What is a Hosted PBX System?

Whether it’s communicating with an employee down the hall or a customer across the country, good communication is key to business success. One of the communication tools that has been used for decades is the telephone. Today's hosted PBX phone systems are a very attractive solution for many small and mid-sized businesses.

Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in 1876, and it wasn’t long after that the Private Branch Exchange (PBX) – a term that wasn’t coined until the 70’s – was introduced. A PBX is a privately owned and operated telephone network.

Prior to PBX systems, even a call to a colleague down the hall had to go through the public network, which meant you had to pay the cost of a local call. The manual PBX system solved that problem, and businesses quickly jumped on the cost-effective solution.

In the mid-70s, the PBX system was automated eliminating the need for operators. PBX systems continued to improve with features like on-hold music and call transfer, and by the 90s were ubiquitous in large offices around the world. Unfortunately, the system was still too expensive for many small to medium-sized businesses.

Today, there is another option that is affordable to most small to medium-sized businesses – Hosted (Aka Cloud or Virtual) PBX systems.

A hosted PBX system – which uses the internet rather than outdated landlines to transmit your calls -makes it possible for small to medium-sized businesses to enjoy the benefits of a sophisticated phone system at a fraction of the cost. And they’re finding the quality of their calls comparable to landlines, but with more features at a lower cost. And hosted PBX systems can be integrated into your existing phone system or completely replace it.

Cost

The initial cost of setting up a traditional PBX system is still cost-prohibitive for most small and medium-sized businesses. Initial costs include installation of wiring and other components and setup of the PBX system. With a cloud-based PBX system, your only initial costs are high-speed internet (which you probably already have) and the phones themselves, which significantly decreases your upfront costs.

With a hosted PBX phone system, maintenance costs are reduced and you no longer need a dedicated staff to manage the system. Plus, long distance calls are less expensive and you eliminate the extra charges and fees phone companies charge.

A cloud-based PBX system is easily scalable to your needs, so you’re only paying for what you need.

Features

You can still have the features you’ve come to rely on with a landline like holding and transferring calls, automatic calling menus and conference call, but the features available with a cloud-based PBX phone system will amaze you. For example, it allows you to transfer calls to anyone who has an internet connection regardless of their location.

These systems can also be used with any device that has internet access, such as cell phones, tablets, desktop computers, and laptops. Plus, the signal from an analog phone (such as in a hotel or conference room) can be turned into online digital data, and systems can be integrated into applications such as Salesforce or Outlook.

Simplicity

Eberly Systems can set everything up for you using your existing network architecture, so you won’t have installers crawling under everyone’s desks and disrupting the flow of business. And you don’t have to worry about changing your phone number on all of your marketing materials because we can use your existing phone number for your hosted PBX phone system.

Plus, a cloud-based phone system doesn’t need constant maintenance and upgrades, but when one is required, we can do it remotely. And as your needs change, we can adjust your service for you.

Eberly Systems can manage your phone service from our facility leaving you free to focus on your business. We can add a new line, update software, and add new features without ever disrupting your business. Plus, we offer training and ongoing support to all of your employees, so they can take full advantage of all of the features available with a hosted PBX phone system.

Give us a call at (610) 374-4049 or contact us online to learn more.