Looking For a Hosted PBX Service? Make Sure You Know What You Are Shopping For!

These days, many businesses with 2-100 employees in need of a voice or phone service are being bombarded with new options, which claim to replace the old phone system and phone company model. Many service providers are marketing “hosted PBX” service but a careful look will uncover two very different services.

It is important to understand the difference between a true VoIP based Hosted PBX service and a Virtual Ringdown Hosted PBX service.

VoIP Hosted PBX Service is a complete replacement service for a business phone system or PBX

Users connect corporate desk phones (IP based) to a LAN or router and leverage a total solution with inbound and outbound calling from a single service. This type of service is geared towards a business with 5 to hundreds of users. Inbound, outbound, extension and conference calling are all standard capabilities.

Key attributes

• Complete phone system replacement
• Requires IP phone hardware or software phones
• Free on-network extension dialing
• Outbound, inbound and conference calling are typically standard
• Works with your existing high speed Internet connection

Virtual Ringdown Service is an inbound service only

The system answers calls and serves as a proxy or “front door” for a disparate set of EXISTING phone lines such as home phones or mobile phones. The user interface is an existing home phone or mobile phone and the service is typically not for use beyond the one or two person company. Only inbound calling is a standard capability.

Key attributes

• Works with existing land lines or mobile phones
• No direct extension dialing
• No hardware to purchase
• No outbound calling
• Double billing on inbound calls

Both are great options for small businesses but work very differently and make sense only based on your need and typically, your size of business. Businesses over 5 employees with a need to interact directly with colleagues will likely want to check out a true VoIP Hosted PBX Service.

For companies under 5 employees, with limited need to make outbound calls and don’t need to communicate directly with colleagues via extension dialing; a Virtual Ringdown Service may make more sense.

Author: Joe DeBari
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

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