In his July
2000 Cc: column, TMC™ Labs member Tom Keating wrote about installing
an inexpensive SOHO phone system for a friend. It was a great solution for
a branch office with only four employees. This particular product, the
Casio PhoneMate, didn’t require a central server or black box device.
Instead it was sort of a peer-to-peer model that allowed each phone to
communicate with one another across a shared phone line. Each phone had
its own auto-attendant and voice mail functionality. Tom lamented that
while he loved the feature-set of the competing CentrePoint Technologies
product, unfortunately it was limited to just two incoming trunks. Because
of this, he chose the Casio PhoneMate instead of CentrePoint’s SOHO
phone system.
CentrePoint must have taken Tom’s comments to heart. Their latest
product offering, the TalkSwitch 48-LS, features a four trunk by eight
extension (4x8) system, which is perfect for small branch offices.
INSTALLATION
Setting up the TalkSwitch was a snap -- everything on the back of the unit
is clearly labeled. In fact, we connected all the necessary wires and
cables without even cracking open the manual. We simply connected four
analog trunk lines and connected three phones to the extension ports,
leaving five extension ports available. Next, we connected an audio source
to the Music On Hold port and the power cord. Finally we connected a USB
cable in order to download settings to the TalkSwitch. We could have also
used a serial cable (included) to download settings to the unit.
We installed the administration software and were able to quickly
configure the extensions. In fact, we didn’t have to do much in the way
of configuring, as the TalkSwitch comes with a default template that
assigns extension numbers and various other default settings. We did
however, record the main auto-attendant greeting simply by picking up any
handset, dialing “#” to enter command mode, then the password, then
“4” followed by the auto-attendant number (1-9), then “#” again,
and finally recording at the tone. We also assigned the phone numbers to
the four incoming trunks and established the caller-ID setting (among
various other settings) within the admin software.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
To test the unit’s functionality, first we made an inbound call to the
unit and were greeted by the auto-attendant message we recorded. Then we
entered an extension. The appropriate phone rang, so we answered the call.
Next, we performed a hook flash and transferred the call to another
extension. We also tested three-way conferencing with both internal and
external phone numbers.
The TalkSwitch has an extensive feature-set. It includes four lines,
eight extensions, and eight remote extensions. The auto-attendant greets
callers with up to nine user-configurable self-recorded messages to
connect callers to the appropriate extensions. You can play a different
greeting on each incoming phone line, or schedule messages according to
time-of-day and day-of-week modes. Users can set up to nine levels of
custom menus, with up to three touch-tone choices per menu.
Voice mail for up to 26 individual mailboxes and 25 minutes of messages
come standard, and voice mail memory upgrades are available to add
additional memory of 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 135 minutes. Also, the
unit stamps each voice mail message with the date and time at which it was
recorded. You can also forward voice messages to another user. “Mode
Scheduling” can be configured to automatically transfer callers to voice
mail or remote extensions during the day, and use more personalized call
handling settings for evenings and weekends. In addition, you can assign a
distinctive ring pattern to each extension. TalkSwitch even features a
call queuing feature. If your extension is busy, the caller is prompted to
continue to hold, return to the auto-attendant, or to press “1” to
leave a message. We thought that this was pretty impressive stuff. You can
also specify a call forwarding number, such as a cell phone, so you will
never miss calls.
Another nifty feature is Call Cascade, which allows you to find
employees or family members by automatically ringing extensions or phone
numbers in sequence. Similarly, the “ring groups” feature allows a
pre-defined group of local extensions to ring in unison. The first to
person to pick up their phone is connected with the caller. With the use
of different ring cadences you can assign the same extension(s) to
different departments. The TalkSwitch can even automatically detect fax
signals and route the call to a fax machine extension. The music port
supports a CD player, stereo receiver, tape deck, etc. for music or
advertising-on-hold. We also liked the call screen feature which records a
caller’s name, then plays it back to the recipient who can either accept
or redirect the call. This recorded name also works when the caller is
forwarded to your cell phone, home number, or any other number. This is
great for a traveling salesperson because they can easily differentiate
business calls from personal calls and answer the call accordingly.
Other features include call parking, PA announce from any extension,
call back/bridge, support for telephones with message waiting indicators,
park calls, retrieve parked calls from any local extension, “stutter
dial-tone” voice mail indictor, and more. We should also mention that
the TalkSwitch is flash upgradeable for future enhancements.
The next version of the TalkSwitch will support VoIP via the H.323
protocol. As for our suggestions for improvement, we’d like to see the
currently unused Ethernet port utilized for desktop call control, call
history, and access to voice messages via streaming. The unit runs a
little warm when it is left on 24x7. There is no apparent internal fan,
and when we took it apart, we didn’t see any internal heat sinks to
dissipate the heat and help extend the life of the circuitry. We might
suggest a fan, but we are hesitant, since we were pleased with the unit’s
perfectly silent characteristic.
CONCLUSION
We were very impressed with the quality of TalkSwitch 48-LS which gives
the caller the impression they are being handled by a sophisticated and
expensive phone system. For instance, the included voice prompts (such as,
“One moment please”) were very professional. The inclusion of a
music-on-hold port certainly added to the professionalism of the product.
Some competing products just play simple musical tones when the caller is
put on hold. For including advanced features, such as hunt groups, follow
me, and call bridging, CentrePoint has firmly cemented this product as a
cost-effective solution for small offices without sacrificing features. As
such, TMC Labs enthusiastically recommends the TalkSwitch 48-LS.
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