What Types of Business Phone Systems Does BCS Offer?

Updated

BCS (Business Communications Systems, Inc.) sells, services, and installs digital, hybrid, and VoIP telephone systems for businesses in Central Massachusetts. If you are comparing phone system options, the practical takeaway is that BCS covers the full range — from traditional digital and hybrid systems to hosted VoIP and on-premises PBX — so the right choice depends on your existing wiring, whether you want to manage a PBX on site, and how many remote workers you need to support.

The three core system categories

BCS describes its phone system work in three categories:

  • Digital systems — traditional circuit-based business phones, typically using existing copper or digital station wiring.
  • Hybrid systems — platforms that support both digital and IP phones, useful if you want to keep some existing digital handsets while moving part of the office to VoIP.
  • VoIP telephone systems — voice over IP, where calls travel over your data network rather than dedicated phone lines.

Because BCS lists service, sales, and installation together, the same provider can assess your current setup and tell you whether a hybrid approach (reusing some hardware) or a full VoIP move makes more sense.

Hosted VoIP vs. on-premises PBX

BCS offers both cloud-hosted and locally hosted options, which is the main decision point for most buyers.

Option What BCS lists Best suited for
Hosted VoIP Intermedia Unite hosted VoIP; hosted phone systems Businesses that want the provider to manage the platform and avoid on-site PBX hardware
On-premises / self-managed PBX Asterisk, FreePBX/PBXact, Virtual Private Server, SIP trunks Organizations that want to run and control their own PBX, or need custom configurations
Hybrid Digital, hybrid, and VoIP systems Sites keeping some digital phones while adding IP

If you have no IT staff and want predictable management, hosted VoIP is the simpler path. If you have in-house technical capability or specific customization needs, the Asterisk/FreePBX/PBXact and VPS options give you a self-hosted route. SIP trunks are the connection method that links a PBX to the outside phone network.

Brands and hardware BCS works with

BCS identifies itself as an authorized dealer and lists experience across:

  • NEC — including the ST500 mobility option for smartphone integration
  • Mitel
  • Vertical / Vodavi
  • Allworx
  • Avaya / Lucent / AT&T
  • Northern Telecom
  • Sangoma — FreePBX/PBXact, SIP trunks, IP phones
  • Grandstream — IP phones
  • Valcom — paging
  • EnGenius Technologies — wireless networking

This matters if you already own phones or a PBX from one of these vendors: a hybrid or expansion path may let you reuse hardware instead of replacing everything.

Related capabilities that affect your phone system choice

Phone systems rarely stand alone. BCS also lists:

  • Loudspeaker paging systems (Valcom) — overhead paging tied into the phone system
  • Voice and data cabling and LAN cabling — the physical layer VoIP depends on
  • Wireless networks and wireless voice/data solutions — for coverage and Wi-Fi calling
  • Remote teleworker setup — configuring phones to work from home or branch locations
  • Adds, moves, changes and relocation services — ongoing MAC work and office moves
  • Custom messages on hold
  • Video surveillance systems and data networking hardware

If your office has weak cabling or Wi-Fi, that will constrain a VoIP rollout regardless of which platform you pick, so it is worth having BCS evaluate the network at the same time.

Support and service signals

BCS states it uses factory certified technicians and offers 24/7 emergency service. For a business phone system, after-sale support is often the deciding factor between vendors — a system that is down means lost calls, so confirm response expectations and whether emergency coverage applies to your location and system type.

How to decide

  • Keeping existing digital phones? Ask about a hybrid system or expansion of your current brand (NEC, Mitel, Allworx, Avaya, Vodavi).
  • Want minimal on-site hardware and management? Look at hosted VoIP such as Intermedia Unite.
  • Have IT resources and want control? Consider Asterisk, FreePBX/PBXact, or a VPS-based PBX with SIP trunks.
  • Supporting remote or mobile workers? Ask about remote teleworker setup and the NEC ST500 smartphone mobility option.
  • Needing paging, cabling, or Wi-Fi upgrades too? BCS covers those as part of the same engagement.

To move forward, contact BCS at the number listed on their site (508-797-6612) and describe your current phones, number of locations, and remote-worker count — that is the information needed to match you to a specific system.