What is a Cloud PBX?
If you’re a small business owner, or a solo entrepreneur looking to start taking on some employees, you’ve probably heard the phrases analog or VoIP PBX’ and ‘choosing the best phone system for your company’ mentioned. Not knowing what a Cloud PBX is or how one can aid your business puts you at a pretty big disadvantage when building your brand. In this guide, we’ll be providing a fuss-free and simple guide to what a Cloud PBX is, how it works, what it does and how you can get one.
What is a Cloud PBX and how does it work?
Firstly, PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange and is a telephone system that can connect a specific number of communication devices (like traditional office desk phones, computers, or even calls taken via a mobile app) within a business and also to the outside world.
A PBX system allows the phone line coming into a business to be split into multiple lines, allowing you to support more telephones (saving on the cost of requiring a line for each user) and allowing users to share phone lines. You know when you call a business from a single number, but any one of their employees can answer it? This is a PBX system in action as your incoming call is directed to a free employee within the company or the best department to answer your query.
If you’re thinking a PBX may be useful to your business, you still have some decisions to make. There are three variations of a PBX phone system: analog, digital or cloud-hosted. Unsurprisingly, the analog version is older and outdated. Digital systems use the internet to take and make calls and do this via a piece of hardware that stays in the offices.
A cloud-hosted PBX is the most modern of all because it requires no equipment other than physical phones (from office conference phones and smartphones) and uses an internet connection to take or make calls. Like everything cloud-based (the same as your photo storage), it’s all online: no hardware, software, installation, or on-site maintenance.
What does a Cloud PBX do?
A PBX provides all the features you associate with a business phone. When a customer calls, they can be put on hold, provided with an out-of-hours message or hold music, their call forwarded to a certain employee, or simply queued until someone becomes available to speak. These features help lessen the pressure on modern businesses, especially small ones that would benefit from more flexible call handling to aid a limited number of employees and the help of digital receptionist services.
How does the customer use a Cloud PBX?
A Cloud PBX is not limited to a traditional desk phone, as calls can now be managed via a computer or mobile phone. Not only can you manage calls from your desk, but you can do so anytime, anywhere.
How do you get access to a Cloud PBX? Luckily, as Cloud PBX phone systems have become increasingly popular in recent years, they are easier to access. Since 2008, businesses and consumers have been relying on Microtalk to provide their business communications. If you’re interested in learning more about using a Cloud PBX at your business, even if you don’t know where to start or what your requirements may be, you can get in touch for a chat.