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Connectivity, the PBX and the call centre

We’re living in an era of virtualised everything; why would telephone systems be any different?

Johannesburg, 28 Oct 2019
Mark Taylor, CEO, Nashua
Mark Taylor, CEO, Nashua

Connectivity is king in call centre land. No connectivity means no income if you’re running a call centre. The ability to make and receive calls is everything.

A virtual PBX, or VBX, is an IP-based voice telephone switchboard system that operates using cloud technology. The biggest benefit of having a VBX (as opposed to a PBX) is that it eliminates the need for expensive and complicated equipment on-site because everything is hosted in the cloud. It also provides a more scalable solution, says Mark Taylor, CEO at Nashua.

The benefits of a VBX are many, including:

  • Cost savings – a virtual PBX requires little or no infrastructure as it uses the Internet to deliver connectivity. Virtual systems are more cost-effective and easier to maintain compared to maintaining in-house legacy technology.
  • Scalability – a virtual solution means your telecommunications requirements can grow with your business.
  • Traceability – a VBX allows you to track call data, which can help with billing and budget allocation.

Other benefits include reliability and redundancy, automatic upgrades and superior voice quality.

Taylor says: “While the majority of call centres still operate off a PBX system that’s reliant on a more traditional telephone system, as time progresses, we’re seeing more customers move towards VBX. This is mainly from a cost perspective; VBX is more cost-effective simply because the business doesn’t have all of the required hardware on-site.”

Over the past couple of years, it has been very much a trend for solutions such as software and storage to move to the cloud. The next logical step for any telephony system is moving into a virtual PBX solution. The crucial thing is connectivity, says Taylor. “The key challenge we face in South Africa is cable theft, which has a massive impact on connectivity. Stolen ADSL cable is gradually being replaced by fibre, but regardless of whether the SME or even large business is using ADSL or fibre, the main priority is proper connectivity. The scale of their PBX or VBX solution ultimately relies on the type of connectivity they have. For instance, a 4Mbps ADSL line won’t allow a business to successfully operate a multi-branch call centre because the call quality will be very poor.”

A priority for call centres, regardless of their size, is to have guaranteed call quality and limited downtime. Some degree of downtime is inevitable, but it’s vital that the service provider respond rapidly when it does happen. “You need a proper procedure around how to handle downtime and get the customer back up as quickly as possible. Uptime means more revenue for the customer. If their call centre is down, they aren’t making money, it’s that clear cut.”

VBX is a very reliable technology as well as being more cost-effective for the customer. “While more traditional customers might like to see the physical equipment on-site and might be sceptical about virtual technology, eventually we’ll see a bigger migration from a PBX to a VBX environment as people grow accustomed to virtual technology,” predicts Taylor.

But how do clients know whether their requirements are best suited to VBX or PBX? “It all boils down to the customer’s preference. Some prefer a more traditional solution, while others are fully invested in virtual solutions. The decision is made easier when considering the type of connectivity the customers have. Good connectivity makes it easier for them to migrate to a virtual solution.

“A key factor is your relationship with the customer,” says Taylor, “as, if they trust your advice, they know that you’ll advise them on the right solution for their requirements. VBX is easier to scale and can be managed more effectively as it is online. However, if the business doesn’t have access to decent quality connectivity, it will limit VBX’s capabilities and the customer will be better served to adopt a PBX solution. The biggest downfall of PBX is that it often relies on an ageing network and, while fibre is being rolled out in most areas, it’s not yet ubiquitous.”

Benefits of PBX vs VBX

VBX (Virtual)PBX (Premise-based)
Growth flexibilityLimited flexibility hardware based
Low up-front capital requirementsHigher up-front capital requirements
Lower maintenance costHigher maintenance cost
Seamless multiple location platformsExpensive multiple location platforms
Advanced PBX featuresAdvanced PBX features based on model
Automatic upgradesNone automated upgrades
Minimum additional feature costAdditional feature cost
None proprietaryProprietary
Less physical premise requirementsPhysical premise requirements
Disaster recoveryNo disaster recovery
Seamless migrationExpensive or possibly no migration path
Non obsoletePremise-based technology becomes obsolete

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