If I was going to have to look at one more website listing IP conference stations, I was prepared to commit hari-kari. When I was saddled with this project– finding the right phone system to upgrade to for our small company—I wasn’t particularly daunted. How hard could it be? I thought. A phone system’s a phone system. Not.
After what seemed like weeks clicking through website after website, I finally decided that we should go with a Cisco model. Cisco is the industry leader in IP telephony and they’re also the company that manufactures all of our switches and routers so I knew they were reliable. But they also produce hundreds of models of phones so making the one firm decision about Cisco did little to narrow my list.
I made a list of the features I knew we wanted in a phone system. We wanted all the standard business features like mute, call transfer, call hold… the basics. That was easy. Pretty much all the options had those. But we also wanted more complex features like full-duplex operation with state-of-the-art acoustic technology. We wanted the phones to have integrated keypads and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (a fancy way of saying the phone would have the ability to auto address configuration to the network). We also were looking for a system that worked on a single cable so we wouldn’t have a mess of cables on everyone’s tables and desks. And we wanted it to work like a regular telephone. Some of these systems you actually have to train staff to be able to use them properly. Sorry, we don’t have time in our busy day to be training people how to use a phone.
Well, I finally found the right choice: the Cisco Station 7936. It was perfect. Everything we wanted.
But it was expensive. My boss loved the CP-7936 I’d found, but wasn’t prepared to pay the $1,900 Cisco was charging for the system. The idea of going back to the drawing board and starting over was daunting, so I decided to find a way to get us the Cisco Station 7936 for under a grand (my boss was willing to pay that). Since Cisco doesn’t negotiate prices (who can blame them? Most manufacturer/retailers don’t), I had to be creative. But my creativity paid off.
Once I knew what I wanted and how much we were willing to pay, I quickly came upon the website for MULTI-LINK Communications Products – a leading alternate provider of Cisco equipment. I found the CP-7936 (the exact same model we wanted from Cisco) on MLCP’s site for $600 on their specials page. At first I was worried that my boss would not go for a refurbished phone system, but after showing him that MLCP provides a one-year warranty on all refurbished equipment they sell, he was completely on board. I talked to the rep at MLCP and realized that we could save even more money by selling them our current phone system which we had outgrown a long, long time ago. The trade-in credit meant an even bigger savings and we received our telephony equipment faster than we would have had we bought new from Cisco.
So the story has a happy ending. With the money I saved, I think I deserve a healthy merit increase at my next review, so the ending may get even happier. We’ll know in about six months.

So you’ve got a problem. Your business is growing (congratulations) and your office equipment is no longer able to handle your company’s evolution to bigger and better, more and, well, much more. Phones are ringing off the hook, emails filling your inbox faster than you can read them, and you’ve even added a receptionist to your staff so that everyone else can actually focus without being interrupted by calls, customers, and the Fed-Ex guy who seems to pop in and out daily.  Quite simply, you need an upgrade. On everything.  But where do you start?

Two Words. Phone system.

And the answer to your problem:  the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7960G.

With features like a large, pixel-based display that shows the name and number of who you’re speaking with (whether you called them or they called you), six programmable line/feature buttons, four interactive soft keys, and audio controls for duplex speakerphone, hand- and head-sets, the Cisco Unified IP Phone 7960G was designed especially for the growing business.

While the Unified IP Phone 7960G is our pick for a company that’s beginning to get too big for its current basic phone system, the entire line of Cisco Unified IP Phones 7900 Series has the coveted features most businesses will eventually want and need.  All are IP phones with color liquid crystal display and all are customizable to let users access web content, directories, even stock quotes.  Why limit that kind of functionality to just your cell phone?

With more than 24 distinct user-chosen ring tones, H.323 compatible and Microsoft NetMeeting compatibility, and the 7960G’s ability to categorize incoming messages on the display screen allowing for quick and efficient call return, the Cisco Unified IP 7900 Phone Series is ready to grow as you do.

Now, where can find this sanity-saver? MULTI-LINK Communications Products, the leader in alternative Cisco equipment sources, carries a wide stock of Cisco Unified IP 7960G phones both new and refurbished.  Along with other Cisco products to make your life easier and your company’s growth a benchmark to celebrate instead of a hurdle to clear, MLCP is the primary source for Cisco phone systems, Cisco routers, and Cisco Ethernet Switches.  Although the company is the frontrunner in finding the right Cisco product to fit your needs, MLCP also helps clients source networking equipment from 3COM, AdTran, Nortel, Juniper, and many others. So regardless of your needs, the knowledgeable service reps at MULTI-LINK can find the right product for your business.

 So what’s keeping you?  Oh, right.  That underperforming phone system sitting on your desk.  Well pick up that cell phone and dial 1-800-TO-MULTI and ask for a free, no-obligation quote today. The strides you make today determine where you’ll wake up tomorrow.