Virtual and Hosted PBX Services Transform Telephony Into Just Another App

Only a few years ago, the world of VoIP still largely consisted of a legacy approach to hardware and software. On premises equipment had to be managed, monitored and updated, licensing agreements had to be honored, and things still occasionally went wrong. And those glitches often required hours of manpower to repair, sometimes necessitating costly outside expertise.

VoIP has evolved along with most technology services in the digital age, as the communications world moves toward an application and services-based delivery model. The transition from legacy, circuit-based telecom to IP telephony reduced the size of the cumbersome PBX closet, as customers shifted to more efficient IP-PBXs and SIP-based phones. Even so, this on-site equipment still carried the burden of licensing, maintenance and necessary upgrades, along with technical expertise and manpower to keep it up and running.

Enter the age of the virtual and hosted PBX, in which business telephony has become just another application or service. A recent survey of small business telecom buyers revealed none of those in the market for VoIP services were interested in purchasing a premises-based IP PBX, with a majority seeking a web-based solution. When combined with the growing market for SIP trunks, we have a favorable climate for promoting digital voice as a service – on an enterprise scale.

Of course, there are a few considerations businesses must make when selecting a virtual or hosted PBX service for their communication needs. After all, a service is only as strong and reliable as the company providing it and customers need to perform due diligence to ensure they’re getting the best deal to accommodate their specific needs.

Data center security and availability is one of the largest factors, and a quality provider will run its services out of a secure data center with backup and disaster recovery plans in place. The feature set is also extremely important, as certain types of businesses will require specific features. Along those lines, organizations will want to ensure their provider’s services work with the existing network configuration and equipment and that service providers are offering SLAs to ensure consistently high call quality.

Finally, prospective virtual and hosted PBX customers will need to make sure their provider offers 24x7 technical support and is always available when needed. Providers should also offer monitoring and analytics so customers can glean information about how their networks and systems are performing and make the necessary adjustments to ensure quality control.

The age of technology applications and services is upon us, and telephony and the PBX are no exception. By being diligent and responsible when choosing a virtual PBX solution, organizations can offload the burden of maintaining complicated on-site equipment while retaining all the features and functionality digital communications solutions have to offer.