A lot of companies have started to take a hard look at hosted PBX solutions and for good reason. The basic idea of a hosted PBX solution is that your phone system features are provided to you from a service provider over your IP network. Most of the time the provider will supply you with IP phones and probably some switch equipment for your offices. However the service provider is now hosting, managing, and maintaining all of your functions and features from a cloud environment or essentially their data center. Typically the cost of the physical phone and supplied equipment with the managed solution and features are provided to customers at a monthly cost. This eliminates the need to purchase a phone system and have to manage it in-house yourself. Here are some key reasons why this type of solution can make sense for a company:
1. No Upfront Capital Cost
When moving from the old model of buying a new phone system to utilizing a hosted PBX you remove the large capital cost expenditure needed when having to purchase very expensive phone equipment. The technology in telecommunications moves very fast and typically a new phone system has lost 50% if not nearly all of its value within the first 12-18 months of ownership. When utilizing hosted PBX solutions you don't need to purchase equipment as it is usually provided in your monthly cost. Due to the current economic climate it has been hard for some companies to justify a large capital expense. Hosted solutions offer a way to become more productive and gain access to new technology without the need for a large IT budget.
2. Avoids Technology Obsolescence
As stated previously, technology moves very fast in IP Communications. When a company purchases a hosted PBX solution they typically have new technology, features, and updates made available to them as those new features are released in the industry. This prevents the need for costly upgrades or new equipment when managing a phone system in-house. Since a hosted environment lends itself to making features available over the network, most users can access new features themselves simply through web portals or administrative tools making the deployment of new technologies or features much easier. This avoids the cost of having service technicians come out on site to make changes to premise based PBX equipment. As technology changes so does the hosted solution thus always keeping users up to date with the latest tools the market has available and making scalability in an organization much easier to handle.
3. Reduces IT Overhead and Burden
In many companies the management of a phone system or PBX will ultimately reside with their IT staff. This might be further augmented by the use of PBX or 3rd party phone vendor who would help support and manage a phone system. With many IT departments being downsized, overburdened, and focused largely on application or internal IT support, the burden of having to manage a phone system becomes time consuming and costly. When companies move into hosted PBX solutions they reduce a large amount of this burden from an IT staff and also avoid the service/maintenance costs of using third party phone vendors. Since most hosted solutions offer on-going support and management, a company's IT staff can focus on more profit-centered issues. When your current carrier can offer a hosted PBX solution you eliminate any finger pointing when there are phone issues as to whether the issue is network based or equipment based. Now there is only one contact to call who is accountable for everything.
4. Offers Greater Flexibility
Another reason that hosted solutions make so much sense is the greater flexibility they offer companies when dealing with change. In this economic climate I find that many companies are subject to market changes that can greatly affect their staffing, size of network, or even where they need to work. When companies utilize a hosted PBX solution their voice network can essential move with them meaning it allows people to work remotely with greater ease because they can simply take their IP phone with them. They will still get all of their same features over the Internet much like they would in their office. It also means that changes to the system can happen immediately like changing hunt groups, adding or deleting users, or changing auto attendants or messaging. In the past these changes would have to be programmed into existing equipment and would take time or may involve additional cost. When using a hosted solution, a company's staff can be more mobile, features and functionality can change on a dime, and usually these changes can be made by less technical staff through on-line administration tools. It moves a company's voice network into a more outsourced model which allows them greater flexibility than having to manage physical assets. The ownership for their system is now an operational expense rather than an physical asset needing to be managed. This becomes a benefit to companies experiencing or anticipating changes to their operations.
No comments:
Post a Comment