Computers have made phenomenal advances in recent years, carrying many businesses to the head of the pack simply from being in positions to capitalize on technology as it reaches each new height. It’s doubly important in today’s technological economy to stay abreast of new methods and practices to make the best choices for your company’s budget and for your future plans.
As new technology continues to change the face of business, the telephones we use to communicate with partners, clients and employees are also seeing a major overhaul in the form of the virtual PBX system. Providers like BroadConnect are now offering new virtual PBX packages to take your business out of the age of wired phone systems and into something much more mobile.
What is a hosted PBX?
f you have a large company or have done business with one, you likely have some experience with using a traditional PBX or private branch exchange service. These systems involve extensive installations, wiring and hardware to run effectively and so are mainly used by large companies that receive calls to several different departments.
The Private Branch Exchange is a way to organize all the incoming calls, and with an IVR or Interactive Voice Response system, direct them to different departments based on a series of prompts or options that callers can choose from.
Traditional PBX systems are usually expensive, and that they’re hardwired into a site means they aren’t flexible enough to change with a business as you try to keep up with modern trends and technological innovations.
Hosted or virtual PBX on the other hand fill the same needs that a traditional PBX does, but because today’s focus has been increasingly on mobility and flexibility, they work in a way that helps to integrate business resources like mobile phones, wireless printers, computers and other phone systems to form a collaborative network for companies to build and expand with.
Issues To Consider
The first and most important decision when considering the switch from traditional hardline PBX systems to a virtual platform is hosting options. With virtual PBX systems you can choose to host your system in the cloud, outside of your office entirely and only benefit from the services they offer, or you can choose to set up and secure your hosting at your locations. Each option has advantages and disadvantages.
Hosting in the cloud is best if your IT staff is small or practically nonexistent, or if they are unfamiliar with the workings of a PBX and may not be able to offer the support your new system will need. Cloud hosted systems usually have technical support built-in to their service packages to work through any snags or problems your company experiences.
If you have employees or partners that often telecommute or travel, a virtual PBX might also be best for you. Softphone programs are easily installed on any computer and can enable out of office employees to still access meetings, take or make calls and continue working with system resources made available virtually.
Internal hosting comes with an additional price tag and, depending on the systems your business now has in place, it could be substantial. This option is best when a company has advanced requirements of their phone service, such as an extensive or often changing IVR system to route calls to many departments, or if you experience large or frequent fluctuations in the number of employees that will be accessing and require use of your system.
If you already have IT staff present, regardless of whether you have previously switched to a VoIP option, it may not be as difficult to install and begin working with an internally hosted PBX.
Another arena of issues to consider concern call quality, bandwidth and your current or future internet services package. VoIP solutions all use the internet to transmit call information and data and as such, they impact the internet system now in place.
A virtual PBX will need to have priority in your system or may suffer from latency, dropped or distorted calls and other quality issues. Packages with limited bandwidth or speeds that aren’t sufficient will also cause increased costs or system lag, potentially both. If your internet services are already high-speed and the infrastructure is present to take advantage of unlimited or large pools of bandwidth, then this shouldn’t have much of an impact on your decision to move to a virtual PBX.
The Mobile Company Blueprint
There’s no one right way to take a company from hardwired to mobile capable. Different needs and client desires will ultimately dictate whether a hosted PBX is right for you but the push to make businesses more flexible, more accessible and more modern will continue to place emphasis on taking advantage of new technology as it comes out.
Making a virtual PBX part of the blueprint to a more mobile company comes with considerations, but offers entire packages of options and flexibility to help it work with whatever needs your company has, now and into the future.