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Hosted PBX boosts operations

Admire Moyo
By Admire Moyo, ITWeb's news editor.
Johannesburg, 30 Oct 2014
A hosted PBX solution allows users the freedom to work from anywhere, says founder and CEO of WhichVoIP.co.za.
A hosted PBX solution allows users the freedom to work from anywhere, says founder and CEO of WhichVoIP.co.za.

Hosted private branch exchange (PBX) holds a myriad benefits for companies; not just financially, but operationally as well.

So says Mitchell Barker, founder and CEO of WhichVoIP.co.za, a directory Web site containing a list of SA's top voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) and hosted PBX providers.

Companies are increasingly turning towards the cloud - the umbrella term used to describe Internet-based computing where data, software or applications are run and stored online instead of on the user's machine or housed elsewhere on site. It is therefore small wonder an enterprise-grade phone system that also utilises cloud-based technology is being enthusiastically embraced as well, Barker says.

A recent study by Infonetics Research found hosted PBX and unified communications services are a growth market which has moved well beyond early stages, with revenue on track to grow 13% this year, and positive activity in every major geographic region.

"While sales of premises-based PBX systems have been stagnant to declining over the past few years, the market for cloud services continues to expand, with businesses worldwide seeking out hosted alternatives," says Diane Myers, principal analyst for VOIP, UC and IMS at Infonetics Research. "Hosted services seats grew more than 20% worldwide in 2013," she adds.

A PBX is a telephone system within a company. It switches calls between internal users on local lines while allowing all users to share a certain number of external lines in order to minimise cost, Barker explains.

Although many PBX systems were set up before the advent of VOIP, many are now implementing VOIP services to provide the same cost-saving benefits and slash major amounts from users' phone bills, he points out.

DuPont Telecom CEO, Graeme Victor, says South African businesses are rapidly switching on to the benefits of a hosted PBX environment, with several organisations having already adopted the new technology that takes VOIP to the next level.

From an operational standpoint, having hosted PBX could not be simpler, Barker says. "Since it is hosted off-site, you don't have to worry about having space for it or caring for and maintaining the expensive and bulky equipment - which is so large and sensitive, it often requires a dedicated, temperature-controlled server room to house it - or fixing it when it breaks," he adds.

"Also, since it is virtually hosted, and can be accessed from anywhere, it allows users the freedom to work from anywhere and port their numbers with them - it is as simple as unplugging the laptop or desktop and moving it to the new office. Another major benefit is it can be easily managed from a desktop portal, with a user-friendly interface all staff can easily be taught to use."

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