Metaswitch Networks Bids Adieu to Premises-based PBXs

With the emergence of cloud-based PBX solutions like virtual PBXs and hosted PBXs, the days of premise-based PBXs are limited.

Metaswitch Networks, a provider of software and solutions for a new generation of communications services, recently gave customers an opportunity to share their thoughts in regards to the rapidly disappearing PBX technology. In fact, the company launched a campaign to help businesses remember what it was like before everything was moved to the cloud.  

Communications technologies have evolved and in doing so have brought many advantages to organizations including reducing costs and complexity.  And according to recent research conducted by Metaswitch, 70 percent of SMEs are considering IP voice services in the next two years.

“That's the impetus for our living museum dedicated to those sultans of switching, titans of TDM, and for an industry's fading memories," said Steve Gleave, vice president of Marketing at Metaswitch, in a statement.

Hosted telephony solutions significantly slash operational costs because they do not require any additional hardware or the typical telephony infrastructure needed to power traditional PBX solutions.

A recent virtual-pbx piece predicts that virtual PBX adoption will only continue among enterprises over time. Currently, a mere one out of 10 businesses have switched to cloud-based communications, according to Forrester Analyst Dan Bieler. Some of the main reasons for the current slow adoption are conventional voice services are doing a good job of staying competitive with cheaper rates and making the switch to virtual PBX just isn't high on the list of priorities for many organizations.

Despite the relatively slow adoption of virtual PBXs, the industry did enjoy a four percent sales increase during the first quarter of this year, demonstrating just how lucrative it could be if interest was higher.

The market has also seen strong growth internationally, with sales growing by 18 percent in Q1 2012 from the same period in 2011 in the Caribbean and Latin region. In addition, the Asia Pacific saw a 16 percent increase in the same period.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX.  Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO. Follow us on Twitter.

Edited by Jamie Epstein