PBX and VoIP Phone Systems for Small Businesses
For you to decide if your business needs a PBX or VoIP phone system, first, you should make yourself familiar with the costs and features of each of them. Below are the focus points you have to remember during your decision-making process.
Features
What specific features do you expect from your new phone system? Would you like real-time management, locally-based hardware, or call management? If these questions got a yes as an answer, what you need is a PBX system. But, in case you don’t like local main equipment and instead, you want a cloud-based management as well as a redundant and portable solution, a VoIP system might be a better consideration. PBX got simpler features, while VoIP has more complex features.
Deployment Time Frame
How fast do you need or want your phone system to be active? There are systems that have easy plug and play systems. On the other hand, others will require you to wait for the carriers to finish some steps before you can begin using the system. PBX needs lead time while VoIP has quick deployment.
Costs
Will you be willing to spend for high setup expenses and get a cheaper call rate with a lower quality for calls? PBX is traditionally pricier, while VoIP is cheaper with basic features.
Scalability
You can begin with a two handset VoIP system then scale accordingly when your business grows. It ensures that you will only pay for exactly what you need and still be able to add some handsets to keep up with your business’s growth. You can even decrease the capacity anytime. It directly sits in proportion to the monthly expenses on the aspect of telecommunications. The PBX system needs advance planning to ensure that you get the proper equipment to let you upgrade in the near future. PBX requires careful planning while VoIP is easily scalable.
Relocation
When you have a VoIP system, it means there’s no need to stress about the need to move out the exchange and lose your primary number once you unplug the handsets from your old office then plug it into the new one. There might be some challenges with a traditional PBX system and you have to plan the move very accurately to avoid losing the service for days or hours. PBX needs careful planning while VoIP can be plugged In easily in your new office.
Multiple Sites
Businesses operating in several sites can benefit a lot from VoIP as it lets the company remove the shackles brought about by geographic locations. The calls could be transferred from one place to another with internal extensions in just a matter of seconds without any fee for the call transfer. Multi-site offices can save costs since every call between sites will be free. PBX is not an ideal option for multi-site businesses while VoIP is more advisable for multi-site businesses.
Now that you know these key points, make sure you consider these before you reach a final decision.