What is a PBX?
A PBX (Private Branch System) is a business-grade telephone system. It provides the added functionality businesses need in a telephone solution. For example, it offers employee extensions and automated attendants that answer calls. A PBX uses various communication channels such as VoIP and ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). Overall, PBX allows your business to manage multiple calls on a private telephone network.
How does it work?
A PBX system is monitored using a switchboard that processes the connections between telephones to facilitate a call. This system allows your business to provide multiple phone lines that connect to a public switched telephone network or VoIP network, this is how the calls are made and received.
A PBX system can also control the numerous features of business phone systems. A PBX system will allow your business’s phone lines to be connected so employees can easily communicate with each other.
What are the features of a PBX system?
PBX features are what differentiates business phone systems from mobile or home. Here are some of its valuable features –
- Voicemail-to-email: Many PBX systems provide phone system users an audio file or transcript.
- On-hold music: Some systems can play preselected music, so the customer is not sitting in silence when on hold.
- Paging: There is a paging system to record messages using the phone, which is broadcasted through the speakers’ system to all employees or sent to a select group.
- Call reports: These reports can break down company data. It includes information on your business’s phone usage. This can be further detailed by department or user.
- Call forwarding: This allows you to have your office phone forward calls to a chosen number when you cannot answer.
- Call queues: A call queue helps you manage calls that come in simultaneously by allowing you to place them in a line until someone is available to take the call.
- Extension dialling: Callers can dial extensions to reach their direct line.
- Ring groups: This allows your business to put employees with similar roles into one group. This is helpful when a customer is trying to reach a specific department.
Through a range of different features, PBX allows users to field multiple outside calls between employees efficiently.
What is a digital PBX system?
The most widely used type of business phone system is a digital or IP PBX phone system. They send voice and video communications via the internet. You can choose a traditional IP PBX or a premises-based IP PBX, which is a VoIP PBX system that is housed physically in the office and connects phones over your office’s local area network. IP PBX systems can be a more budget-friendly option by cutting down equipment costs. They provide high-definition audio, call queuing, and business-hour rules. A digital PBX is often referred to as a VoIP phone system. It uses the internet to connect users and callers and offers helpful features like call queuing and quality audio at a low price.
What are the benefits of a hosted PBX system?
- With PBX, your phone system, applications, features, and phone services are all billed together with automatic maintenance and software updates.
- Cloud PBX systems are significantly more flexible than traditional phone systems, offering advanced disaster recovery.
- Cloud PBX systems are easily scalable and support an unlimited number of users.
- Adding users is instant.
- The setup and maintenance are typically fast and requires no downtime.
PBX systems are more flexible than traditional phone systems because employees can make calls from anywhere. They are also cheaper than on-premises PB systems and allow for an unlimited number of users.
What are the cons of a hosted PBX system?
- A hosted PBX system can require some equipment to set up if you do not already own the necessary components. For example, you need to purchase IP phones, which generally require an Ethernet port and a large router.
- As they are web-based, you must have a strong internet connection for communication to run smoothly. If your internet service provider is unreliable, you could have a frustrating experience. Make sure your ISP is robust and reliable so it can support your communication needs.
- It would help if you also took measures to ensure your PBX is secure. It could be more susceptible to security breaches than a server-based system as it is hosted on the internet. We recommend you make sure they have both physical and network-based security, SIP endpoint, toll fraud monitoring and detection, and a dedicated monitoring system that alerts you to any suspicious activity.
Before purchasing a hosted PBX system, consider your business’s needs, total cost, and features.
Need telecommunications cabling experts in the London area? Our experts specialise in PBX telephone systems and are happy to answer any queries you may have. Call a member of our team on 0207 630 6094 or email us at hello@datacableinstallation.co.uk.