Traditional on-premises PBXs are costly, difficult to scale telephony solutions and are being replaced by more flexible cloud systems. With the help of a virtual PBX, medium and small businesses have gained access to low-cost international calls and a variety of VoIP services (voice greetings to customers, call recordings, virtual faxes) that previously only large companies could afford. Let’s figure out how such a telephone exchange works and why switching to a virtual PBX is beneficial for business.
What is a virtual PBX?
Almost in the office of every company, until recently, a local automatic telephone exchange (ATS) was installed. Its purpose is to create communication channels by connecting internal corporate numbers with external mobile networks or telephone lines. If in the case of analog telephony, a company needed to install equipment, fixed phones, switches, then, speaking of a virtual PBX, we are dealing with a cloud service that works via the Internet.
Cloud virtual PBX and VoIP are connected by the fact that such a telephone exchange transmits voice data as digital packets over IP. This VoIP telephony service, supplied by the Freezvon provider, relieves the company of financial expenses for equipment, maintaining the server, updating the system – all this is monitored by the provider.
With such a cloud PBX, you can use various types of devices:
- Stationary telephone sets;
- IP phones;
- Computers or other devices with a SIP calling application installed.
This service allows you to quickly carry out telephony in the office at low cost, which is important for any type of business.
The ability to stay in touch with customers is always a must for every company. And with a virtual PBX, the business is more protected from emergencies. If one of the servers goes down, the VoIP provider reconfigures the traffic route so that customers can still reach your company.
Principles of operation of a cloud PBX
VoIP telephony is based on voice over IP. During calls, speech is encoded and data is transmitted using protocols (most often this is the SIP protocol). When ordering a virtual PBX service, the company also receives a VoIP number, to which calls will be made. An incoming call goes to the Freezvon provider’s VoIP cloud server, and then it will be redirected according to a given scenario.
IP PBX is easier to adapt to any business needs in terms of the number of channels, SIP accounts, internal lines. Management does not require technical knowledge, since the interface is simple and you get access to it through a web application.
Cloud telephone stations are location independent. If the firm has remote employees, they can still use the same corporate network for customer service and participation in joint conference calls.
Can a VoIP gateway replace an IP PBX?
One of the options for gaining access to IP telephony is a VoIP gateway – a device that can be connected to a telephone line or analog PBX. The task of the gateway is to translate analog traffic into digital and vice versa.
Such a device has long been a common way to move to a faster and cheaper Internet connection, while maintaining the current infrastructure. But how justified is the use of a gateway for business now, when you can order an IP PBX? Let’s look at a few scenarios.
There are wired telephones and cable system
Telephone cables have already been laid in the office and stationary devices have been connected. If a company wants to start using IP-telephony, then a gateway can be connected, but it will not have other functions useful for work (for example, voice mail, IVR menu), except for calls. When there is a need for these tools, you cannot do without ATS. An analog PBX is disadvantageous because it has poor scalability. It is more rational to order a virtual PBX. Then you will not have to invest in additional equipment, it will be possible to set up a greeting, voice menu, adjust the number of internal lines online, transfer calls between subscribers whose phones are connected to different gateways.
The office has a cable system for connecting computers
If you drove into an office where there was already access to the network for computers, but the telephone line was not installed, and you need it for work, there are two ways to go. For telephones, you will have to run new cables and then install a gateway. And for this you will spend a lot of budget funds. Or you can connect a virtual PBX and use softphones – an application that is installed on a computer, laptop or smartphone to make and receive calls. Such a scenario is also beneficial for small businesses, when the rented area of the premises is small and you don’t want to take up extra space with wires and telephones.
Оnly access to the Internet via WIFI
There is only one WIFI router in the office and there are no telephone cables. Under such conditions, a gateway would be an unfortunate solution, since it requires access to the cabling system. But you can provide employees with IP phones that work over a wireless connection and manage all communication over IP PBX.
In all the situations considered, we see that installing a VoIP gateway can be a temporary measure. But when a company needs to expand its staff to serve a larger number of customers, a virtual PBX offers the optimal solution.
