PBX Systems allow you to set up extensions, customer management systems, auto-attendants, call redirects and more to route calls within your organization. These operations are handled through a private branch exchange server (PBX). Virtual PBX services will setup, maintain, and host your exchange server off-site and you simply buy IP phones and an internet connection to interact with a web-based administration panel. Self-Hosted PBX brings the exchange server in-house (on premise). The benefits and trade-offs vary, but generally, virtual PBX services are for small businesses, and Self-Hosted PBX Systems are for medium and large businesses with heavy phone volume. You can use either analog phone lines or digital VoIP with Self-Host PBX. Virtual PBX services are limited to VoIP. PBXSystems.org focuses solely on the cost savings (typically 50%) associated with business-grade VoIP communications.

Pricing

The general consensus is that Virtual PBX services are ideal for small businesses with only 1-10 employees. With virtual PBX, you are sharing the 3rd party exchange server with other people, thereby, sharing hardware & maintenance costs. You must pin point your needs and carefully research your preferred virtual PBX provider. Costs are generally between $30-120/month for complete packages (minutes included). Extensions, may or may not be free depending on the provider. Your marginal cost will increase compared to self-hosted PBX systems as you add more users.

Virtual PBX systems will also provide you with SIP trunks & DIDs as opposed to securing your own. However, they may limit the number or channels or simultaneous calls your phone number can achieve (services vary).

For Self-Hosted PBX systems, you will need a server (with a PCI data port), configuration software (open source available), broadband connection (t1 handles 30 simultaneous calls), and potentially a firewall or gateway. VoIP rate plans are provided through ITSPs (Internet Telephony Service Providers) and will charge at least $15/SIP Trunk per month and $1/DID per month (rate plans and bundles will vary by provider). As a general rule you should reserve channels (DIDs etc.) for 1/3 of your employees. If you have 300 employees, not all of them will be on the phone at all times. Figure out a safe medium of simultaneous calls needed. Each service provider will handle terminology (SIPs, DID, Channels etc.) differently. Contact their support department with specific requirements/questions such as:

“We need 20 simultaneous inbound calls to our toll free number and 2 simultaneous calls to our local number?” “We need roughly 5000 inbound minutes to our toll free number, 1000 outbound minutes to Australia, and 1200 outbound minutes our satellite office in Germany?” “If our phone systems go down, can we redirect incoming traffic to another phone?” “We have 4 different numbers, with ‘x’ number of staff handling ‘x’ simultaneous calls at each number?” “How do you handle, and what is charged to port numbers in and out of your system?” Bottomline: If you need over 25 simultaneous calls (over 75 employees), consider a self-hosted PBX system. If you are unfamiliar with PBX systems, spend at least 1 month researching your options before purchasing equipment and services (ensure compatibility and features). You will need compatible phones, server/software, firewall, data/voice internet service, and SIP/DID providers.

Hardware

Many tout that self-hosted PBX hardware can cost as much as $60,000. However, research what your company needs, as many hardware providers can sell a complete PBX setup (compatible phones & server/software installed) for smaller businesses in the area of $2500.

Depending on your needs and volume, a business-grade pipeline may be as high as $600/month. For the most part, simultaneous calls are limited to your bandwidth (say 23 simultaneous channels/T1). Additionally, some SIP providers will require a static IP. With virtual PBX, companies may use a standard data internet connection which may not be practical for large support/sales centers. However, both IP-PBX systems allow you to share the same bandwidth for both data and voice. Be sure to adjust your QoS (Quality of Service) settings to prioritize voice to avoid dropped calls and poor sound quality.

For both systems you may use SIP enabled IP phones or softphones. You may also use a traditional phone, but you will need an ATA adapter or a gateway for VoIP service (check interoperability closely). Self-hosted systems may require an SIP firewall.

Other

With virtual PBX, you are using a server and service that is outside your control and you are committing yourself to security and reliability risk.

With self-hosted PBX, you select your ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider) for SIP trunks. You are not limited to one provider. You can setup up rules within Asterisk for example, to send certain calls to one ITSP, and other calls to another (maximize benefits of individual providers). Additionally, you can have back-up ITSPs in case one SIP provider goes down (you can set automatic error handling rules for this as well). Virtual PBX providers do not allow such configurability, although one would assume their internal backend processes have such backup mechanisms in place.

Many, not all, virtual PBX systems will limit the simultaneous calls per number. What is your technical ability? Do you have the time and ability to maintain a self-hosted PBX system? If you do, even with fewer users, a self-hosted PBX system could have cost savings. However, if you do not have time, use virtual PBX in the meantime according to a strict profit/savings analysis.
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Virtual PBX VOIP typically refers to a hosted PBX software solution that uses the Internet as the means to deliver voice communications. VOIP in fact stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. Of course, this is just a fancy way of saying that you can make a phone call using the Internet connection that is already coming into your home or your office.

