10 Questions to Ask Your Cloud PBX Provider

If you want to ensure that your company is the best in the game, technological advancement is something you need to embrace. Vetting the best Cloud PBX providers and choosing the most qualified vendor to supply your business is an excellent way of taking advantage of these advancements that directly affect any customer’s interaction with your business and brand.

The cloud has been met with reluctance and excitement like many disruptive technologies. However, some people still need to decide whether to use Cloud PBX or not. If you are one of them — this article is just for you.

Let’s take a closer look at the ten most frequently asked questions on Cloud PBX that will help you make a sound decision.

1. What is Cloud PBX?

If you have been running a successful business, there are good chances that you have already tried out Cloud PBX. If not, let’s dive deeper. To start, what is PBX? PBX, short for private exchange branch, is a telephone system within an enterprise that helps increase business productivity by switching calls between users and local lines.

Image Source: 10 Benefits of cloud-hosted PBX – Knowledge base center

The PBX system also allows users to share several external lines. Cloud PBX is a telephone system built in the cloud, providing server access over the internet. Cloud PBX, also known as a hosted PBX, is simply a vital telephone system managed by a third-party service provider.

2. Why Use a Cloud PBX System?

To fully grasp how a Cloud PBX system can be of use to your business model, in this abstract, we’ll shed some light on these two questions:

1. How will a Cloud PBX system elevate your business?
2. How will cloud PBX  help increase business productivity while providing an excellent business environment?

So, here are some excellent reasons why you should consider using a Cloud PBX provider:

• Save Up: If we are being honest, an opportunity that involves saving up more coins is an opportunity worth risking. One great advantage of PBX as a service is that it lowers the cost of ownership for your business telephone solutions and ensures better connectivity across the board.
• Scale Quickly and Easily: The cloud-based solution makes it easier to scale your communications according to the needs of your business as it grows. If you introduce the PBX to your business today, you can add new users to the system in minutes. This is something that would otherwise take days.
• Experience Great Features: Call recording, call whisper, call groups, and many other features are why you should choose this system. These tools are specifically designed to help increase the efficiency and productivity of your business.
• Get Easier Access to Data: With a Cloud PBX system, you can easily access all data and information anytime you may feel the need to. Here, all you need is a strong internet connection, a valid username, and a password to let you login into the system.
• Phone Coverage From Anywhere at Any Time: The concept of work has become more of an environment and less of a place. Most business organizations are always looking to power up their teams for success regardless of their physical locations. Adapting a cloud-based system is the best solution for global connectivity and support.

3. What Are the Benefits of Cloud-Based PBX?

Whether you operate an insurance business, a financial service firm, or an HVAC team, you’re likely always on the lookout to cope with the cut-throat competition on the market by being approachable to your customers. For that, you must have skills that make you stand out. What makes your business different? Why do you think potential customers should choose your business over every other?

The vast benefits of Cloud-based PBX have made it easy to make more informed choices.

Here are the top two advantages of Cloud-based PBX:

• Low Maintenance Required: The hosted provider manages all system updates and network routing, so you don’t need to worry about maintenance costs for a cloud-based PBX system.
• Solid Security: The good thing about a PBX system is that it’s secure, which means you should not worry too much about anyone else having access to consumer data or other internal data you may have stored on your Cloud PBX.

4. What Are Some of the Disadvantages of Cloud-Based PBX?

Besides the fantastic benefits of Cloud-based PBX, there are a few downsides that you should know about. This list of disadvantages will help you whenever you are making business decisions:

• Internet Connection: One drawback of the cloud-based system is that it requires an internet connection for it to function and a strong one.
• Adjusting the Network Settings: With Cloud-based PBX, you will have to adjust your network settings since IT staff may need to optimize network routers.
• More Guidance: Here, users may need more guidance in deploying new phone systems.

5. What are the PBX System Functions?

Now that we’ve discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Cloud PBX, we must also learn more about the PBX system functions. Here, you get to discover the features of the system and why it works the way it does. One primary argument for using Cloud PBX is its numerous built-in tools.

Here’s the list of the main PBX system functions:

• Call Recording: Having records on calls, especially those that led to sales, is gold. The call recording feature of the Cloud PBX system allows businesses to keep records of calls made. This is great news for organizations wishing to review their personal development calls.
• Virtual Attendant: Most cloud providers will offer an IVR function. This technology supports businesses that receive a lot of calls. Here, customers guide themselves through the caller’s journey, especially if the customer has a frequently asked question.
• Call Groups: With call groups, you can direct inbound calls to a set selection of phone numbers. This means that you can deliver a message to more people using one call helping you save on time and costs.
• Call Whisper: This tool gives agents context before answering an inbound call. This information is usually in the form of a voice recording or a display message.

6. What is IP-PBX?

IP-PBX is a digital telecommunication technology that provides voice connectivity to desk phones in a building with high-speed internet service.

How does IP PBX work? IP PBX works by converting analog call signals to digital ones. From here, it directs calls to a VoIP service provider, which manages the start and termination of every call.

Here’s a list of some benefits of IP PBX you should consider looking at:

• Low Communication Cost: Internet-connected IP PBXs offer you an affordable system with lower communication costs.
• Highly Reliable: IP PBX is a robust technology. If one server is done, another is used to ensure your connection is not disrupted.
• Minimal Change: Even a slight change can be a little bit intimidating. IP PBX is a good solution if you find such changes unsettling.

7. What is Hosted PBX?

A hosted PBX is a private branch exchange delivered as a hosted service. The PBX is also known as Virtual PBX. Some fantastic advantages of the hosted PBX are VoIP PBX and eliminating installation, maintenance, and operation costs.

Strengths of hosted PBX:

• Eliminated Office Boundaries: One can work from anywhere with a virtual phone office system. You will need a solid internet connection, and you are good to go.
• Boost Corporate Image: This phone system allows small businesses to create the impression of being a large organization.
• Scalability: Your business is offered a chance to add and remove line extensions as they grow. This will require you little to no minimal work and additional cost.
• Easy to Manage: That’s mainly possible due to the no end-user management involved.

8. What Happens When You Have Poor Internet Connection?

You already know that a reliable internet connection is a must for your PBX system to work as supposed. However, it’s a usual thing for an internet connection to buffer. When such a time comes, the Cloud PBX system will still serve you. Here, the PBX uses servers that are outside your office and work to provide you with high-quality services. Other systems also have power backups to avoid blackouts during power failure.

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9. Can I Use My Current Phone Number?

Yes. Cloud PBX systems use VoIP technology, which means that you will have to use an adaptor or switch to Session Initiation Protocol or SIP-enabled phones. This is the only way to take advantage of all the SIP technology offers.

10 How Do I Get New Numbers Set Up?

Here is how you can set up new phone numbers for additional call operators: 

• Ensure enough space on your switch for the IP phones
• If there is no space, create it
• You must confirm if you have enough bandwidth. The significant part is that the system allows you to choose whether you want to use new numbers or stick to old ones.
• Next, plug yourself in with the best! Provision your phone with Phonexa, set up your call flow, and you are good to go.

Final Takeaways

One of the best decisions you can ever make for your customer-facing business is upgrading your business’s phone system to one hosted in the cloud. This isn’t only the future-facing solution for all call centers but also the solution that will ensure global connectivity and scalability.

Read this article to learn more about Phonexa’s Cloud PBX software and how it powers call centers across all verticals. Schedule a demo for a custom demo of Phonexa’s all-in-one solution for marketing automation.