Features and benefits of an IP PBX
As described earlier in Is VoIP right for your office?, an IP PBX offers the greatest advantage to businesses with multiple locations. With VoIP, all the offices on your network can benefit from a common office phone system including extension to extension dialing and seamless call transfers. Plus, VoIP eliminates long distance charges - even if your offices are located thousands of miles apart. Simply looking at your current phone bill for calls between far-flung offices will give you an idea of how much you can save.
In addition, VoIP makes it easier to communicate because the system allows employees to see who is online, who is on the phone, and assess the best way to reach one another. Since voice and date are integrated into a single network it is also possible to integrate features such as sending voice mails directly to email inboxes.
Simplified management
Some of the cost savings that stem from VoIP are a result of streamlined network infrastructure and improved administration. For network administrators, VoIP means there is only one network to maintain instead of separate voice and data networks. There is still separate phone system hardware to maintain - but only one network.
Additionally, the Move, Add, Change (MAC) process is greatly simplified because almost all VoIP systems can be configured using a web interface that is managed by the administrator. This lowers ongoing costs as you will no longer need to call your vendor for every MAC. And since multiple offices are seamlessly connected, they can share a single receptionist, auto-attendant, and voice mail system.
Additional features and integration
Even more compelling is the integration of business applications with your telephone service. VoIP can enhance communications by helping users find the best way to contact co-workers—by phone, IM, or e-mail. When integrated with customer relationship management (CRM) applications, it can boost productivity by making it possible for users to call someone simply by clicking on their name or number.
There are also significant benefits for employees on the go. If your remote users connect to the company network using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), VoIP allows them to make phone calls from the road using the company's dial tone. This can quickly lead to hundreds of dollars in savings as salespeople on extended trips can avoid cell phone and hotel long-distance charges. All the user needs is a "softphone" (software that allows a laptop to function as an IP phone) and a headset, or an application that allows their cell phone to tap into the VoIP system.
Other familiar and essential phone system features such as caller ID, call forwarding, and simultaneous ringing across multiple phones are available in most VoIP systems.
An IP PBX should also work well with advanced Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications such as call center management. These popular applications route incoming calls based on the caller's identity and automatically show account information as the phone is answered. While there is little difference in this arena between VoIP and modern digital phones, VoIP may make it possible to run more lines at a lower cost.
You might also want to take advantage of IP videoconferencing. In the wake of rising fuel prices, companies that used to gather far flung employees together for important face-to-face conferences now turn to videoconferencing over IP.