Today, Internet connections are as stable, reliable and cheap as the plain old telephone systems that we grew up with. In fact, in my home office, I don’t even have a traditional phone line that used to run over copper wiring. You all remember those days? My “landline” phone is running over the same cable line as my Internet connection.

That said, then, I am using VOIP. A virtual PBX VOIP solution gives you all of the benefits of the old hardware based systems at a fraction of the cost of installation, maintenance and support. In fact, the beauty of these types of solutions is that the maintenance and support becomes someone else’s problem, not yours. This frees you up to be in the business of running your business, not putting in the hardware.

One of the biggest benefits of a virtual PBX VOIP is that it can make a small company look really BIG. How does it do that? Let’s take an example. You are generally assigned either an 800 or local number, sometimes both. This is the number that you give out to your clients, instead of the multitude of office #, cell phone #, voice mail boxes, etc. Depending on the number of employees you have all of the calls into your company then get centralized so that the client only needs to remember one number.

In this example, the phone can be answered by a dedicated “live attendant” or an automated greeting. The client then has the option to be forwarded to the right party’s extension. In this way, customers get the sense that they are calling a “real” office, even though the operator may be in New York, one employee in Tampa and another in the Philippines. All the calls are routed appropriately.

How much does a virtual PBX VOIP costs? A fraction of the cost of a dedicated hardware solution. In fact, the solution that I use costs only $49.99 per month for 10 extensions. My team is literally spread out all over the world, from Northern to Southern CA to the Philippines, Malaysia and beyond.

What is an extension? An extension is any number that can be dialed. The number can be a cell phone, a landline or even just a voice mail box. The number can also be local or international. Think about the possibilities. You can have one extension that goes to “tech support”, one that goes to “sales” and another that goes to “administration.” Now, each one of these can be a real department or… not.

The possibilities of a virtual PBX VOIP are endless, including things such as music on hold, customized greetings, hunting and call forwarding. A customer literally doesn’t have to know that they’re not calling a physical location.
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Virtual PBX software is really simple to use, install and maintain. But, first let’s define what the term means. It really refers to software that is hosted “off premise.” In other words, the software resides at someone else’ data center and you pay for a monthly subscription to use it. The “software”, then, is often referred to as a “service.” The reason people / companies go this route is to save themselves money and the hassles of maintaining their own dedicated software.

So, how does one use virtual PBX software? First off, is selecting the right software. There are quite a few of them out there, so make sure to choose carefully. There are some that have limited functionality, such as extensions or minutes. And, there are those that have clunky user interfaces making them difficult to navigate and use. And, of course, the pricing for these types of services are all over the map.

Once you’ve selected your software, you simply register and login. For the majority of the services, there is nothing to download to your desktop. Everything is done online at the service provider. Things such as adding extensions, customizing greetings and voice mails are simply a tab, click or menu item away.

The first think you’ll likely want to set up in your virtual PBX software is your phone number. Most of the services offer you a choice of an 800 or local number. You’ll also have the option to port your current number to the service. At the same time, you’ll want to decide on how many minutes you’ll likely being using. This is an important thing to consider. Here’s why.

Each time a customer calls your number; your service minutes are being timed. As long as the customer is talking to you, on hold, or say connected through a transfer you are using minutes. Let’s take an example. Customer Jane calls in for Jerry. The call is transferred to Jerry’s cell phone number. The duration of that call from the time Jane called in to the time Jerry hangs up with Jane is using the virtual PBX software minutes.

What is happening here is that the virtual PBX software companies have pre-bought millions of minutes at a certain price. They built the software that gives you the capability to run your own PBX. But, where they make their money is, of course, the number of minutes you use and the monthly subscription fee. Now, mind you, there are also unlimited minute service subscriptions, as well. In fact, I am on an unlimited plan with my service provider and it’s only $49.99 / month.

The next thing you’ll want to set up is where you route your calls. Now, if your service provider gives you a “soft phone”, you can just answer the call using your computer, directly from the number provided. But, let’s say you want your calls routed to your cell phone. You can do that, too. This option gives you the convenience of being on the move.

Next, you’ll want to set up your greetings. There are all kinds of greetings, such as company greeting, on hold greeting, transfer greeting, voice mail greeting, etc. These virtual PBX software solutions are quite comprehensive. You can use the standard “out of the box” greetings, which I find quite boring or you can create your own. In addition, of course, you can pay someone to record a custom greeting and upload those into your system.

