Communications- Telephone and Intercom Systems
Today’s homes and businesses have a variety of needs and choices for
communicating. Voice, data and video are all a part of today’s
communications and wired and wireless methods can be combined to meet the
user’s needs.
Intercom Systems
Simple communications from room to room can also include capability for
music in each room or the addition of video. Intercom Systems can be used
to:
- Answer your front door with out opening it to strangers, or talk to
all members of your household with the press of a button.
- Talk and listen with out pressing buttons each time
- Monitor a sleeping baby from any room in the house
- Listen to music
Video capability can be added to allow you to verify who is at the front
door or to observe a particular area.
Wired and wireless systems are available.
It may be wise to set out by asking yourself the following questions for
your home intercom plans:
- Do I want door intercom?
- Do I want entry video monitoring?
- Do I want room-to-room intercom?
- Do I want wholehouse broadcast intercom (paging) or handset intercom?
Or the both?
- Do I want a wholehouse audio system?
Return to Top Of Page
Telephone Systems
Telephone systems can be as simple as one phone
with a single line or involve hundreds of phones and multiple lines. Many of
the features used for years in business phones are now used at home. The
following information is designed to make you aware of some of the options
in today’s phone systems
Return to Top Of Page
Designing Your System
There are several considerations in a communications systems including:
- The type of communications you will need – Voice, data and /or video
- Do I want a DSL phone line, two analog phone lines or both DSL and
analog lines?
- Do I want instead cable internet or dial-up internet?
- The number of users that will access a communications method at the
same time.
- The current and future locations where you will need to connect a
device.
- The number of incoming phone lines you will need.
- The types of features you will need.
Return to Top Of Page
How Do You Decide What You Need for a Home?
To decide what are the correct number of telephone lines and and what is
the right equipment depends on several factors:
- Do you have a home office?
- Do you work from home frequently?
- How many people are there who need to use a phone at the same time?
- Do you use a dial up phone line to connect to the internet?
Frequently? For extended periods of time?
- Do you have a separate fax machine or an internal fax on your
computer?
Technology now makes it possible to use one phone line in a variety of
ways, such as different rings for different recipients, fax machines, and
online service. Most home businesses need a minimum of two lines—one for
personal use and one for business. You can use your personal line for
outgoing calls so you don't tie up your business line for customers trying
to reach you, and you can put your fax machine on your personal line.
To select the right phone equipment you will need to decide:
- Where you will be making or taking most of your calls
- Will you use the phone company for services such as voice mail or do
you want to have that incorporated into your phone equipment.
- Do you want to access one or more lines on cordless phones?
Return to Top Of Page
How Do You Decide What You Need for a Business?
- Phone Systems Handsets- The number of telepho
 ne
system handsets is typically determined by the number of employees that
have, or should have, their own phone. You should also include any
reception or common areas (i.e., meeting rooms, lobby, etc.)
- Features and Services Desired- You need to determine if you
desire call waiting, voice mail, call recording or other services. (See
Common services below)
- Business Phone Lines (smaller systems)- The number of phone
lines is equal to the maximum number of simultaneous inbound and outbound
calls the company can make on its phone system. For example, a
telemarketing company may need 40 telephone lines to service 60 handsets,
while a manufacturing company may only need 15 telephone lines to service
the same 60 handsets.
- Business Phone System Trunks (Larger Systems)- Phone system
trunks typically refer to the total number of connections between your
business telephone system and your phone carrier. Tie trunks are used to
connect the phone systems between multiple offices. For most small to
 medium
US and Canadian businesses this is called a Trunk Level 1 or standard t1
line - Europeans use an E1 with slightly more capacity. For smaller
companies that still need digital access for their business phone system,
or the Internet, may use xDSL or a fractional t1 line. While, larger
companies with heavy communications needs may step up to a ds3 or oc3
trunk.
