The IP-PBX telephony market is taking the business world by storm as companies of all types and sizes are taking advantage of the myriad benefits to be reaped.
According to the Dell’Oro group, the IP telephony market is predicted to be worth more than $17-billion by 2019, an indication of its popularity. Moreover, most IT directors and managers are well aware of the shortcomings of technology infrastructure, including issues with legacy PBX systems.
Mitchell Barker, founder of www.WhichVoip.co.za, says upgrading to IP-PBX systems will result in time and cost savings. “Firstly, with legacy PBXs, company growth becomes enormously expensive make company growth cost-prohibitive, as the addition of phone lines involving lengths of copper costs money. On the other hand, adding lines to an IP-PBX system happens over the Internet, at no cost.”
He says legacy phone systems are complex and difficult to scale. “A plethora of hardware and connections are needed, and these cost money, as does the time for someone to come and set up and install it all. With an IP system, companies can grow as and when they need to, for a minimal cost, if not for free.”
Another benefit, he says, is that IP phone lines save money when it comes to remote and international offices, because IP-based phone systems do not need a telecoms carrier at all. “An IP-based phone system enables the creation of bridges among office locations over IP phone lines. It’s very easy to configure and set up too. Long distance call charges can be a major expense for any business. IP telephony removes this cost altogether, connecting each office or division regardless of distance.”
Similarly, he says with an IP-PBX, businesses can use softphone technology, or desktop phones that staff can also access on their tablets, smartphones or laptops. “This allows employees to work remotely, and remain connected while out of the office or traveling. This boosts productivity, and therefore the company’s bottom line.”
Another benefit, he adds, is that IP-PBX can be managed in-house, avoiding time delays and callout fees when maintenance or repairs need to happen. “IP-PBX can be managed by your IT department, from a single, central hub on the desktop that features all controls and management necessities. In this way, organisations can manage their systems autonomously, without having to rely on outside providers.”
Any business that is questioning whether or not their phone systems are able to keep up with their growth should seriously consider switching to IP-PBX. “Think long term. Chances are legacy phone systems are not built to deal with the changes that are happening in technology as we speak. Hosted and unified communications for example. If your future plans include major growth and a growing need for collaboration, now is the time to change,” Barker concludes.