Cloud PBX – It’s Time To Cut The Cord
We’ve all seen those movies. The ones set in the 1940s or 50s, featuring nosy central exchange operators pushing in and pulling out plugs from an enormous board to connect people to each other. All while listening in on private conversations and spreading gossip far and wide! As odd as it seems to us here in the 21st Century, with our mobile phones and “what on earth is a landline?” mindset, this really was how it used to be. These public branch exchanges (PBX) did exist. Later on, companies installed their own PBX units – huge pieces of hardware that had to be stored on site and operated manually. This had significant cost implications for businesses, as they were not only large, they needed their own special storage facilities too. They also tended to break down often, so needed regular repairs. Thank goodness today we have Cloud PBX!
What is Cloud PBX?
A Cloud PBX is essentially a business phone system delivered as a hosted service. It represents a huge advancement in the way companies manage their telephone systems.
What does this mean for your business? Reduced costs, streamlined workflow and improved functionality.
When you switch to Cloud PBX, you no longer need physical PBX servers or analogue telephone lines. This means you don’t have to have a contingent of IT and maintenance personnel on your payroll. Virtually all support can be done remotely, which translates to a huge cost saving. What if your business grows? Upscaling is no problem – the Cloud is the perfect place in which to place your growing communication needs. And of course, because you’re using the digital telephony, voice calls are significantly cheaper than traditional analogue calls.
How Does It Work?
As with all Cloud-based technology, Cloud PBX is dependent on reliable connectivity. Your digital telephone system will connect to the hosted PBX typically via an Internet connection.
All the normal functions of a traditional on site PBX are all features included in the Cloud PBX system. Enabling/disabling of features is done remotely with no on-site technician required.
Benefits of Cloud PBX
The main benefits of using Cloud PBX are cost, flexibility and scalability.
Cost
With Cloud PBX, you get a virtual office as a nifty – and free – side effect! As long as you have your computer, tablet or cell phone, and a decent Internet connection, you have an office. Small businesses without formal office space can allow their employees to work from home, while still accessing and using the company’s phone system. This means you have all the connected benefits of being in an office (including dialing extension numbers at no charge), without the rental and associated costs of actually having a PBX.
A company phone bill is always a source of conflict. It’s not always easy to track the reason for, and yield of, every call made from your office. With Cloud PBX, you can control, manage and analyse in detail every part of your telephone system. In addition, bigger businesses can transfer and make calls between numerous offices for free. On net call (calls between users/customer/businesses on the same platform) are usually free.
Flexibility
You can structure your Cloud PBX system so that it works exactly the way you want it to. Managers, end-users and administrators can all have different levels of privileges and access. For example, administrators can change settings, managers can deploy and configure group mailboxes, and employees can control individual features.
Scalability
The easy scalability of a Cloud PBX system is one of the main reasons why it’s so popular with business owners. Do you remember what it was like in the “good old days,” trying to add an additional line for a new employee? A new line or number could take days or even weeks to sort out, as you waited for a phone company technician to come to you.
With Cloud PBX, your service provider can instantly deploy a platform to thousands of users, and a single system can service your whole business across multiple locations. Once the system is in place, you can easily make individual changes yourself.
At Huge Connect, we offer a range of Cloud-based services – including Cloud PBX – that have one key purpose: to simplify your life and boost your business while maintaining excellent voice quality. Chat to us today about how we can help you cut the cord.
