Resources for Telephony Servers

Telephony servers are the software and hardware that manage your company's telephone system. The most popular telephony servers today are Internet Protocol (IP) telephony servers, which integrate your phone system to your network and the Internet using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Voice Over IP (VoIP).

Telephony servers are also used to manage Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems. A PBX is a switch used by an organization to provide a limited number of outside lines and multiple extensions and inside lines. PBX systems use either ISDN or IP protocols.

A telephony server for computer networks can improve your company's communication and management efforts in several ways:

1. IP telephony servers can integrate with email and instant messaging applications.

2. Advanced call center features and management are features of many telephony server software applications.

3. A telephony solution can enable your employees to take calls remotely.

Look at network telephony servers from industry leaders

Many large providers have been in business for years and have developed solutions that incorporate evolving telephony technology. These providers offer scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes and a menu of options.

Consider a call center computer telephony server

Call center environments, such as those used for customer service or telemarketing, can benefit from outbound calling management functions and inbound telephony server applications.

Save with open source computer telephony servers

Open source VoIP telephony is an alternative to proprietary telephony products. While you'll still have to pay for server and system hardware and phones, open source software products are usually free or very low-cost. Besides saving money, they allow your system to be open to further development without buying newer software releases.

Examine small Internet telephony servers

A simple solution can be cost effective and easy to manage for small or home offices.

• If you have employees who travel or work from home, look for an IP telephony server that offers remote features, such as phones the user can plug in at home or the ability to have calls follow the users, forwarding calls to cell phones or other phone numbers.