Why choose VoIP over traditional PBX?

Business owners or executive boards have their definitive reasons for making the final decision on a telephone system. The options available are vast, and the features can vary by a small degree from one system to another. Here are the top reasons why UK businesses are switching to VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), which could help you to make your decision when considering a VoIP system.

True Scalability
Unlike the traditional phone system in the corner of the office (commonly known as 'tin'), a hosted VoIP phone system has no physical presence in the workspace and also has no limits with the number of staff that you add to the system. A PBX system can be limited by the number of lines available or just by its scalability restrictions but the difference with a VoIP system is that it can have an unlimited number of users added and removed in minutes; with no technical expertise required.

Opex vs Capex
These terms are often used to explain 'paying a large figure upfront and then paying for maintenance costs' or 'paying a manageable monthly recurring figure'. Capex is the upfront payment model which generally means that your business owns the equipment. Opex is the ongoing cost with no ownership and no maintenance charges. A hosted VoIP system is the Opex route; with little to no up-front costs and a simple monthly payment plan based on the number of users and features adopted in the system.

Web Control
No technical expertise required - we mean that when it comes to VoIP! These systems are accessed using your web browser, username and password entry. It's that simple! The interfaces are user-friendly and often have a step-by-step guide to help manage users, Call Routing or recording features. VoIP is in a league of its own compared to a traditional PBX in this area. Login, make the changes and log out, or, call the engineer to book a meeting to devise a plan and schedule an action date...Which would you prefer?

Support + Updates
Businesses that run traditional PBX systems are very aware that support means calling the phone system provider and requesting an engineer slot, and that updates are avoided in case of anything going wrong. With VoIP phone systems, the support is available 24/7, but support isn't often needed as all functionality edits and amends are made from the web control portal. Updates are made behind the scenes, giving VoIP users a continual evolution of features and resilience.

Feature Rich
Some believe that the PBX features are more diverse than those in a VoIP system, but VoIP evolves with time.
The features in VoIP are vast, from CRM integration to Click-to-Call and Call Recording. It would be realistic to say that PBX has stood the test of time and that the features have met 1000's of businesses requirements, but VoIP is the future. It will grow with your business and has no limits.

Transferable
If you are looking to move offices then transferring a PBX phone system is a near impossible task. To endure the stress of reconfiguring the system in a new premise is a pricey exercise and is not simple for the engineers or IT teams to oversee. Businesses often choose to install a new phone system; which is the ideal time to consider VoIP which has no physical presence. Also, if you are to move office again in the future; pick up the VoIP handsets and plug them into the new office internet connection.

Internet Resilience
The internet connection that you place the VoIP phone system on could be its weakness. You will require a fast and stable fibre connection or Leased Line. Unlike a PBX which runs on telephone ISDN or SIP line, the VoIP system is call data transported in light form through fibre connections. Fibre internet is the Openreach replacement for copper lines (by 2025); giving you a future-proof resilient internet product that has an escalated fault fix time.

Summary
This article may help sway your decision in choosing a telecoms phone system in the VoIP or PBX arena. For those 70% of businesses; the reality of selecting VoIP for their business is due to saving money, instant edits and saving changes, growing the business and staff levels, getting regular update features, hassle-free transferring of the system to a new office, and running a future-proof setup over a business grade fibre connection.

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