Virtual PBX Phone Systems

What is a Virtual PBX?

A virtual PBX allows employees to connect to the phone system using any internet connection device. This means that users can access the phone system from anywhere in the world.

Benefits of a virtual pbx

Virtual PBX vs Traditional PBX

Traditionally, PBX business phone systems are much more flexible than proprietary ones, using open standards and interfaces. Modern PBX phone systems use standard hardware, which is less expensive and can easily replace closed systems.

Using the Internet to deliver enterprise-grade services, companies can take advantage of some of the key benefits:

Lower monthly recurring costs

On average, business phone lines can range anywhere from $45-$80 per month based on minutes used and long-distance calling areas.

Eliminate maintenance and upgrade expenses

Many companies use 3rd party support consultants to support their PBX and pay extra fees.  Hosted PBX phones are easy to use and be programmed by existing staff.

Low up-front costs

Hardware-based PBX (traditional or hybrid) systems can cost anywhere from $5000 to $20,000+ to install, wire, and program.

Seamlessly connect multiple locations.

Whether you’re a large multi-site corporation, or a virtual company comprised solely of telecommuters, a hosted PBX can give instant communications between offices and employees at no cost.

Fail-over provides an always-available solution.

Because all the main menus, voicemail, and extensions reside outside your office, even if you lose power or your Internet connection, your external callers will still get your main phone menu – every time.

Streamline calls with IVR Menus

A standard feature with a business phone system has multiple IVR Menus.  Easily direct callers to the correct departments and end-users within seconds of their inbound call starting.

Benefits of a Virtual PBX

  1. Instantly save money
  2. Lower long-distance costs
  3. Lower mobile usage
  4. HD voice quality
  5. Bring your device (BYOD)
  6. Mobile Apps
  7. SMS Messaging
  8. Simple Network Infrastructure
  9. Web-based Management
  10. Lower TCO and Operating Costs
  11. No Maintenance Costs
  12. A business continuity Plan
  13. Quality & Reliability
  14. (Bonus) More Features

When to Switch to a Virtual PBX

There comes a time when you are growing your business when you come to a specific problem or crossroads. Whether it involves hiring staff, looking for a new office or maybe putting aside a budget for next quarter’s digital marketing spend.

Whatever the case, I like to call these “good problems” in business. When your business is growing, you will most certainly be faced with new challenges and obstacles that you have never encountered in the past.

From my experience, company milestones and triggers are perfect scenarios when switching to a virtual PBX makes ideal sense.

Growing beyond your mobile phone

Running your business from your mobile phone, what is your company’s main line? I am guessing it is the same as your mobile number. Are you marketing that number on your website and other marketing material?

The time will come when you will be too busy to handle every phone inquiry your company receives and will eventually want to grow your team by hiring your first few employees. But what will you do? Will you call forward all your calls to their mobile device? Furthermore, will you expect them to give out their personal phone number to all your customers and suppliers?

You may want to start looking and sounding like a larger one by at least getting the main business line and perhaps a toll-free number. But rather than going to the traditional “ma-bell “carriers, you should look at the virtual PBX providers who can also give a digital receptionist that plays a custom greeting when someone calls your number.

Growing beyond basic phone service 

Like in the previous scenario, problems start to occur when things get busy, specifically with more inbound calls, the only difference being that everyone is sitting in the same place. Some pain points that you may relate to are:
  • The inability to transfer calls
    • “Hey Joe, there is a call for you on line 2.”
  • No Digital Receptionist or IVR Menu system
    • A live person must answer all inbound calls
  • No employee/extension or voicemails
    • Everyone shares the same lines and handsets
  • Unprofessional
    • Difficult to get the right person or information
These are all excellent problems because the phone is ringing! Not sure about everyone, but the sound of a ringing phone means sales opportunities.
 
Typically, this is the first time a business owner will think and look for a PBX phone system. Business is crazy busy, and they want to streamline their operations and sound professional by adding a digital receptionist, IVR menu, and employee extensions.
 

Growing beyond current office space

A great time to look at a new phone system is when it is time to look for a new office because your current office is too small. This is a fun scenario! Who doesn’t love shopping for a new home?

When moving and relocating, there are many things that you need to think of other than the phone system.

Growing beyond the current phone solution

As you grow, and if your company owns and operates your business phone system, there may come a time when you have hit the maximum capacity of your current phone system. And when that time comes, adding an extra employee/extension will incur capital costs to upgrade the phone system to add a single extension.
 

Growing beyond city boundaries 

Yay, congratulations! You have a finely tuned business, and growth is a matter of expanding your presence by opening offices in different business centers and cities.

With a cloud-based virtual PBX phone solution, you can grow, share infrastructure, and manage the solution and service from any site.

Growth through lowering operations costs 

When your business is humming like a fine-tuned engine, you have marketing feeding sales, orders being fulfilled, and employees being happy. At this time, you’re CFO is looking for creative ways to make money by saving money. He may turn to his CTO and ask her to look at existing infrastructure costs, and they both realize their monthly bills are outrageous.

Business Continuity Planning Disaster recovery

Last but not least is the business continuity plan (DCP) and disaster recovery scenario. At this point, you are thinking of the lost revenue when things are not going so great. It may make sense to switch today by putting together this plan and analyzing the cost of moving to a virtual PBX versus the lost revenue of a telecom outage for X days.

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