The value of Using Hosted Pbx Phone System

A hosted private branch exchange, or PBX, phone system is a private phone network used by businesses for more efficient communications. One advantage of a cloud-based service, like Hosted PBX, is the significantly lower upfront costs. With no system to install, service is usually billed monthly making it a great option for business looking to maximize cash flow. Additionally, features and users can be added as business need’s dictate, as opposed to traditional systems where making adjustments after initial set up can be timely and cost prohibitive. The changes are made through the service provider-yet another cost savings Hosted PBX offers.

Hosted PBX offers all the common functionality of traditional PBX with several added benefits, and, when hosted externally, eliminates many of the challenges of maintaining a traditional PBX.

One of the main benefits of hosted PBX is its scalability; because the service is cloud-based you can add lines, connect laptops, tablets and smartphones, and increase the number of users on an individual basis. And because there is no extra hardware required beyond additional handsets, there is no waiting for an engineer to install new equipment, making the process of expanding your phone system as your business grows smooth and simple.

If you want your company to be able to grow with minimal hassle, hosted PBX is the way to go. Whereas installing new landlines is costly and takes time, and adding lines to a traditional PBX means tinkering with a large, on-site server, with hosted PBX you simply order a new handset, plug it in and add a new user via an online portal, with only a small increase in the flat rate you pay.

Hosted PBX also provides your company with the ability to add users on a short-term or seasonal basis to handle specific events or particular times of year when you will be busier than usual and require additional staff without being limited by how many users the system can handle or how many lines you can have as you would with traditional PBX.

Hosted PBX is more reliable than a phone system that is hosted on-site because it uses redundant systems - duplicates of critical functionality and network architecture - deployed by the provider to ensure it is fault-tolerant, thus increasing both uptime and service availability. Few businesses have the resources to install and maintain a phone system as complex as those a hosted PBX provider offers, but by taking advantage of economies of scale they can reap the benefits of large, geo-redundant systems - those that operate from more than one location as a form of insurance - without the expense involved in deploying them.

And because hosted PBX routes calls via the cloud, an outage at your business will not prevent it from being able to take calls, as an automated attendant can transfer them to an extension in another location, a cell phone or voicemail without the for an operator or receptionist.

This means that even if the building your business is based in is inaccessible or unusable, your business will be able to continue functioning as your hosted PBX phone system will not be affected, whereas with an on-site phone system business would either be impeded or cease altogether.

And, with hosted PBX phone systems being managed off-site due to their very nature, you do not have to deal with any issues with the hosted PBX platform or service yourself; instead engineers supplied by your provider will take care of any technical problems from their end.

Maintaining an on-site PBX may be more affordable than maintaining other types of on-site phone system, but it is still more expensive than opting for hosted PBX. When your phone system is hosted remotely, not only does it remove the need to invest in equipment, apart from the phones themselves, it also means you do not have to maintain it. And eliminating the cost of hardware and support staff allows you to invest that capital elsewhere.

Hosted PBX phone systems can be subscribed to by paying a flat rate on a monthly basis, which means a predictable monthly telecommunications spend for your business as you will not have to pay maintenance fees or for any repairs, while upgrades are not costly.

With hosted PBX you can access a variety of advanced call features. An auto-attendant can manage calls, eliminating the need for a receptionist or operator to monitor the phones. Alternatively, your receptionist or operator can manage calls via the online receptionist console application, which allows the user to view the call status of employees and route calls accordingly at the click of the mouse, and manage calls in other locations.

Extension dialing saves employees time and allows them to be more efficient as, whether they are calling someone in the same office or in another location altogether, they only need to dial their extension number. This also enables calls to be transferred more quickly, especially in the latter scenario, as callers are no longer required to know where the recipient is located.

Find Me, Follow Me routes calls to your other devices, so you will not miss a call whether you are working from home or out and about, while call forward, call block, call intercept, call waiting and caller ID are all features that can be accessed with hosted PBX, making your business’s telecommunications more convenient.

If you are looking for a powerful, affordable and flexible way to manage your communications, hosted PBX is the best option. The work is minimal from your end; while unmanaged services do require you to install the system yourself, with a full service a technician from the provider will install the network and phones, leaving you to enjoy hosted PBX connecting your business reliably via as many lines as you need.

So, do not let an inefficient phone system keep you from customers, clients and colleagues - switch to hosted PBX and transform the way you do business.