Comparison of a PBX system to a Virtual PBX system PBX systems are phone systems used by most businesses.

They allow incoming calls to be routed to the correct person or department & mange voicemail. Since they usually do this without having to talk to an operator they can save businesses some money. There are two options when considering a small business phone system; a Hardware/Software solution or a Virtual/Hosted solution.

Purchasing a Hardware/software PBX solution

The typical PBX works like this. Call comes in and is answered by an automated attendant that asks what department or person you’d like to speak with. ie, dial 1 for sales, 2 for service and dial the extension you’d like at any time. There is usually the option to also leave a voicemail and mange the voicemail system.

What  is involved in getting a PBX system for your small business?

• Getting a telephone number with an area code like (201) 553- XXXX
• You then set up a group of numbers, the last 4 digits that make up the exchanges within your company.
• You’ll need to purchase PBX hardware and software
• Advantages of owning a PBX system
• You have full control over the hardware , many have advanced features
• It resides at your premise.

Disadvantages of owning a PBX system

• They can be complex and expensive to set up and maintain
• May require a part time or dedicated resource to manage
• The hardware can be expensive and become outdated

Consider a Hosted or Virtual PBX system for your small business

Virtual/hosted PBX systems accomplish the same basic tasks as purchasing a PBX. The similarities end there however.  The key difference between the two types of systems is this: Traditional PBX’s are tied to physical phone locations while Virtual PBX’s are tied to numbers which could be at a desk, a cell phone and be easily set up to send calls to any phone or voice mail you’d like without programming knowledge.

• Here are some of the major advantages of a virtual system.
• No hardware or software to purchase or manage
• Much easier to set up than a traditional PBX
• More flexible and options
•  Can be up and running in minutes, not days.
•  Call forwarding is easily managed to cell phones and pre-existing phones with easy to use online interfaces.
•  No expensive upgrades to software
• Sophisticated call routing based upon easy to set up rules

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