Every office needs a PBX, or Private Branch Exchange, system to operate properly. A PBX system is what drives the interconnectivity of an office's phone line network. This controls call forwarding, call transferring, phone line extensions, voicemail services, automated assistants, and all the other things that keep the office connected to itself and the outside world. A VoIP PBX system uses this same idea but instead of physically routing the calls through the phone company, it uses VoIP technology to connect callers over the Internet. This saves money, provides numerous extra features, and allows for the system to be relocated to anywhere else without having to make arrangements with the phone company. In this article, we will discuss VoIP PBX, how it works, and several popular models of VoIP PBX systems on the market.
What is VoIP PBX
A Voice over Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange, or VoIP PBX, is a system of hardware and software that allows users to setup a complete office telephone network through a broadband Internet connection. A VoIP PBX kit can involve many extra features, usually offered as software, that replicate normal office telephone uses such as call transfers, phone number extensions, private voicemail, conference calls, fax support, and live monitoring, just to name a few. By using VoIP rather a standard telephone connection, an office building can save money on their PBX system that would have otherwise gone towards long distance calling and other common fees from the phone company.
How Does It Work
VoIP PBX works by combining the use of both hardware and software to create a network of telephone lines and functions through a single connection to a high speed Internet modem. The hardware allows for each individual to have his or her own private line and the software allows for the user to take advantage of a number of features that an active PBX system needs to thrive. Both the hardware and the software allow for the VoIP interface to intercept all incoming and outgoing telephone calls and convert those signals into digital packets of information. That information is then sent over the Internet and reconverted into an audio output when it reaches the other person. VoIP works with both landlines and mobile phones.
Popular VoIP PBX Systems
While many VoIP PBX systems are similar, there are plenty of devices and kits that have extra features that other VoIP PBX systems don't have. Before purchasing a VoIP PBX system for your office, you should compare different models and choose one that fits you and your company's needs. The following are several popular examples of VoIP PBX systems.
OneBox
OneBox is a VoIP PBX system that comes with several key features. OneBox has an auto-attendant that can greet your callers with several layers of customized responses, an advanced call-forwarding program that can reach extensions from within the system as well as cell phones or landlines phones that are not physically connected to the building, a system that forwards voicemails to a preset email address, music for customers and callers who are patientially waiting on hold, and a toll-free number that your customers can reach your office at. OneBox is made with small businesses and mind and is perfect for anyone starting up a home business or small office building and cannot afford a large staff of receptionists or expensive equipment.
Asterisk – The Open Source Telephony Project
Asterisk is an open source telephony project that is governed by dozens of agencies, organizations, and freelance application developers worldwide. Asterisk allows for you to transform a single computer into a VoIP telephone communication center. Asterisk allows the user to choose their own features from a list of downloadable software and easily integrate it into their own telephone network. Asterisk can be used by anyone and is completely free which is why both small businesses and large companies take advantage of the savings and flexibility that Asterisk provides. Universities, churches, nonprofit organizations, telephone companies, and even government agencies use Asterisk as their preferred VoIP PBX office telephone communication system.
TalkSwitch
TalkSwitch is a professional-grade VoIP-ready PBX system that integrates immediately into your office setting and connects an unlimited number of phones to one line via extensions. TalkSwitch allows a small company or amateur entrepeneur convert their office building into a corporate monument by keeping it connected through VoIP PBX. TalkSwitch is user-friendly and comes with free technical support. TalkSwitch is slightly more expensive than some of the other VoIP PBX systems but it has received multiple awards, hosts tens of thousands of customers, and provides customers with something that they desperately need: A reliable, user-friendly VoIP PBX system.
