Why You Should Switch to a Virtual PBX

By Ryan Ayers
Updated: February 17, 2011

If your business is operating on a traditional PBX telephone system, you may already be aware that support and repair options are becoming scarce as time goes on. The vast majority of service providers of traditional PBX systems have switched over to offering what have been termed Virtual PBX systems.

These Virtual PBX systems function in much the same manner as traditional PBX, and actually carry more features and options. The main difference in these systems is in their ease of use, versatility, and in their cost effectiveness to both providers and customers.

Traditional PBX vs. Virtual PBX

Traditional PBX systems have been in play for quite some time and were utilized by most businesses to handle their telephone needs until recently. Because of their need for physical hardware at each step in the process, in addition to specialized lines, traditional PBX systems tend to be both cost and maintenance intensive.

Virtual PBX, on the other hand, requires much less in the way of physical hardware in order to operate. Virtual PBX systems are based on the concept of a traditional PBX system (i.e. same overall function and features), but require only a small amount of hardware on premise, and do not require specialized or extension-specific lines to be run.

Why Your Provider Prefers Virtual PBX

From the service providers’ point of view, Virtual PBX and IP telephone systems allow them to offer a wider array of features and service options at a lower cost to their customers – all with much less required in the way of maintenance and physical equipment. IP based telephone systems allow a service provider to package data and voice together, provide upgrade and change options, and ensure redundancy and system uptime in an extremely cost effective manner.

The Upside of Switching to a Virtual PBX

Unlike it did in the past, switching to a new business telephone system does not mean that your business is in store for an enormous new expense. IP based telephone systems are relatively inexpensive compared to their hardware-heavy traditional PBX counterparts. These new systems come in a variety of price points, many of them extraordinarily inexpensive.

Switching over to a Virtual PBX also allows you the advantage of a few features that have traditionally been expensive add-ons to PBX service packages.

Features such as:

• Disaster protection/system redundancy
• Increased auto-attendant features
• Integrated messaging

Many of these features are fairly standard with many IP telephone systems. These features can help to increase the functionality and productivity of your business without cutting into your budget.

The Bottom Line

The fact of the matter is that traditional PBX systems are being phased out in most markets. Most major carriers offer little support for these systems, and are refocusing their attention on more robust service packages and networks for their IP based telephone customers.

The good news in this scenario is that the technology has been so widely adopted and is so universally used in business telephone systems that options in service providers and packages abound. Your business clearly has the ability to find a service option that fits both its needs and its budget.