Pre Sales Question

[katanga]

I have a client who wants a PBX system for an 8 user office. They have just 2 analogue lines, one of which is a fax. I've explained the fact one line is a bit lame but they said they don't get that many calls etc. so, my question is would 3CX (free?) do this job? They have no need for Voip - just a requirement for extensions.

Also, would it be wise to run this on thir SBS2008 server?

 

[LeonidasG_3CX]

Unfortunately Fax will not work in the Free Version since it's a business feature. So that's 1 NO.
What you can do is get a Trial license (Which lasts forever) that will unlock ALL 3CX Features on the PBX including the fax, but you would only be allowed to have 2 simultaneous calls.

 

[katanga]

Excellent - that sounds like a good plan!
Thanks

 

[leejor]

If they just left the fax machine hooked up to the second line the way, i suspect, it is now, then they wouldn't have to worry about utilizing the 3CX fax feature. If incoming faxes don't happen very often then you could use the fax line as the first choice outgoing trunk leaving the other line for incoming calls (and perhaps as a second choice for outgoing). The Demo key will limit your simultaneous calls to two but gives you message waiting indicator (MWI) on the sets, if you plan on using voicemail. If you don't use, or need the MWI then you could just stay with the "free" version (four simultaneous calls), and leave the fax machine as is. If people within the office don't call each other (much) then the Demo Key version would do.

 

[nwhitfield]

Just as a matter of interest, what happens in the demo version to an extra call? I'm playing with the free version at the moment, with a two channel SIP trunk.

Suppose, for example, I'm being talked at by my mother, and have to put her on hold to answer a business call. That's two calls. What happens next if someone rings the entry phone, which is another extension, set up to dial one of the ring groups?

Does that call just fail to complete? Or would a message be played? The entry phone is connected via a Fritzbox which provides the analogue interface, if that makes any difference.

 

[leejor]

I would guess, one of two things...either the incoming call will just continue to ring (never to be answered by 3CX) or, perhaps, the caller would get fast busy (or perhaps a message from a VoIP provider saying "your call cannot be completed"). It would depend what SIP message, if any is sent back to the gateway or VoIP provider. If' it's an internal extension, it will most likely get dialtone but then get fast busy after dialling the number.