- Business Telephone Systems Ports (PBX)- The maximum number of
simultaneous telephone service connections that you will need to connect
to your business telephone system. Telephone services include outside
lines, inside extensions, voice mail, etc. the system will need to
accommodate simultaneously.
Return to Top Of Page
What are Some Common Features of Communications Systems?
- Automated Attendant: Callers are greeted with a series of menu
prompts (e.g., press 1 for Customer Services, press 2 for Sales) for
reaching the department or extension they desire.
- Automated Call Distributor (ACD): Ensures calls are answered
quickly and efficiently by routing inbound callers to group of employees
with pooled extensions (i.e., support, sales, etc.). ACDs are generally
used by sales and support groups to improve service levels and increase
group utilization.
- Direct Inward Dial (DID): Provides company employees their own
unique phone number so callers can reach them directly.
- Music On Hold: Callers listen to music while waiting on hold.
- Promotion On Hold: Allows your company to inform callers about
key company promotions, procedures or value propositions while they wait
on hold.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Allows callers to input and
retrieve information from your company's computer database(s) via their
touchtone telephone. IVRs are typically used by sales and support teams
to improve their service levels and reduce support costs for high call
frequency tasks (e.g., order status).
- Unified Messaging: Improves employee productivity by storing
their email, fax, and voice messages in a single inbox accessible anytime
anyplace via the phone, PC, Web or wireless device.
- Toll Fraud Equipment: A phone system monitor that reduces the
risk of fraud and damage caused by hackers.
- Voicemail: Allows callers to leave personal messages if an
extension is not answered.
- Voice over IP (VoIP): Reduces toll charges by allowing company
employee's to use the IP network their PC is are connected to for placing
and receiving phone calls. Also known as IP telephony or "VoIP".
Return to Top Of Page
What is Broadband?
While a standard phone line connection will allow data to be transmitted
and received at speeds of 56 Kbps or less, broadband suggests speeds ranging
from 128 Kbps to more than 1 Mbps over always-on network connections. The
most common broadband technologies are cable and DSL. Both have the ability
to group voice calls and other information into data packets carried on a
single network.
Return to Top Of Page
How Can Existing Homes Accommodate All These Lines?
Most older homes are wired for two phone lines, later homes may be wired
for three lines. More wired can be installed or equipment can be added to
expand what can be done over the existing lines.
Return to Top Of Page
Can I Use Wireless Equipment To Meet My Com munications
Needs?
Yes and no. Wireless communications systems, such as wireless phones or
wireless networks rely on available radio frequencies to operate. The
technology is ideally used where there’s little chance of radio frequency
interference, such as in large enterprises, airports, warehouses, and
schools. But there can have major problems when interference is likely,
such as in apartment buildings, neighborhoods with nearby houses, office
parks with many small and independent businesses, etc. Future interference
problems can come in two areas: (1) new wireless LANs installed by a
neighbor, and (2) 2.4 GHz phone systems installed by a neighbor.
Interference caused by wireless LANs is just an annoyance, causing both
networks to slow down. But the cordless phone systems designed for small
businesses can completely shut down some networks – for the entire duration
of phone calls.
Return to Top Of Page
What about Voice over IP?
VoIP is a technology used to send voice conversations over data networks
using Internet protocols, such as Ethernet (or wireless Ethernet). As long
as there is no other network traffic to interfere with voice services (and
no outside interference), then good voice signals can get through, but
interference is common and voice quality suffers. Ethernet is a
contention-based network with no QoS, and wireless Ethernet adds the
possibility of RF interference.
Return to Top Of Page
Should I Do it Myself or Use a Professional?
Depending on the number of features you desire it is possible to do you
on phone or intercom installation. A professional can be of great assistance
to you in selecting the correct equipment to serve your needs. The
professional can also install concealed cabling which will look far more
attractive then exposed cable used by most do it yourselfers
Return to Top Of Page
How do I Find a Qualified Communications Installer?
Check the list of
LIAA Members to find a qualified communications professional in your area.
Return to Top Of Page
|
