Communications are key for small businesses, but establishing a proper system to make communicating with employees hassle-free can be one of the largest expenditures new businesses have to face. With so many options available, why choose a virtual small business phone service over its traditional counterpart?
Traditional PBX
The letters PBX are an abbreviation of the phrase "Private Branch Exchange". A Private branch exchange is a kind of phone service that allows businesses to communicate more easily within their offices. When a company has many employees and different departments that need to be easily reached, a PBX system allows them to assign shorter numbers to certain phones, allowing for easier communication. A PBX acts as a smaller phone system that serves one building, so to reach a certain phone, you need only remember its extension, rather than an entire new number.
The Advantages of a Virtual System
Times have changed since the arrival of traditional PBX systems. For a small business phone service, the costs and responsibilities of a regular PBX can be prohibitive. They require special phones with different keys to perform all of the necessary functions of a PBX, whereas a virtual system is compatible with any phone. Sometimes, when changes to a traditional PBX system need to be made, it is necessary to call a technician to physically alter the phones or connections in a traditional system. This can result in a lot of cost and down time that a small business simply cannot afford.
Extra Features
While many PBX systems have plenty of nice features such as call waiting, call forwarding and hold music, virtual systems are capable of much more. Without the restraints of hardware to hold them back, virtual PBX systems are able to make more changes and keep up with a growing market simply by altering their software. Follow me features, inter-office faxes and user-friendly interfaces make virtual services superior in most respects to old fashioned phone systems. Virtual phone companies are faster to change, and are developing new features all the time.
Lower Cost
Traditional systems can cost as much as $100 a month, plus all the fees for new equipment and setup, which can run up to an astounding $5,000. With small business phone service through a virtual phone company, the upfront cost is very much reduced- usually in the area of $10 to $20 for set up fees- since any phone works with the system. Monthly fees can be much cheaper as well. With a virtual system, there are typically more options and various packages available. Many virtual providers allow a pick and choose approach to allow businesses to tailor the service to fit their needs.
For any business that simply cannot afford the cost associated with a large scale implementation of a PBX system but needs to be communicating more effectively right now, virtual phone systems can solve all of those problems. Virtual small business phone service is a growing market with more and more providers willing to cater to small business needs. A virtual PBX system may be a good solution to small business communication hurdles.
Traditional PBX
The letters PBX are an abbreviation of the phrase "Private Branch Exchange". A Private branch exchange is a kind of phone service that allows businesses to communicate more easily within their offices. When a company has many employees and different departments that need to be easily reached, a PBX system allows them to assign shorter numbers to certain phones, allowing for easier communication. A PBX acts as a smaller phone system that serves one building, so to reach a certain phone, you need only remember its extension, rather than an entire new number.
The Advantages of a Virtual System
Times have changed since the arrival of traditional PBX systems. For a small business phone service, the costs and responsibilities of a regular PBX can be prohibitive. They require special phones with different keys to perform all of the necessary functions of a PBX, whereas a virtual system is compatible with any phone. Sometimes, when changes to a traditional PBX system need to be made, it is necessary to call a technician to physically alter the phones or connections in a traditional system. This can result in a lot of cost and down time that a small business simply cannot afford.
Extra Features
While many PBX systems have plenty of nice features such as call waiting, call forwarding and hold music, virtual systems are capable of much more. Without the restraints of hardware to hold them back, virtual PBX systems are able to make more changes and keep up with a growing market simply by altering their software. Follow me features, inter-office faxes and user-friendly interfaces make virtual services superior in most respects to old fashioned phone systems. Virtual phone companies are faster to change, and are developing new features all the time.
Lower Cost
Traditional systems can cost as much as $100 a month, plus all the fees for new equipment and setup, which can run up to an astounding $5,000. With small business phone service through a virtual phone company, the upfront cost is very much reduced- usually in the area of $10 to $20 for set up fees- since any phone works with the system. Monthly fees can be much cheaper as well. With a virtual system, there are typically more options and various packages available. Many virtual providers allow a pick and choose approach to allow businesses to tailor the service to fit their needs.
For any business that simply cannot afford the cost associated with a large scale implementation of a PBX system but needs to be communicating more effectively right now, virtual phone systems can solve all of those problems. Virtual small business phone service is a growing market with more and more providers willing to cater to small business needs. A virtual PBX system may be a good solution to small business communication hurdles.
