Orchid Telephone Systems

Orchid telephone systems play a key role in giving small businesses a cheap and easy to install method of making the most out of their telephones. Orchid's systems are some of our best selling products so I am going to take a look at what they actually do! 

To help me understand the systems i am going to look at certain model systems and at what features each of them offer. The first system i will look at is the Orchid PBX308+. This system can handle 3 different telephone lines which can then be controlled from up to 8 extensions. 

One of the key features on this system is not it has 99 programmable speed dial numbers. These speed dials can be set from any extension and then can be used all over the system, not just the phone they were entered on. These speed dials are used by putting ## before the assigned number, so ##1-##99. This is a key feature in saving time when needing to make a quick phone call. 

Another feature on the 308+ is the auto attendant. This means you can record an outgoing message (OGM) that tells customers what number to press on their keypad to get to the right extension they are looking for, 1 for sales and 2 for returns etc. When the system is in auto attendant mode the extensions will not ring for each incoming call, the 308+ will answer the call then the chosen extension will ring once the incoming caller has selected one. This is becoming increasingly popular for home offices when distinguishing between home and business calls. 

The 308+ is also caller display compatible. As long as your line has been set up for caller ID by BT and the extensions you are using have a caller ID function then then the number of the incoming phone call will appear on the display, and if the number has been saved then the corresponding name will appear also. This is great as you can identify who is calling you and no time is wasted in recognising who it is by voice or name. 

The Orchid 308+ also has an IP Access Code. Many people use IP calls or VOIP to make either free or low cost calls using the internet, but also use the traditional land line too. The 308 can be programmed so that the user presses 1 number before a BT line call, and another to use their IP gateway. This ensures the user maximises call cost savings. 

A very useful addition to the Orchid box is the music port. This allows you to plug in an mp3 player or other USB device to play music that incoming callers will listen to whilst they are on hold. This is good because default music is often boring for the customer whereas you can keep up to date with the latest music and essentially set the tone for the company! 

Most PBXs require you to Dial 9 to get a line, the Orchid PBXs can be programmed for Direct Dial. The User is then automatically given the next available line when they want to make a call without having to dial 9 in front of the number.

To find more details about the Orchid PBX 308+ please click here.