asterisk users - Jan 2004 - Advice Request: 2-4 line, 10 station * system

Hardly finished building our phone system for our school district and I have an
opportunity to sell and install a system for a local small business. We are
competing against a bid for an integrated voicemail/switch that runs about $1300
(without phones and cabling) and will work with analog phones.

Is there hardware configuration (either using analog or IP phones) that would
meet these needs and be in the same ball park price wise. If IP phones we would
have to justify some of the extra cost for the IP phones in TOC and or features.
Starting with 2 pots lines but probably needs to be able to grow to 4 with some
kind of hardware addition.

One option we considered is Vonage to remove the analog to IP conversion
equipment down (no channel bank, or T1 card). When I spoke with them earlier
this week the rep told me they don't offer a direct IP termination, only
there
analog conversion boxes. Vonage would work great because surprisingly for a
small rural town they actually have local numbers. Are there any other options
on that front other providers that will do IP termination of the lines and that
can provide local numbers? If have some good contacts with a local CLEC, so I am
even going to see if they might be willing to run an * server at there end so we
could do IP terminations with local numbers. 620-221 calling prefex, Winfield
KS.

I know a lot of these ideas have been hashed out on the list in various threads,
but I am wondering if anyone has come up with some overall strategese that work.
We have a ton of businesses in our area that are this size.

-- 
Jonathan Moore
Director of Technology
Winfield Public Schools
Office 620.221.5100
Fax 620.221.0508





Visit Winfield Public Schools at http://usd465.com
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Vonage for Business?  uuug
you need a Quad FXO... hmm who makes that?


Jonathan Moore wrote:
>Hardly finished building our phone system for our school district and I have
an
>opportunity to sell and install a system for a local small business. We are
>competing against a bid for an integrated voicemail/switch that runs about
$1300
>(without phones and cabling) and will work with analog phones.
>
>Is there hardware configuration (either using analog or IP phones) that
would
>meet these needs and be in the same ball park price wise. If IP phones we
would
>have to justify some of the extra cost for the IP phones in TOC and or
features.
>Starting with 2 pots lines but probably needs to be able to grow to 4 with
some
>kind of hardware addition.
>
>One option we considered is Vonage to remove the analog to IP conversion
>equipment down (no channel bank, or T1 card). When I spoke with them earlier
>this week the rep told me they don't offer a direct IP termination, only
there
>analog conversion boxes. Vonage would work great because surprisingly for a
>small rural town they actually have local numbers. Are there any other
options
>on that front other providers that will do IP termination of the lines and
that
>can provide local numbers? If have some good contacts with a local CLEC, so
I am
>even going to see if they might be willing to run an * server at there end
so we
>could do IP terminations with local numbers. 620-221 calling prefex,
Winfield KS.
>
>I know a lot of these ideas have been hashed out on the list in various
threads,
>but I am wondering if anyone has come up with some overall strategese that
work.
>We have a ton of businesses in our area that are this size.
>
>  
>