Migrating from on-premise IP-PBX to Hosted IP-PBX

 

Telephony services have come a long way since Alexander Graham Bell’s (and others) initial invention back in the late 19th century. Past revolutionizing the way the world interacts and communicates socially, they have completely transformed the way we do business. In modern day, for example, it is no longer a necessity to have a dedicated resource in-house to manage and maintain the network, ultimately enabling businesses to see immediate benefits when they migrate to a hosted IP-PBX system. But before we get into modern IP-PBX systems, let’s quickly go through its history.

Quick History of the PBX

PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. However, before the PBX, there was the PABX (private automatic branch exchange). PABX was invented in the 60s and allowed internal traffic within a company to occur without any (human) operator “switching” traffic manually. It seems job automation has been occurring for a long time, way before the invention of artificial intelligence (AI).

Many companies invested heavily in their own internal infrastructure and were not ready to embrace the new PBX system, despite the many features it provided. So, that forced PBX manufacturers to be more innovative by making it easier to integrate with older telephony systems. It goes without saying that the PBX (of the 1980s) revolutionized the call center.

Features of PBX Systems

The auto-attendant feature was one of the first features of the PBX system. Furthermore, the PBX was connected to PCs, which made call handling even simpler. It allowed call centers to speak to customers one to one while other calls were being routed to their required destinations.

Many companies, both small and large, began installing the PBX because it allowed them to increase revenue through increased pre-sales and after-sales activities. PBX manufacturers re-invested these profits into research and development, and by the 1990s, we had digital PBXs performing more functions than ever before – until the arrival of the IP-PBX (Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange).

Features of IP-PBX Systems

As a natural progression from analog to digital, then the Internet age, IP-PBX began to rely heavily on software. That meant that voice calls, emails, and faxes could now be streamlined into one system. The IP-PBX system is extremely efficient, allowing everything to be easily programmable and set up by individual users. Users could ask their calls to “follow them” to certain locations within their company, or even be routed to their mobile devices. Voicemail could be delivered as a transcribed email. And even though installing and maintaining an IP-PBX on-site became cheaper and more streamlined, it wasn’t long until cloud services began to become a dominant force with the option of having a hosted/managed IP-PBX system.

The Cloud and Hosted Services

Today we have many software companies offering their services over the cloud. The cloud just means your software is managed/accessed over the Internet and not from within your organization. Salesforce, for example, was one of the first successful Software as a Service (SaaS) companies. But cloud services, in general, took a long time to catch on. Most companies were against the concept of not having critical software and data stored and accessed on premises.

The concept of shifting costs from Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) to Operational Expenditures (OPEX) became a topic of debate. And while larger companies still debated this move to the cloud, many startups and small businesses embraced the cost savings of managed and hosted services over the Internet.

Now, small and large companies alike can take advantage of managed IP-PBX services. Automated services can ask customers where their calls need to be transferred, and it can all be set up and managed with ease. If an agent is busy, the call can be sent to the next available one. Call back options have also been added whereby customers are called back according to their place in line instead of waiting painfully for the next available agent.

GeoLinks Hosted IP-PBX Services – Hosted Voice

Companies like GeoLinks are offering hosted IP-PBX solutions to businesses large and small, saving them money and streamlining their operations. Most commonly bundled with the GeoLinks ClearFiber™ network, businesses who sign up for GeoLinks’ hosted IP-PBX service, Hosted Voice, can expect:

  • A total cost savings of up to 30% – largely due to eliminating on-premise equipment costs, install, and ongoing maintainance fees.
  • An extension of service use through a desktop phone and mobile app.
  • Unlimited calling across North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico).
  • A fully-managed solution built to grow and increase seamlessly as your business scales.
  • Enterprise-grade features such as an auto attendant, conference calling, follow me, music on hold, voicemail to email, fax to email, and much more.
  • True QoS.
  • 100% uptime with 4G LTE failover.

To support the high-demand, high-bandwidth applications that fuel today’s mission-critical business operations, it’s no longer a luxury to have a high-functioning network and optimal voice solution, it’s a necessity. Want to learn more about how your company can migrate from on-premise IP-PBX to Hosted IP-PBX? Call and talk to a GeoLinks’ team member today!

Share this entry

You might also like

Newsletter Signup

Want to receive monthly updates about products and services in your area? We promise to never distribute your contact information.

Recent Articles

Costa Mesa is a gorgeous town tucked away in sunny Southern California. It started as a small agricultural center, but […]

When you’re walking down the bustling streets of San Francisco, it’s impossible not to see and feel the spirit of […]

If when you hear Milpitas you don’t think up images of a booming tech hub like that of Silicon Valley […]

Check Your Availability For Services

Want to know if you can experience the most resilient, high-speed, dedicated internet network on the market?

Check Your Location