Why Prefer IP PBX over Traditional PBX?

As today`s businesses are becoming more and more dependent on inter and intra-organizational communications, the use of telephones has become an essential part of business operations. Unlike other ways of communications, the telephone provides an instant way to reach a required person. With technological advancements, business telephone systems have evolved from earlier Key telephone systems to the modern IP PBX based business system.  

“PBX stands for (Private Branch Exchange) telephone system within an enterprise that can handle call switching between local line enterprise users automatically. In addition to that, it allows users can also share a certain number of external phone lines”.

The main idea of installing PBX solutions is to save costs from providing phone access to multiple users within company`s central office. There are different types of PBX that include Traditional PBX, IP PBX, Hosted PBX, and Hybrid PBX, etc. Each of these types has its own advantages and disadvantages.  IP-based hosted, and Hybrid PBX solutions are the modern way of facilitating phone line communications mainly based on an Internet connection.

With IP-based PBX you are integrating voice into your Local Area Network.  IP PBX uses Internet protocol for transporting their voice-related data over the network.

In other words, An IP PBX is a business phone system that instead of the traditional phone line, uses IP-based data networks for call switching, route calls, and handle other messaging.  It also offers advanced communication features like voicemail to email with the capability to interlink. Traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Service) lines the IP based PBX system usually consists of one or more IP-based Phones (software or hardware), an IP PBX server, VoIP gateway that connects traditional phone lines.

There are many reasons that make IP-based PBX a preferred choice over Tradition PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Service).

Here we have discussed few of these advantages.

• Use your Existing Local Area Network (LAN). IP Based PBX system uses your existing local area network for communications. With PBX server directly connected to this LAN, you get a better quality of signaling and shorter latency. It is because voice data packets do not have to travel a longer distance over the internet.

• Decreased Operational Costs. If you have a higher number of users than IP-based PBX will costs you significantly lower as compared to hosted PBX where you will have to pay monthly subscription charges in addition to one of the initial costs. Therefore installing your own IP_PBX decrease costs over time.

• Easier to configure and install than proprietary phone systems- An IP-based PBX system is much easier to configure and install as compared to branded phone systems. You may even need help and support from professional to set up and maintain traditional PBX however if you are tech savvy, and know to use the computer it will be pretty easy for you to handle IP-based PBX. Same also applies to Asterisk-based systems that have Front end graphical user interface like FreePBX.

• Simpler Management/with GUI. The Graphical user interface that is used to manage IP-based PBX is much more user-friendly than traditional PBX.

• Move Phone Easily. IP-based PBX phones are pretty easier to move just like your PC. You can change their connections and locations without a problem as long as you connect them to the same network it will work fine for you.  This was not easily possible with traditional PBX where phone line was an essential part of the phone system, and any change of phone was challenging and time-consuming.

• Supports Unified Messaging.  IP based PBX system can result in integration with productivity applications such as CRM systems can help increase your business performance. In addition to that, it provides you the capability to receive and listen your messages from your Outlook inbox.

• Connect Branch offices. The system can be connected to the internet to your branch office at a separate location that means inter-branch communication will be less lost only IP phones and hardware costs needed.

• Work from Home with Remote Extensions. You employees by Plugging in any IP-based phone from home through the internet can use it as an extension. This makes working from home possible for your employees.