
• Play music on hold. Place mp3 songs on your system so callers will hear your favorite music when placed on hold. Play some heavy metal or rap for those you hope will go away.
• Send yourself wake up calls or voice reminders for your to do list.
• Use your laptop and a softphone to remotely use your home server from anywhere in the world with internet service.
• Have your voicemail sent to any of your email addresses with an attached recording of the voicemail message.

These are just a few of the things you can do with a premise based, IP PBX phone server. There are many, many more features that can be utilized if you choose to do so. Since Asterisk and FreePBX (our core install) is open source, there are constant plug-ins and feature sets being added all the time. If you can think of it, it's probably already available for this system.