Centrex or Regular business lines?

[cobac]

Was hoping for some opinions...

I am installing 4 new business lines with Caller ID. Will be integrating with a CICS and Call Pilot 100 to handle my voicemail.

The only services I need, are the ability to forward calls to an outside line (cell phone) when not in the office and Caller ID. It's one small office, no branch offices to connect with.

Verizon prices the centrex lines at about a dollar more a month than a regular business line, but you still have to pay for Caller ID on top of that. Except they reduce the install costs with the 1yr contract.

Would there be any reason I would go with a Centrex contract over regular business line service? For my needs, I don't think there is but figured I would ask the pro's...


Thank you for any input!

 

[jgideon]

You might have access to a six party conference bridge at no additional cost (you'll have to ask what the standard features are), and you would gain the ability to transfer a caller to an outside number (not forward, but transfer) without using two lines. You may not 'need' this feature, but it can be nice to have. Also, you'd get 3way calling on each line at no additional cost (conferencing using the CO feature is always better than the equipment for it). Downside is you may have to dial an extra '9', or have them program the Centrex as 'assume dial 9'.

 

[cobac]

Thank you for the info.

I like the idea of doing the "transfer" to an outside call. The 3 way calling I think is easier to conference on the PBX because its easier to drop people from the call.

I will see what Verizon has to say...

 

[jerryreeve]

You can bury the 9 in routing and destination codes so you don't have an "extra" 9 but you will still be stuck with dialing 9 once.

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JerryReeve
Communications Systems Int'l
com-sys.com