Guide To PBX, PABX, Voice Mail, Music On Hold

  This short guide will explain what you need to know about PBX, PABX, telephone systems, telecom equipment, business phone systems, voice mail, and music on hold equipment. PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. Another acronym is PABX which means Private Automatic Branch Exchange. PBX and PABX are the same thing. It is like having a small phone company in your office. The PBX is a master switch that connects all of your incoming telephone lines to private extensions. The PBX supplies its own dial tone and ringing current to the extensions.

  Typically, the extensions of the PBX are connected to telephones, but may be connected to other telecom devices. The Private extensions draw dial tone from the PBX just like your home phone draws dial tone directly from your phone company. This is called internal or intercom dial tone. All of the extensions can share any or all of the available outside telephone lines. These lines from the phone company are known as CO (Central Office) lines.

  Some Systems are digital and require expensive proprietary phones that may be difficult to maintain and replace. Other systems are analog such as the DataLabsUSA (tm) Systems made by Data Labs. The extensions can be phones, fax machines, cordless phones, POS systems, modems and many other standard analog telecom devices. These can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you desire. Typically, analog phones can be purchased at any major super store for as little as $19.00 or may be dual line feature rich phones with caller id displays for about $59.00 made by such companies as GE, and AT&T. Extensions can answer incoming calls and make outgoing calls on any available CO lines connected to the PBX. Commonly, the extension user dials 9 to get an available outside line to make an outside call. You can also dial a code to seize a specific line. When a call comes into the PBX, it may ring to any number of extensions depending on your company's needs.

  Extensions may place callers on hold with music / messaging that captures the callers attention while on hold. An external Music On Hold Player can be connected to the PBX. A complete Music On Hold recorded production may be pre-recorded into the player delivering music and messages to the caller on hold. Extensions can also transfer calls to other extensions and the caller is hearing the Music On Hold Source while waiting for the extension to answer. Also, extensions can make private intercom calls to other extensions without using an outside line just by dialing an extension number.

  Todays PBX and Voice Mail Equipment is easy to install. Simply plug all lines and extension devices into the PBX. If wiring is beyond your scope, plan to have a wiring person or company commonly called an interconnect company run the wiring for you or simply buy the wiring at Radio Shack or any electronics supply house and wire it yourself. You will need standard single line rj-11 plugs at the end of every line and extension device.

  A PBX can also be connected to an Auto Attendant and Voice Mail / Audiotex System that can give multiple callers choices to dial into desired extensions and into voice mail boxes when those extensions are busy, not answered or placed in Do Not Disturb Mode. There are many other useful features of the Voice Mail / Auto Attendant Systems such as Audiotex. Audiotex is a menu system that allows callers to hear messages and transfer to extensions by dialing single digits in a multiple layered menu system. Callers may also dial an extension number or a menu item that points to an extension. Example: Press 1. For Company Information, 2. For Sales, 3. For Support 4 or dial 0 for operator assistance. Setting up an easy to use and sensible auto attendant will add efficiency to your office and can supplement or even replace a live operator.

  You may answer new calls coming into the PBX "live" at any extension or allow the Auto Attendant to answer the call with your own recorded main greeting. This main greeting is self recorded and the auto attendant can play different recorded greetings for different hours of operation. Once a caller is listening to the Main greeting, they can dial any extension number to be transferred directly or they may dial any single digit to enter the Audiotex Menu system. Once There, a caller can hear messages such as a company directory, hours of operation, or store directions, web site information etc.

  Once in the menu system, a caller can also dial single digits to transfer to a live person or a departmental extension. When a call is transferred to an extension that is busy or not being answered, the call transfers to the private mail box used only for that extension. Once there, callers may hear private mail box messages and may leave private time stamped messages for the extension's mail box owner. The mail box owner may check their messages or have them notified and even delivered to their cell phones or their internal extensions. Or they may be notified of new voice mail in their mail box by the system notifying their private pager. When a mail box calls the mail box owner's cell phone, private extension or a pager, this is called Notification.

  Some PBX's have built-in Auto Attendants, but they are usually limited in many ways. For a full featured Auto Attendant that really acts like a live operator, separate Voice Mail / Auto Attendant Systems may be connected to the PBX. These Systems combined with a PBX are called "Combo Telephone Systems". DataLabs has designed several High Quality DataLabsUSA Combo Systems with different features that solve Telecom needs for SOHO businesses at amazingly low prices! We have many thousands of installations for sales and service businesses, legal offices, doctors, dentists, Realty offices, Churches, synogogues, and basically all types of businesses and organizations where telephone service is the life blood of the business...

  Whether you need Voice Mail Only or a combo system, Data Labs has the expertise to help. Data Labs even has options that allow a caller to follow you to your cell phone or another outside line when you are out of the office and need to stay in touch. This is known as "remote extensions"! We also give you access to your office PA system or stereo from any extension to broadcast over a speaker system from any extension phone.

  How many lines and extensions do you need? That depends on your business and how many workers are answering the phones and how many will be using an outside line at any given time. For example, a DL-424-832 PBX will allow 4 lines to be shared with 24 extensions. If that is not enough, you may upgrade to 8 lines so that extension users have more outside lines available. You can also upgrade to 32 extensions with an extension upgrade card.

  Data Labs manufactures the well known "DataLabsUSA (tm)" brand PBX's, Auto Attendant / Voice Mail and Music On Hold Systems. All of DataLabsUSA systems work on all normal lines and are now Vonage and other VOIP line compatible as well. Data Labs has 90 days Free Customer support (second to none) - before and after the sale! This is very important as many companies charge for any support. Support may be very important as you will want to tailor your system to match your particular business requirements. You will want to purchase equipment from a company with experience such as Data Labs which knows small business and has been serving companies for over 25 years. A quick email or a call to Data Labs can start you on the road to purchasing a high quality, affordable telephone system for your business or organization. Please call Data Labs at 215- 698- 2933 to ask questions and determine your needs and available options for your business telephone system.

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