If you work in a company you surely know what a PBX is ( Private Branch Exchange ) But, do you know there is a Cloud PBX? Today we talk about how it can benefit your business.
PBX / CLOUD PBX
To understand what a Cloud PBX is we must first have a clear understanding of the concept of a traditional PBX. A PBX is any communications centre directly connected to the public telephone network. Thanks to a PBX your company can route and manage in a basic way the incoming and outgoing calls. That is, you can connect different lines to your office, although with a limited number of phone lines and phone numbers.
And in the case of the Cloud PBX, you can perform the same functions and have the same features as a traditional PBX, but all with a simple internet connection, without the need for physical equipment.
So the big difference between both of them is in the way they work. Cloud PBX is a Cloud Computing solution, which stores data and information on the Internet and grants access to them through a computer.
Advantages of a Cloud PBX
There are a number of advantages that the Cloud PBX can offer you compared to the traditional PBX. Some of these advantages are :
- Reduction in costs and equipment: the first advantage we need to talk about is quite obvious; if the communications centre works in the cloud, we save on equipment and its ongoing maintenance. What used to be managed by specific equipment can now easily be done via a computer, so we don’t have to invest in specific equipment and spend money on maintaining it.
- Easy to use: this system is easier to use as the user does not have to administer or configure anything. It is an intuitive system that is very easy to understand and that workers can use from the beginning with basic training.
- Ubiquity: this cloud-based system provides a significant advantage for agents receiving and making calls; they can connect from anywhere and with any device. Whether it is a computer, tablet or mobile, if it has an internet connection it works as an extension to receive and make calls. And because it works with the internet, the agent can be in an office, at home, in a cafe or even travelling, and can connect and work without any problems.
- Improves the company’s image: a system that can manage and distribute calls intelligently and efficiently will mean for customers an effective and professional company that cares about customer service.
In addition, one of the most important advantages offered by the Cloud PBX are the features and functionalities you can take advantage of thanks to its cloud-based technology. There are many features that you cannot use with a traditional PBX, as we will see below.
Cloud PBX features for business
The basic function of any PBX is to connect customers, employees and partners of the company. But by using the Cloud PBX you have many features that make everything easier:
- Unlimited capacity: unlike traditional PBXs, when you work through the cloud, you can have unlimited extensions, so no incoming calls will be missed or left unanswered. If no agents are available, for example, the call is sent directly to a voicemail.
- Unlimited extensions: again, if you work through the cloud, you can have unlimited extensions, and also add and remove extensions in a totally flexible way to adapt to the needs of your business at any time.
- Personalised attention: as we have many functions and ways of managing calls, we can personalise and adapt how we want incoming calls to be distributed. For example, if we integrate an IVR system into the voicemail, we can configure a menu of options so that the customer can choose which department or even which agent they wish to speak to. We can also add music on hold or informative messages for the customer to listen to while their call is redirected to the desired extension.
- Call transfer and recording: with the Cloud PBX you can transfer calls between external and internal extensions. In addition, you will have recordings of all calls in the company (both incoming and outgoing) to keep track and can be analyzed to improve the agent’s mistakes.
- Continuous updating: perhaps the most important feature of this communications centre is that, thanks to its cloud operation, you can add more features or adapt them to whatever your business needs without any problem. Upgrading is simple and does not involve extra costs, as might be the case with a traditional PBX.
Therefore…
Opting for a Cloud PBX can offer you many solutions compared to the traditional PBX, and any type of company can benefit from this new type of switchboard.
But beware because not all IP PBXs are real Cloud PBXs. Most IP PBXs are installed in the customer’s offices and need specific equipment so many of the advantages of the real Cloud PBX are lost.
At Fonvirtual you can find out more about virtual PBXs with WebRTC technology that work in the real cloud and all the solutions that exist for the external and internal communication of your company.