Those are the basic first steps for using your Virtual PBX software. I have plenty more tips and detailed solutions for not just my favorite service, but also other virtual office solutions, which I’ve implemented and will plan to share soon.
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An office phone system equipped with virtual local phone numbers is ideal for turning your callers into customers. These are secondary numbers connected to a primary number offered through the hosted PBX system. Virtual numbers are programmed in such a way that the calls are forwarded to an extension line, cell number or to a VoIP service.

Virtual Phone Numbers – An Affordable Means of Communication

Usually people hesitate to make calls because they are worried about incurring huge bills. Callers making calls to virtual local phone numbers are not charged extra money, even if the calls are from a distant location. Compared to conventional PBX, the hosted PBX is quite scalable. A number of hosted PBX service providers offer phone numbers of numerous local destinations for the convenience of their customers.

Benefits of Virtual Local Phone Numbers

Virtual phone numbers are mostly used by business establishments planning to acquire virtual presence in different locations. Opening new offices in different geographical locations will be expensive. And to be present in the concerned location for dealing with business matters will be rather time consuming too. Through virtual local phone number service you can establish your business presence anywhere in the world though you are not actually present in that location. These numbers are generally provided along with a local area code. All the extension lines will be integrated in a single telephone number.

A Service to Compliment Your Office Communication System

Along with giving an impression of your local presence, through this service, you can attract more customers to your business. This service, which functions via the internet, is capable of transferring multiple calls to various extension lines of the user, simultaneously. The calls made are either connected to the auto attendant or the voicemail system. Virtual local phone numbers help callers to access your office or workers any time, thus ensuring the smooth functioning of your business.
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A virtual PBX system is a software solution that allows you to manage your phone number(s) and / or extensions. In reality a virtual PBX system does not even need to manage more than one number. It can provide you with a local or 800# number that customers call and then forward those calls to your cell phone, home office number or even directly to a voice mail box.

The reason companies and individuals are investigating these types of solutions are manifold. Just a few short years ago, PBX systems used to be expensive hardware solutions that you implement “on premise.” What this means is that an IT staff would have to take the hardware and put it into a telecom “center” in your office, load up software, code the system to physical phones in your office, and maintain and troubleshoot any problems that come up.

Virtual PBX systems essentially rid you of the worry of cost, installation, maintenance and support. There are a number of companies out there offering these types of solutions. Not all of them, though, deliver on the promise of installation ease, set up and use… let alone the cost of ownership.

One product in particular, a virtual PBX system, is extremely easy to set up and costs a fraction of an “on premise” solution. In fact, there’s no comparison.

Let me explain what this virtual PBX system does and I think you’ll get the point. My small business uses the $49.99 version for unlimited minutes. What I get is a dedicated 800 number, a dedicated fax number, and 10 extensions.

First off, the 800 number is the only number now that I give out to clients. Why? Because if they call during “business hours” they are either greeted by a live receptionist (in our case) or the client can also be answered with an automated greeting directing them to one of our extensions. For example, “Thank you for calling XYZ Company. For a company directory, please press 109.”

Once an extension is entered, the call is then routed to any one of my phone numbers. In my example, I have two cell phone numbers and a home office number. All of the numbers can be programmed to ring simultaneously or in sequential order. This is a tremendous idea because then clients don’t need to know your personal phone numbers, nor even know that they are not calling you at a physical office.

Another really cool feature of a virtual PBX system is its outbound caller ID feature. You can essentially dial out to a client where the caller id shows your “office number”, not the actual number you are calling from. Why would you want to do this? Again, to give the illusion that you are calling from a physical office, not your home or cell phone number. The tip to doing this with the virtual PBX system is to call your assigned 800 number, press *, enter your code, press 3 to dial out, enter the person’s phone and press #. Looks complicated, but it’s very simple – 800#, *, code, 212-555-1212, #. That’s it!
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When setting up a home office with a new computer, fax machine or perhaps even a copier, be sure to pick the right telephone. Your phone will be an important link to the outside world and chances are you’ll be spending a lot of time on it.

If you’ve ever tried to work with a computer or other office equipment while talking on the phone, you know how frustrating it can be. A hands free telephone is one item that you cannot afford to be without. Fortunately, there are many hands free phones to choose from.

A good choice might be the Plantronics CT12 Cordless Headset Telephone. The CT12 2.4 GHz DSS model is about the size of a cell phone and comes equipped with a 2-way headset. This design allows you to make and receive calls hands free while working and moving around. The handset maintains a wireless connection to the base, which plugs into a land line jack.

