By Chavella Kelly
The telephone is a basic communication tool in business. In fact, it is quite common even for small and medium size enterprises to have their own PBX trunk. This business phone system provides local interoffice communication among geographically dispersed offices. Aside from that, it also routes long distance calling that is coursed through the local telecommunication company.
Converging Voice and Data
In the mid 90s, it was quite fashionable among IT strategists and planners to talk about the union of voice and data. For a while, this convergence only meant a physical aggregation of phone lines and data lines in one socket. People still needed to get a separate telephone and PC on their desktop. Over time, however, this evolved into a kind of hybrid interoperability between data and voice, rather than the true convergence promised in VoIP telephony.
The major telco grade business phone system suppliers were one in coming out with IP PBX machines that incorporate internet telephony features with traditional analog voice. At the turn of the 21st century, it was common to have conventional PBX systems upgraded with VoIP daughterboards to give them VoIP features. By 2005, digital VoIP PBX reached critical mass and started outselling traditional PBX machines. It was the turning point VoIP history. Today, nearly all PBX are digital with trunking features that allowed interoperability between conventional and VoIP business phones.
Features of a Modern Business Phone System
Today's business phone system have technological features such as IP-based video calls and teleconferencing, voicemail, dial-by-name directory calling from the desktop PC, auto attendance, auto-routing to cellphones, and interoperability between analog and VoIP phones, to mention just a few of the major features. Upgrading to accommodate more phone sets is another feature. The company may also opt to accommodate IP-based phone switching that comes with a full IP-based business phone environment as well.
Nothing exemplifies the modern business phone system than call centers. But these are more an integration of current conventional voice with digital features of a PC. The convergence between voice and data has yet to fully mature. Right now, most PBX systems used today are generally hybrids that combine conventional analog voice with digital VoIP features.
It will take a couple of more years-or maybe even an entire decade-for this to happen, and only if the major industry players will allow it. Doing this has a lot of advantages for corporate America's model of a business phone system. It can be expected, however, that it will be slow due to extensive changes required for the actual infrastructure.
Chavella Kelly is an internationally respected business coach and online marketing master. She provides education, training, and informative material to entrepreneurs, small business owners and other businesses.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chavella_Kelly/1035646
The telephone is a basic communication tool in business. In fact, it is quite common even for small and medium size enterprises to have their own PBX trunk. This business phone system provides local interoffice communication among geographically dispersed offices. Aside from that, it also routes long distance calling that is coursed through the local telecommunication company.
Converging Voice and Data
In the mid 90s, it was quite fashionable among IT strategists and planners to talk about the union of voice and data. For a while, this convergence only meant a physical aggregation of phone lines and data lines in one socket. People still needed to get a separate telephone and PC on their desktop. Over time, however, this evolved into a kind of hybrid interoperability between data and voice, rather than the true convergence promised in VoIP telephony.
The major telco grade business phone system suppliers were one in coming out with IP PBX machines that incorporate internet telephony features with traditional analog voice. At the turn of the 21st century, it was common to have conventional PBX systems upgraded with VoIP daughterboards to give them VoIP features. By 2005, digital VoIP PBX reached critical mass and started outselling traditional PBX machines. It was the turning point VoIP history. Today, nearly all PBX are digital with trunking features that allowed interoperability between conventional and VoIP business phones.
Features of a Modern Business Phone System
Today's business phone system have technological features such as IP-based video calls and teleconferencing, voicemail, dial-by-name directory calling from the desktop PC, auto attendance, auto-routing to cellphones, and interoperability between analog and VoIP phones, to mention just a few of the major features. Upgrading to accommodate more phone sets is another feature. The company may also opt to accommodate IP-based phone switching that comes with a full IP-based business phone environment as well.
Nothing exemplifies the modern business phone system than call centers. But these are more an integration of current conventional voice with digital features of a PC. The convergence between voice and data has yet to fully mature. Right now, most PBX systems used today are generally hybrids that combine conventional analog voice with digital VoIP features.
It will take a couple of more years-or maybe even an entire decade-for this to happen, and only if the major industry players will allow it. Doing this has a lot of advantages for corporate America's model of a business phone system. It can be expected, however, that it will be slow due to extensive changes required for the actual infrastructure.
Chavella Kelly is an internationally respected business coach and online marketing master. She provides education, training, and informative material to entrepreneurs, small business owners and other businesses.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chavella_Kelly/1035646