Cloud PBX Benefits
The obvious benefit of virtual PBXs is that the telephone installation process is simplified and can be carried out quickly. Moving to a new office will not be a problem when all your “software” that ensures the operation of the corporate telephone network is in the cloud.
When ordering, for example, Freezvon, the cloud PBX will be ready for use within three working days. This reduces downtime as much as possible, due to which the business has unplanned expenses. Consider the key parameters why a business should switch to an IP PBX.
Financial benefits
Unlike analog PBXs, where you bear the cost of purchasing telephone exchanges, laying lines, and maintaining a technical specialist who monitors the health of all systems, a virtual PBX is connected by subscription. Choose a subscription plan for a month and you can expand the number of SIP accesses, channels, numbers, focusing on the planned volume of incoming and outgoing calls. Additional services can be configured via IP PBX on your own or use the services of Freezvon specialists.
Flexibility and scalability
Virtual PBX is not just a call control system, but also a marketing tool. Thanks to the statistics that the system collects for a virtual number, it is possible to predict those moments when it is worth expanding telephony or vice versa, reducing the number of telephone lines or SIP at the time of a seasonal sales decline.
In the case when a business plans to open new sales markets, it is enough to register the number of the desired country for the VoIP virtual PBX. The costs for international calls will be lower than analog telephony can offer. All calls will continue to come to a single contact center for which an IP PBX is implemented. This method will also be convenient for customers, since for them a call to a virtual number is charged at local prices. Thus, the company immediately covers two needs – it gets a flexible system for work and the ability to set up a convenient service for customers.
Access to VoIP services for professional service
To track the dynamics of sales and communication with customers, the company needs access to additional telephony services. When connecting to a virtual PBX, you will have access to the following options:
- Voice mail. Reduces the loss of calls from customers during non-working hours or during the peak load on the call center;
- Interactive IVR menu. Allows you to distribute calls relative to the structure of company branches or departments. In this case, the call is redirected by the subscriber himself, after listening to the voice file;
- Flexible forwarding. Allows you to change the type of call forwarding, for example, from office IP phones to mobile phones, on holidays, during an emergency power outage in the office and under other conditions;
- Call recording. To maintain a high level of service, it is important to monitor whether the call center specialists follow the call scenarios or if additional training is needed. And the marketing department will be able to identify the “pains” of customers and prospects for the development of services;
- Conference call. To have joint discussions with colleagues or business partners, you can start a group call session. This option is available only to IP PBX users;
- virtual fax. The exchange of business documents with clients and suppliers is possible even without a fax machine, it is enough to order a virtual fax number. Then the correspondence is redirected immediately to email;
- Widgets for the site Callback and Click to Call. Such services will increase the number of applications for the sales department, because all interested buyers can quickly switch to communicating with the manager without spending their money on a call to the company.
Integration with CRM
Valuable information about customers, their preferences, order history – all this can be stored in CRM by connecting it to a virtual PBX. During an incoming call, the subscriber’s number is checked in the customer database, and the manager will immediately be able to determine whether a new customer or he has previously interacted with the company. And based on this, make additional sales.
Technical requirements for working with virtual PBX
If the Freezvon provider itself takes care of maintaining the operation of the IP PBX, then the user of the PBX needs to monitor the Internet speed. VoIP telephony is sensitive to network bandwidth. In order for the call quality to be high, you should make sure that the ISP offers optimal settings of 65 Mbps or higher.
How to connect cloud PBX on Freezvon
VoIP telephony or virtual PBX is a comprehensive business solution that will help build communication with customers, increase profits, and expand the geography of sales. Freezvon offers basic and premium packages of IP PBX services, which differ in the number of external and internal channels, access to the IVR voice menu and other parameters.
You can order a virtual PBX service to an existing Freezvon virtual number or get it together with a telephone exchange by choosing the appropriate number type. Freezvon provides mobile, city, national and 800 Toll Free numbers. You can conduct an assessment and create a telephony plan based on business needs by contacting 24/7 Support at any time.
