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Open Forum => Off-Topic => Topic started by: sk on June 14, 2014, 07:25:32 PM

Title: Phone Tech Question
Post by: sk on June 14, 2014, 07:25:32 PM
I work for a startup nonprofit that is trying to find a simple way to forward calls from one office to another in a different location.

We figure there are two ways to do this:
1. A customer calls our main landline, then hear "For Department A press 1, Department B press 2" etc.  Pressing a certain number rings at the appropiate cell phone or the landline for the building.
2. Customer calls the main number, an employee answers it, then forwards it to the correct number.

So far, our best solution is vonage, which is about $125-175/mo for the five lines and features we need, plus has neat stuff like number masking when we call out.  But does anyone know a better or less expensive option?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Phone Tech Question
Post by: LukeChips on June 14, 2014, 07:30:41 PM
You could try to have a programmer come and make it so that your answering machine knows were the person lives and automatically forwards them to the station nearest to their home or the one with the least people on hold. It's kinda out there but is an idea ???
Title: Re: Phone Tech Question
Post by: sk on June 15, 2014, 06:51:55 PM
Interesting idea, but the two locations are not separated to service different areas, but instead one runs events and the other is corporate/business.

It seems like there should be a simple device that does this!
Title: Re: Phone Tech Question
Post by: EmJayBee83 on June 15, 2014, 07:05:39 PM
Basically, you are looking for a "virtual pbx" or a "hosted pbx" solution, but since you are already looking at Vonage, I figure you know that.

Other comparable providers are Fonality, Vocalocity, and Shoretel.

Happy hunting.
Title: Re: Phone Tech Question
Post by: YourMathTeacher on June 15, 2014, 07:12:17 PM
What about Google Voice?
Title: Re: Phone Tech Question
Post by: sk on June 17, 2014, 04:15:45 AM
Unfortunately, Google Voice does not support landlines.  I am thinking there might be a way to have the landline forward to the Google number, then GV will let us transfer between cell phones.  It wouldn't be perfect, but we are hoping for cheap until things get off the ground.

MJB, I appreciate those other names.  I think my boss looked into one, but we should see if they will work on something a bit custom for us.  It turns out that Vonage charges for every transfer to a cell phone, so it will add up very fast.
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