[Asterisk-Users] Re: [OT] Centrex Question

[Levolorman at aol.com]

Hi  gang:
 
Regarding the Centrex, I have digital centrex and joined this group to see  
if I could learn a bit more about VOIP (as my PBX died unexpectedly and I'm  
moving towards a hosted PBX over VOIP).
 
Here's how Centrex works.  You get a number of Centrex lines and then  run 
your extensions as you would with a standard POTS system.  Each Centrex  line 
has its' own number, so in a large business, you would use each line as a  
unique extension giving a direct dial capability to an individual  extension.
 
You're describing a small business.  If they have 2 Centrex lines,  they can 
be on 2 simultaneous calls.  Those calls can be incoming,  outgoing, 
conference, fax, etc.  However, you cannot be on more calls at  the same time than the 
number of lines that you have, other than conference or  switching between 
calls (as the switching is done central office).  
 
In my office, we have 3 Centrex voice lines (1 dedicated fax), 6 extensions  
and 5 employees.  It's rare that we have 5 employees in at the same time  and 
even more unlikely that 3 people are on the phone at the same time, so the  
combination of a PBX with Centrex was to our advantage.
 
Why Centrex for us?  Because when I locked into it, 11 years ago, I  locked 
my telephone pricing for 7 years.  It was a time of uncertainty due  to 
deregulation and I stuck with Verizon (then NY Telephone?) and reduced my  then 
current costs by 35%.  The features of Centrex were not of much value  to my 
employees (as they don't think outside of the box), but the cost savings  were of 
instant value.
 
Some years later, I installed an inexpensive PBX which gave me voicemail  and 
better internal call handling.  The cost savings from that came a bit  later. 
 Utility that I discovered, was the ability to make 1 of my 3  Centrex lines 
(the last line in the ring pattern) an unlimited outgoing  line.  Having done 
that, I made that the line that was picked up when  somebody lifted a receiver 
to make an outgoing call.  Our primary number  was still advertised for 
incoming calls.  That tactic reduced my local,  long distance and regional calling 
costs by approximately $30 per month.
 
So, what's the advantage of Centrex for a 2 line business?  The  package of 
call forwarding, call waiting, etc. and perhaps some cost.  They  can transfer 
between the phones, however, I assume if it's a 2 line business,  they are too 
small for that to be of much value.
 
The utility provided by VOIP PBX is much greater (if they can take  
advantage).  Voicemail emailed, transfer to outside phones, ringblasts,  ext.
 
Now for the cost implications:  My current 4 lines cost me  $160/mo.  Going 
to VOIP hosted PBX, I will pay approx. $50/mo each for  unlimited outgoing 
lines.  (That get's me 3 for the same price, however, I  will still have to 
maintain a dedicated fax line which will be POTS for the  moment).  What I can't get 
my head around, is how to increase my total  quantity of VOIP extensions for 
the same price as I'm currently paying.   It's not that I use more than 3 
phones at 1 time, it's that I would like to be  able to pick one up on the front 
counter as a convenience, or if my installer  has calls to make, he can make 
them from his desk, rather than passing a phone  back and forth.
 
It appears that your client, may be in a similar quandry without  
understanding the value of the technology.  Remember, for a geek it's the  coolness of 
the stuff, however for the rest of the world, it's about what will  it do for 
me.  Not that you can transfer a call to a cell phone and then  back to the 
office, but that you can be more accessible to your client which  will make you 
more important to them.
 
Now, if any of you experts have thoughts on how I can make this work better  
for me, I'm all ears.  At the moment I have Packet 8 (on a trial basis) but  
am heading towards Aptela because it appears that their system is more flexible 
 and business oriented.  The one thing I need to get away from is  
maintaining a system myself, which is why I haven't put in a server with  Asterisk on 
it.  
 
Rick
 
Rick  Smith
JDR Windows Inc
Providing quality window treatments throughout North  America
914-666-5777 x.13
914-666-5796 (fax)
 
 
In a message dated 4/8/2006 3:57:43 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
asterisk-users-request at lists.digium.com writes:

Message:  7
Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 23:04:09 -0400
From: Brian Capouch  <brianc at palaver.net>
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] [OT] Centrex  Question
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial  Discussion
<asterisk-users at lists.digium.com>
Message-ID:  <44372829.1050006 at palaver.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;  charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

I haven't dealt with Centrex for a long  time, and one of my customers is 
being courted heavily by a Sprint  salesperson.

Am I not correct in assuming that each "line" of Centrex  corresponds to 
an "extension" in the PBX world?

This site has 2  POTS lines and 5 extensions, and they told me that for 
the same thing  they're paying right now (~$40/POTS line) they will be 
getting two Centrex  "lines" that will do the same thing.

The way I understood it, each of  those two Centrex lines is an extension.

In general, would they still  be paying their POTS fees, too?

Sorry for the noise, but I can't  discuss this intelligently with them, 
and that's hurting  me.

Thanks.

B.





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