Almost every Indian office starts with an intercom: reception calls the manager, accounts calls the store, the security cabin calls the front desk. For decades this meant an EPABX box with wired handsets. Today an IP PBX gives you the same intercom, plus features an old system cannot. This guide explains how an office intercom system works and what to look for.
What is an office intercom system?
An office intercom system lets staff call each other by short extension numbers, for free, and usually also make and receive outside calls. In India the term covers everything from a small EPABX with a few extensions to a full IP PBX across several buildings.
EPABX intercom vs IP PBX intercom
| EPABX intercom | IP PBX intercom | |
|---|---|---|
| Wiring | Separate telephone cabling to each desk | Your existing computer network |
| Adding a user | New cable and a free port on a card | Create an extension |
| Phones | Analog or proprietary digital handsets | IP phones, softphones, mobile apps, and analog phones via gateway |
| Moving a desk | Re-cabling | Plug the phone in at the new desk |
| Features | Basic transfer, hold | IVR, voicemail to email, paging, recording, reports |
| Remote staff | Not possible | Softphone or app over the internet |
Intercom features on Voxdial IP PBX
Extensions for every desk
Each person or place gets an extension with a display name, voicemail, ring time and where unanswered calls go. Extensions can also auto-answer internal calls, which is useful for intercom-style announcements to a desk.
Speed dial and shared directories
- Speed dial: short system-wide codes for frequently called outside numbers, such as a branch office or a key supplier.
- Address book: a shared list of contacts, with optional VIP levels so important callers get priority in queues.
Feature codes
Short codes on the phone keypad for call pickup, call forwarding, voicemail and more. See our guide to PBX feature codes.
Paging and announcements
Make an announcement to a whole floor or building through IP phones and speakers. See IP paging.
Privacy between extensions
Internal call restrictions stop chosen extensions, such as lobby phones, from calling others, such as directors. See call restrictions.
Ring groups
One number rings a whole team, so reception can reach “accounts” instead of one person. See ring groups and follow me.
Keep your old intercom phones
You do not have to replace every handset. Analog phones and fax machines connect to an IP PBX through an analog gateway, with each port mapped to an extension. Read using analog phones with an IP PBX.
Choosing an office intercom system
- Count extensions today and in three years.
- List places that need phones: desks, cabins, security, store, canteen.
- Decide which old phones to keep through gateways.
- Check you need paging, recording or IVR.
- Choose outside lines: SIP trunk, PRI or analog.
- For government and regulated buyers, check TEC certification.
Voxdial IP PBX by BitVoice is a TEC certified PBX system made in India for offices of every size. Book a site survey.
FAQs
What is an intercom system for office?
It is a phone system that lets staff call each other by short extension numbers for free, and usually make and receive outside calls too.
Is EPABX the same as intercom?
In India the terms are often used together. An EPABX is the exchange that provides the intercom between extensions, as well as connecting outside lines.
Can I keep my old intercom phones with an IP PBX?
Yes. Analog phones connect to an IP PBX through an analog gateway, with each gateway port mapped to an extension.
Can an IP PBX make announcements like a PA system?
Yes. Paging groups send announcements to IP phones and IP speakers by zone.
