Choosing a Business Phone System

Choosing a Business Phone System

The telephone system that a firm uses is as important to a business as the product it is offering. Everyone has probably called in for tech support or help with a product at least a few times each year. What about communication within the business, including conferences with teams that are off-site? The telephone service is more critical then you may have originally thought. As such, selecting a phone service that is the best fit for your business is absolutely crucial.
The world of business telephony is very expansive and intricate, with hundreds of companies, both small and large, each of which offers very different services. You can purchase an old-fashioned PBX unit and have it in-house, get an IP PBX and utilize your company's data connection to handle calls, or choose a Hosted PBX service, in which the provider houses the equipment in another location, and you set up and manage features via a web interface. With all these very different options available, it is important to be wary of the attributes of each to select the service that best complements your firm.

PBXes

PBX units have been the standard, corporate communications service solution that most companies select when they require a telephone system. A PBX is the center of an office phone network, linking all of the phones in the office together and to the PSTN network. It also provides for an assortment of features such as call transferring, extension-to-extension dialing and auto-attendants. However, PBXes are very pricey, and need to be housed in the office itself. Moreover, an IT specialist is also required to manage and operate them.

PBXes are the best solution for large firms that have most of their employees in one location. These firms have enough money for the high cost of getting and maintaining the PBX, and having the unit in the same place as the employees who are using it can be useful.

IP PBXes

IP PBXes are almost the same as conventional PBX phone systems, the difference being that they use Voice over Internet Protocol to make phone calls. There is still a central box that connects all telephones and has to be located in the office. However, IP PBXes use VoIP, which gives companies all of the associated benefits. Traditional phone devices can be used, along with the newer IP telephones. The inclusion of Voice over Internet protocol technology provides greater flexibility and smaller costs compared to traditional PBXes. However, they are still costly enough that they may not be the ideal solution for smaller businesses.

Hosted PBX or Virtual PBX

Hosted PBXes are the newest entry to the corporate telephone market, and are probably the most innovative in leveling the playing field for small and large businesses. These providers offer drastically cheaper prices for the same suite of features, allowing businesses of any size to employ a professional telephone service. Hosted PBXes use VoIP. This takes away the need for different phone lines in your office, since the data connection is employed to take care of telephone calls. VoIP calls are inexpensive, and have useful features associated such as voicemail-to-email. On the other hand, only IP phones can be used with this service.

Hosted PBX providers also take care of the PBX equipment themselves. Companies who sign up for the service can select and manage features like voice mailboxes and auto attendants through a web interface, without having to change anything with the PBX itself. This characteristic of hosted PBXes grants a never-before-seen level of flexibility, allowing companies to scale up or down as needed, without calling on a specialist. It also eliminates the headaches associated with maintaining a hulking and complex piece of equipment, which is a plus for any firm!

All the aforementioned qualities of hosted PBXes drive down the cost of using an enterprise-class phone system. Hosted PBXes are perfect for small and medium-sized companies that have workforces spread out over many cities. Even though employees may be in different places, the hosted PBX will connect them all as if they are in one centralized location, allowing the firm to present a single and united face to potential clients.