Traditional PBX Services

For years, PBX services have been the mainstay of business communication. They grew out of a primary need to save on inter office call charges and then expanded their functionality to fill in the little needs of firms such as call forwarding, conferencing, and Direct Inward Dialing (DID). They served their purpose well and represent the pinnacle of what traditional PSTN services are capable of.

However, the needs of modern businesses have outstripped the capabilities of PSTN based PBX systems. The need is now felt for more advanced services that reflect way the modern business world moves. Laptops, cell phones, increased expectations and the ubiquity of the Internet have all contributed to the new environment.

Virtual PBX services are an outgrowth of this requirement, and here we take a look at what they are and what they have to offer.

Virtual PBX – a simplified explanation

A Virtual PBX service uses the power of the Internet to replace legacy PSTN systems. Since voice data can be sent over the Internet just like any other information, this change was inevitable. The most obvious benefit is the cost savings from having to pay for just an Internet connection instead of also paying for a telephone service.

But the benefits of a Virtual PBX go way beyond mere cost savings. With an IP based system, firms can incorporate advanced business logic into their systems – the kind of flexibility that we expect from an Internet application. For example, calls can be sent to the correct office depending on what time it is. In addition, businesses can use advanced ACD queues to ensure that their customers have the lowest wait times and get help from the most appropriate person.

Virtual PBX is also sometimes referred to as Hosted PBX since the PBX service will be outsourced to a third party who will intercept your calls and route them to IP enabled phones at your location.

A more sophisticated example of the power of a Virtual PBX system is when it integrates with a company’s CRM software. This way, those handling the customer will be aware of previous transactions that may have taken place and save the customer the effort of explaining his or her situation all over again to another person – a problem we’ve all faced at some point of time.

And this is just the beginning. As more and more businesses give up their legacy PBX systems and move to a Virtual PBX solution, there will be more features, and even cheaper service.

Bhagwad is an experienced writer for VoIP Phone Systems. He also specializes in Virtual PBX solutions.