VoIP Phone System Buyer's Guide

Features and Benefits of a IP PBX

The single biggest advantage of an IP PBX is for businesses with multiple locations. With VoIP, any and all offices on a LAN or WAN can get the benefits of having a common office phone system, including extension dialing, seamless call transfers, and other features. In addition to making it easier to communicate, this sharing of features can enhance collaboration as employees at different locations can truly feel like they are part of the same organization. Plus, if they are on the company network, the phone calls are free – even if your offices are located thousands of miles apart. Simply looking at your current phone bill for calls between far-flung offices can give you an idea of how much you can save.

There are other cost savings that stem from the streamlined network infrastructure and improved administration. For network administrators, VoIP means they only have one network to maintain instead of two. There is still separate phone system hardware to maintain – but only one network. The Move, Add, Change (MAC) process also is greatly simplified, because almost all VoIP systems are configurable through a web interface that can be managed by the administrator. This means lower ongoing costs -- you will not need to call your vendor for every MAC. And because multiple offices are seamlessly connected, they can share a single receptionist, auto-attendant, and voice mail system.

Another significant benefit is for employees on the go. If your remote users connect to the company network via a Virtual Private Network (VPN), VoIP allows them to make phone calls from the road at no extra charge. One salesperson on an extended trip can save hundreds of dollars in cell phone or hotel long-distance charges. All the user needs is a “soft phone,” (software that lets a laptop function as an IP phone), a PC microphone, and speakers.

Other familiar and essential phone system features like caller ID, call forwarding, simultaneous ringing across multiple phones, and other features you would find in PBX systems are available in most VoIP systems. VoIP also works with advanced Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) applications, such as call center management. These popular applications can prioritize incoming calls based on the caller’s identity and automatically bring up callers’ account information as the phone is answered. However there is little difference in this arena between VoIP and modern digital phones.