Re: Affordable Multiline Phone System for Small Biz? <$1000?

mappodoppo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> I need a 3-4 phones set up with: (1) voice mail for each phone, (2)
> ability to transfer calls to any of the other 3 phones, and (3)
> ability to use all 4 phones to dial out at the same time (hence, have
> separate phone numbers per phone).

Where are you located? If you are in the U.S. and in an area served by 
CLECs (Competitive Local Exchange Carriers) in addition to the usual ILECs 
(Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers - i.e. the baby Bells) then you _may_ 
find lower cost options. A couple of example CLECs (we use GoBeam where I 
work):
https://www.gobeam.com/home.html
http://www.broadvox.net/

Here's a site that claims to list most other VoIP (Voice over Internet 
Protocol) providers:
http://www.voipproviderslist.com/

You'll want a VoIP provider that doesn't actually route calls over "the" 
Internet. You want one that merely uses VoIP from your place of business to 
their central office.

With only 3 to 4 phones, your own PBX would be overkill, while Centrex will 
cost you an arm and a leg.

Hopefully the handfull of surviving CLECs will help end out the huge 
Centrex profit center that the ILECs have enjoyed.