VoIP Providers & Business Phone Companies in Manchester, CT

American Business Telephone and Technologies, often shortened to ABT&T, is a telecommunications firm based in Manchester, Connecticut. Since 1998 it has sold and installed phone systems for businesses in the surrounding area, which puts Hartford-area buyers within easy reach of its service territory. The company describes itself as a business telephone provider, but it also handles several related technology and refinishing services. That mix makes it a practical choice for organizations that want one vendor for their phones and the infrastructure around them.

Phone Systems and VoIP

Telephony is the core of the business. ABT&T plans, installs and services both IP-based and digital phone platforms for Connecticut companies. Clients can pick an on-premises system or a cloud-hosted one, and the firm also works with VoIP/hybrid setups for businesses that want to keep part of an existing installation while adding IP features. It continues to support legacy systems, which helps organizations that are not ready to replace working equipment. For carrier connectivity, it offers SIP trunks, including IPitomy SIP trunking. ABT&T is an authorized dealer for these manufacturers:

• Avaya
• Axxess Networks
• Cetis
• IPitomy

It also supplies paging systems, and it sells business and industrial telephones, some of them through its eBay store.

Related Technology Services

Beyond voice, the company takes on much of the cabling and networking work that a phone deployment often depends on. Licensed technicians install Wi-Fi access points and nanobeams and run cabling to extend internet coverage across a facility. ABT&T also installs commercial security cameras, covering the wiring, onsite setup and configuration of the mobile app. For clients with a lot of hardware, it offers onsite warehousing and inventory management of telephone and data equipment, which can make it easier to track spare phones and parts across multiple sites.

Refinishing and Custom Painting

One unusual specialty is refinishing telephones. The firm repaints phone housings in their original factory colors or in custom shades, and it repairs and refurbishes handsets so they can return to service. The same spray painting and powder coating capability is used on other plastic and metal items, including automotive parts and household goods. For businesses that care about sustainability, refurbishing existing equipment instead of discarding it fits the company's stated commitment to environmentally responsible practices.

Background and Credentials

ABT&T says it puts customers first, tailoring solutions to each client's situation with the aim of saving them time and resources. It emphasizes careful workmanship, full evaluation of service needs and testing of equipment before delivery. The company is certified as a Women-owned Small Business Enterprise under Connecticut's Supplier Diversity Program and is active in the federal SAM database. Those credentials may matter to public agencies and to companies that have supplier diversity goals. Buyers who want to see examples of past projects can review the case studies and gallery on its website.

Encompass IT Solutions is a managed technology provider in Manchester, Connecticut, just east of Hartford. It works with small and mid-sized organizations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Its main business is outsourced IT and cybersecurity, and business phone service is part of its cloud offering. That suits buyers who want their phones, network and security handled by one local partner instead of several separate vendors.

VoIP and Unified Communications

For phones, the company uses desk handsets from Yealink. These offer high-definition audio, and some models have built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The calls themselves run through Elevate, a hosted communications platform. Besides standard calling, Elevate gives staff mobile and desktop apps, video meetings, team messaging and file sharing. Encompass presents this setup as a way to add users easily, connect with other business software and support people who work away from the office.

Broader IT Services

Phone service sits alongside a wide range of other technology services, including:

• Fully managed IT, help desk support and co-managed arrangements for companies with in-house IT staff
• Cybersecurity, which by default includes email filtering, staff security training, multi-factor authentication, firewall alerts, antivirus and endpoint detection and response
• Compliance support for PCI, HIPAA, CMMC, FINRA and ABA requirements
• Microsoft 365, on-site Dell servers, hybrid cloud setups and encrypted automated backups
• Network and Wi-Fi management with Blumira-based monitoring, plus security camera installation
• Buying Dell and Lenovo computers for clients, and ongoing system monitoring with Datto RMM

Industries and Engagement Model

Clients include manufacturers, healthcare and dental practices, law firms, financial firms, nonprofits, construction companies and other small businesses. Encompass does not sell fixed service tiers. It builds each plan around the client's setup, how much support they need and any regulations they must follow. New clients usually sign a one-year agreement first. Each month includes at least one hour of virtual CIO time, and the company holds a yearly planning review with every client. It says it answers support tickets in about 13 minutes on average and responds right away to critical problems. It also keeps written incident response plans so emergencies are handled in an agreed order.

Background and Team

The firm was created in July 2017 when Computer Port USA, based in South Windsor, merged with PC Tech Service, a Manchester company Shawn Donaldson started in 2004. Donaldson and Jimmy Ericson co-own the business, and each has more than twenty years in the IT field. The staff is under 20 people and includes account managers, a project manager, an office manager and a marketing team. Encompass says it does not send support work overseas. Its technicians share detailed records of each client's systems, so whoever answers a call already knows the account. This small-team model may appeal to buyers who want to work with the same familiar people for both their phones and their wider IT.