subject: Hosted Pbx Reducing Overhead For Businesses Of All Sizes [print this page] The rise of hosted PBX systems has led businesses worldwide to consider alternatives to traditional phone systems as a way to reduce overhead and improve profits. Phone systems are a logical factor to consider when a business needs to make cuts; phone systems tend to be big and expensive, and efficiency is absolutely essential. Phone lines serve as a connection between a business and its customers, but also between different sections of a company--a bad, inefficient phone system leads to lost time and money. Businesses that understand this look for ways to limit their costs, and hosted systems have become the go-to choice for companies of all sizes.
This has become especially true as the cost of hosted PBX has dropped; what was once a fairly exclusive service has become an affordable and advantageous choice.
A hosted PBX system works similarly to a standard PBX system, but all hardware is hosted by a company with a number of dedicated servers and specialized equipment. Hosted PBX uses a business's existing Internet architecture to deliver an incredibly flexible phone system.
There are a number of ways in which a hosted PBX system can work to reduce a company's overhead while improving profits. Most notably, the company doesn't need to buy essential hardware for a standalone phone system. This hardware can potentially cost tens of thousands of dollars (even more for complex, large-business systems) and require regular maintenance.
These costs are eliminated when a company employs a hosted PBX system. It doesn't require any maintenance, and downtime is usually extremely low. Some hosting companies are even able to offer 99.9% up time, which would be nearly impossible with a traditional phone system. Businesses lose money when employees are unable to communicate, and the bigger the business, the bigger the losses. Limiting downtime can help keep business moving, and can make a good impression on a company's clients, partners, and even competitors.
The flexibility of a hosted PBX system also leads to drastically lower overhead. In order to add a line or special options to a phone system, some investment of time and technology is necessary. Hosted PBX services can handle this remotely at a fraction of what a business would pay. They can also add extra lines more quickly, and in many cases, they're able to allow phone users to make changes to their own lines via simple online control panels. This can be enormously advantageous for growing companies and businesses that are interested in offering their workers the ability to work from home. New employees can be hired easily, and employees can work from different branches or locations without losing the functionality of the phone systems at their private offices, since re-routing is a simple matter with hosted systems. Mobile workforces can be easily built and employed.
Because the companies that offer hosted PBX services tend to be phone experts, the range of powerful features and special options is greatly expanded when using one of these systems. Voice mail, fax, automated attendants and other systems can be easily set up and can make a business seem much more professional. This results in less lost business, faster client follow up, and less money wasted on high-cost systems that handle the same essential services for more money (and with the aforementioned higher down time).
Companies who take orders or deal with customers primarily through phone lines will notice these changes quickly, and better efficiency from customer service teams will become apparent almost immediately. Even companies with minimal phone needs will usually show improved efficiency, and can invest in other areas of business as a result of the savings provided by hosted PBX systems. Since company expansion is easier with hosted systems, company growth can be exponential with the right business plan, and expansion doesn't need to be limited by costly, expensive and archaic phone systems.
Any company looking for ways to reduce overhead should consider the advantages of a hosted PBX system. Any improvements to a phone architecture can help a business succeed, since communication is key in any industry. With hosted PBX, a company pays far less to set up a phone system and less to set up new lines and features. Maintenance is eliminated, and the incredible flexibility of these systems makes the services an essential buy for both small and large businesses, regardless of industry.
by: Brandi Armstrong
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