Multiple calls down 1 line

[Mavykins]

If tried looking on google for help but didnt really find much, cuase im not really sure what to be looking for.

Does anyone know how you setup a phone system where you can have 1 phone number but have multiple calls coming down the same line. (For example like a call center where theres 1 phone number but multiple people can speak at the same time). Ive looked at VOIP solutions but im not really to familar with it.

Anyone know what you need or how to go about setting this up?

[zhardoum]

I setup a call system like you described, but it cost over 100K GBP.

I used a VOIP system with 30 incoming lines, controlled by a server with telephone blades in it. The main windows server when you logged in to a workstation would then "advise" the telephone server which workstation you were logged in on, and then routed your extension number to the telephone which was alongside the pc you had logged in on.

the reason i did it this way is that the company I worked as IT Manager for was a television company, and staff would often switch work areas, and the ability to have the phones follow them around the building was extreemely useful to them.

Additional tricks it would do, allowed the call centre manager to see which users were logged in, and then at their discretion they could drag and drop users into the client incoming call list.

Also, if clients had caller Id enabled, the system could look up the callers ID & details and display them on screen before our user had even answered the phone.

Even smarter, all the calls were immediatley recorded as wav files, enabling instantaneous playback and the ability to email a phone conversation the second the call had ended.

A very smart system.

Anyway, as you can see, doing soemthing like this can go on and on and on and on with details.

its probably easier if you can give us full details of what it is your trying to achieve, and the budget you have, as I am sure what you want is possible, the only question is how much can you afford to pay for it..

[Afty]

Originally posted by - Maverick -
Anyone know what you need or how to go about setting this up? Yes. Call your companies' telecoms provider and tell them you are looking into doing this.
Tell them how many lines you require, what kind of features you need, that you will require a switchboard and some training, probably upgraded handsets - and then get them to quote you.

Use that quote to phone around and get more quotes to beat them down with, then have them install it, and offer you some training on how to admin it.

[Mavykins]

Well at the mo there isnt a set budget (If there was one it proberly wont be much).

The reason im asking is becuase one of my relations runs a company doing concerts (tribute bands). At the moment the only way of people ordering tickets is over the phone (im setting up an online ordering system at the moment). They have 1 phone and 1 phone number.

I was just wondering if it was possible to make it so that there could be at least 3 people answering the phone at the same time(without installing another phone line).

Just wanted to know what options there were and if it was possible.

[zhardoum]

For the size of the company, I seriously would follow afty's advice and speak to BT or whoever..

For a userbase of 4 lines, its probably easier and cheaper to get BT or whoever to set it up for you.

The kind of system I setup is great when you have 100 users, but for your needs is kinda hammer and a nut scenario, speak to your phone company and see what they can do, and the price attacjed, often it isn't as expensive as you think..

[Afty]

As Zharoum says, someone like BT can help you out with this, and the kit is DIRT cheap now (as most low grade electronics stuff is). It won't work over "1 line" however, you'll need more lines installing.

[Mavykins]

Thanx for your help guys, ill get in contact with BT (there who the phones are with anyway) and see what they say.

Thanx again

[Cabe]

Check yellow pages for a telecomms company you will probably want a digital system that connects to an ISDN line to allow for such novelty items as DDI (Direct Dial In) and individual voicemail boxes.

if in your in the south of england a company based in havant called

J.M.K Communications

they fitted a telephone system in my last company and found them very useful.

http://www.yell.com/ucs/UcsSearchAction.do;jsessionid=aFzN3zhozUR9?searchType=classic&ooa=on&keywords=&companyName=JMK&location=havant&x=0&y=0

[KingDaveRa]

BT do something like this anyway.

I think its this: http://www.bt.com/btcom-bin/btcom/store/product/detail.jsp?oid=232957&subcatN=Voice+solutions&subcat=-37324&tab=Lines+%26+call+services&parentcatN=Lines+%26+call+services&obsOID=232957&obsType=PRODUCT&obsPage=%2Fstore%2Fproduct%2Fcatalog.jsp&vStore=1030&cookieFlag=Yes&UserSegment=SME

But I could be wrong. Best bet, give them a ring.

Hah!

[Zenith]

Having sourced a phone system for a telecom company before now, I have an idea how to go about doing this "on the cheap".

Take a look at 1st Rate Communications (http://www.1strate.co.uk) for starters.
They deal in new and secondhand telephone equipment. If you can get your hands on a Panasonic KD-TX616 (6 lines max, 16 extensions max) along with the handsets, that is a starting point for a small office. That takes a number of phone lines in. You would need to talk to BT about combining the phone lines effectively into one phone number (I think they call it a 'Hunt Group' Not 100% sure). A "non-geographic number" like 0800, 0845, 0870 etc. can be directed to any phone number you choose.

Another company that deals in telephony equipment is TMI (http://www.tmilimited.co.uk/small___diy_systems.htm).

KingDaveRa's posting is more to do with a bunch of services that consumers broadly call "Select Services".

[KingDaveRa]

I know where I used to work we had two lines which were tied, so that if one was in use, the other got the call. It was a BT thing, no PABX or anything in our office.

[Zenith]

Yeah, that's a Hunt Group done at the phone exchange end of things. My old boss had that setup. 4 phone lines with their own phone numbers. One phone number dialled. You could pass a call from one handset to another by pressing recall and 20 or something.

[Afty]

A client of mine has a BT-provided solution with 6 lines, with all the switchboard-stuff handled at the Exchange, BT are pushing this alot to small businesses.
DOes what you want including transferring calls between handsets, taking messages etc.

[Mavykins]

Its mainly needed to take orders over the phone and general enquires, so transfering calls would proberly be handy

[Mouce]

VOIP systems require a dual ISDN2e line, 2 numbers, 2 symoltanious calls... have a look at telecoms.co.uk. We use VoiSpeed, very cheap and easy, and does everything that we needed and more. SIP telephones also are compatible with it, transfering etc all easy, or you could go for a Telephony system, I suggest Panasonic for that :). THey have nice cheap analogue telephone solutions for up to 12 extentions as well as super duper solutions...

[Asterix]

/me strokes his panasonic KX-T system

God i love having the caller name and phone number pop up on my pc with all the standard user controls just a mouse click away!!!