Benefits of hosted PBX services
Hosted PBX service can be a compelling option in many circumstances. In particular, hosted PBX offers huge advantages for companies with offices in multiple locations:
- All employees can access the full features of the phone system from any location: satellite offices and home workers with broadband connections are just as connected as the main office
- Hosted PBX services slash support costs, as there are few differences in setup and administration for any user, no matter what their physical location
- Costs for interoffice calls decrease dramatically, as VoIP enables no-cost or low-cost calling between extensions
A related benefit is improved support for traveling employees. Salespeople who are on the go have the option of using their laptop and a headset as a "soft phone:" by connecting to a hotel network, they place and receive calls exactly as if they were in the office. Many hosted PBX systems also offer support for cell phones, creating yet another option for employees on the go.
The improved ease of management offered by hosted PBX is an important benefit for many companies. Instead of requiring costly technician visits for every MAC (Move, Add, Change), hosted systems can be easily configured on the fly: web-based control panels let you manage call options, voicemail settings, the auto-attendant, and much more, helping you save money and time as you adjust to changing situations.
Hosted PBX systems offer outstanding reliability, typically in the "five nines:" 99.999% availability. This is due to the carrier-class equipment they operate and heavily redundant systems, including backup power systems and multiple servers.
Financial savings
Many companies find that hosted PBX systems offer a lower total cost of ownership than traditional phone systems. The most obvious reason is that a hosted service doesn't require an initial investment of tens of thousands of dollars for phone equipment - but there are other contributing factors as well.
You're also reducing the risk of getting stuck with obsolete phone system equipment. Instead of having to update your phone hardware every few years to take advantage of new technologies, you'll be passing that responsibility on to the service provider.
There are also cost savings around administering remote workers, as mentioned above, and the reduction in local and long-distance phone charges. While the single monthly bill from a hosted PBX provider may be more than you're used to paying for traditional phone service, comparing a hosted PBX service bill to a combined phone system and phone service bill will usually result in a net savings.
