davep@u.washington.edu (David Ptasnik) (07/14/90)
In article 7255 of comp.dcom.telecom <intek01!mark@uunet.uu.net> (Mark McWiggins) writes: >>we're thinking of replacing our key system Centron. (Like Centrex >>but smaller, as I understand it.) They're also now offering voice >>mail, and we think these together would cut our phone-answering labor >>by 80% or more. The monthly charge for all this is no more than the >>rental for our current key system. Am I missing something? >>Also, we're expecting significant growth over the next couple of years. Your monthly rental of the mechanical key system should not be a consideration. These things have been rip-offs for a long time. There are VERY few real applications for them. You are much better off with a purchased electronic or digital key sytem. The lease price for these systems can be 40% less than rental of worse gear, and you own the equipment in, say, five years. Centron line charges, however, can be less than regular line charges, get the US West dudes to break those charges down for you. Your best option might be to use the Centron lines with a new key system. That's what we do, for the most part, at the University of Washington. Centron operates very differently from what you are used to. First of all, you will probably not be able to tell who is on the phone, or which lines are in use. You will (as they are probably offering it) just have a single line phone on your desk. You will not be able to put a "line 3" on hold, go to another phone, see "line 3", and pick it up there. Rather you will have to depress the hook switch (flash button on better phones) and dial codes to transfer the call, or perform a dial call pickup (huh? yeah, that's what I said) from your destination phone. If you get an attendant, that person will probably want more than one line, and the ability to see who is on their phone. Tone Commander, out of Washington, makes products that do these things. They can be as expensive as a phone system, though. There are other differences as well. Growth is one of Centron's strong suits. You can just keep adding stations, with minimal upgrade charges. Most key systems require adding and/or replacing equipment and/or telephones. That makes purchasing risky. Resale of used phone systems is very low, as well. You can get good deals on the secondary market, though. Different systems are more or less flexible in terms of their growth potential and costs. Be sure to get locked in stone costs for upgrades. DO NOT just talk to US West about this. There is a small reputable dealer in your area that used to sell both Centron and Key Systems. They are/were called Terra Communications. I think in Redmond, WA. They should be able to help you sort out the many important differences that you need consider. Contact other dealers as well. This is a very important decision. Do not trust a local utility for help with this kind of thing. davep@u.washington.edu