But what if you LIKE your existing PBX or key telephone system and don't want to go to the expense and sometimes grief of merging everything into one big IP network? Are you simply out of luck for reducing your telecom costs?
Good news! Keep your telephone and computer networks separate up to the demarcation point where lines go out to the telephone companies, Internet providers, etc. Install an "Integrated T1" line and its associated IAD or Integrated Access Device. This arrangement takes a standard T1 line of 24 channels and splits it into voice only and data only network channels. You connect, say, 12 of the channels to be 12 telephone lines that connect to the PBX system. Take the other 12 channels and make them into a data line of 768Kbps to be used as Internet access for your PCs. You have now converged your separate data service and telephone lines into a single T1 line that handles both.
Why do this? With the reduced T1 line pricing now available it may well be cheaper to have a single Integrated T1 service rather than a bunch of analog telephone lines and a separate business DSL for Internet service. With only a couple of phone lines it may not pay off unless you are in an area where DSL is unreliable and you'd have to go with satellite Internet or a fractional T1 line anyway. With 6 to 12 phone lines it may well be worth your while to make the change.
If you'd like to get see if Integrated T1 service can save you money, get a complimentary Integrated T1 Service Quote through T1Rex.com.
