PBX means Private Branch Exchange - this is the thing that runs the office switchboard and makes it easy to route calls around the office when everyone is in the same location.
A Hosted PBX is an internal telephone exchange that operates over the internet instead of on your premises. So it operates like an internal routing switchboard, but the end recipients of the calls can be anywhere on the internet or on a mobile line.
This means in a post Covid-19 world it is possible to have an exchange that will accommodate both on-site and off-site working.
It also means that the receptionist can be located at home or in the office or a mixture of the two.
All of the routing and control is through a virtual terminal so there is no need to invest in expensive internal equipment so the upfront cost is minimal.
In summary this is a very cost effective way to create a business that highly flexible and responsive to an increasingly unpredictable world.
While telephony over the internet or Voice Over IP (VOIP) has had mixed reviews in the past, the technology has improved greatly in recent years. So much so that there is a government objective to drop conventional (PSTN) lines by 2025 and put all fixed line communications over the internet.
This may or may not succeed, but it is a measure of confidence that telecoms companies and government have in current and future telecoms infrastructure.
This is a good time to move on this as there discounts available to early adopters. This means you will not only get a business more responsive to today's world, but have your telecoms costs cut to support the move.
It will allow you to move from clunky mobile referrals to fixed routing through to mobile numbers, call waiting messages and a professional centralised customer experience - even if the workforce is fragmented.
No matter what the future holds, your telecoms is structured to be responsive to the new situation allowing to respond quickly and professionally to new and unexpected challenges.