The CT12’s hand set is well laid out and solid. Its’ small measurements (3 1/4” x 2” x 1”) make it perfectly pocket sized. The display is a three line, backlit LCD. The CT12’s keypad is easy to use but the tiny buttons seem a bit awkward at first. The only problem is the belt clip: it allows the phone to fall off. It’s best to carry it in a pocket.

The lightweight headset can be worn over the ear or over the head. Either position is comfortable but I prefer over the head. It just feels much more secure. The CT12 has a feature that the manufacturer calls “Firefly”. This is a small red light at the end of the headset that blinks to let others know when you’re talking on the phone.

The sound quality, both incoming and outgoing, is really quite good. The microphone’s noise canceling technology helps to suppress background noise, such as air conditioners. The CT12’s range is 100 FT. from the base. You can walk around your house, into another room or even outside with no loss of reception. The lithium ion battery provides 5 to 6 hours of talk time or 14 days on standby.

The CT12 comes with all of the standard features: speed dialing, a phone book that has enough room for 100 numbers, call waiting, caller ID and chain dialing. Chain dialing allows you to store numbers that are used once your call connects, such as extension or account numbers. There is no speaker phone however, as the CT12 was designed for hands free use.

The CT12’s only drawback is the occasional interference with wireless computer networks. This problem can be overcome by pressing the channel selector button. Alternatively, you can change the channel on your wireless router.

The overall quality of the CT12 is very good. This is a phone that can take a lot of abuse. All things considered, I’d say it’s a good buy.
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Making phone calls applying a broadband Internet connection,known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is becoming so popular with corporations of each size. The prospect of paying a flat fee for unlimited long-distance phone calls is attractive to each company that has struggled to balance the want to conduct business phone calls with the cost of those calls.

Many companies are finding that installation of VoIP phones is simpler than traditional Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems, since the desk sets can share the Ethernet cables already in place for the desktop computers. Now, I m going to review 3 most popular Voip Services providers who offer full service products primarily aimed at the small to medium sized business telephone market. Such companies typically support multi-line telephone systems, small PBX gateways and hosted VoIP.

Vonage will bring VoIP service without routing calls through your PC. When you sign higher for its DigitalVoice service, the company gives you a phone number in the area code of your option and sends you a free ashtray-size devices device known as an analog telephone adapter or even ATA. You easily plug the adapter into your network router and attach your phone to the adapter, and you’re ready to produce calls. If you like, you are able to plug the adapter to a wall jack, connecting each phone in the home.

For corporations that want extensions and services that are even more closely identified with PBXs uncovered in the corporate globe, Vonage isn’t a very good option. Its Microscopic Business Project is built on a lone line, similar to a residential line, and does not provide facilities for multiple extensions, call transfers, administrative functions, and the more tasks virtually all corporate users take for granted. 2 more vendors are better suited for the corporate environment.

Vonage Features:

Equipment required: Broadband telephone adapter, Motorola VT1005V
$30 activation fee.
No contract.
$39.99 termination fee after 14 days
Call waiting, caller ID and conference calling.
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TalkSwitch 48-CVA

The TalkSwitch uses your phone company’s existing phone lines and phone numbers to connect to the outside world, but uses your Internet connection to connect to other TalkSwitches in your company’s remote offices. This setup is simple to install and lets you keep your existing phone numbers and lines. It also lets you keep your existing phone bills, since your long-distance calls still travel over your phone-company lines.

Where TalkSwitch shines is in its features as a PBX and its ability to connect remote offices and treat them as a single phone system. When two or more TalkSwitches connect through the Internet, the company has a virtual PBX. The offices can make calls to one another by dialing extensions that may be in the same office or at a remote office without incurring long-distance charges.

The same connection can be used to make standard calls to phone numbers that are local to the remote office but long-distance from the calling office. I found this feature worked well, but it requires the person making the call to know whether the number is local to the remote office. That’s something many callers won’t make the effort to deal with.

TalkSwitch 48-CVA Features:

Price: $1,795
4 lines in
4 VoIP trunks
8 local extensions
8 remote extensions
Expandable to a 16-line, 32-extension phone system by networking up to four 48-CA or 48-CVA units on the LAN
9 Auto Attendants
26 voice mailboxes
Built-in traditional and VoIP trunks for combined network access
Full-featured PBX telephone system
Customer installable and configurable via PC interface
Works with standard analog cordless or corded phones and
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Packet8 Virtual Office

Packet8 is a service provider. It will bring a “virtual office” by means of a hosted PBX that you are able to attach to from any broadband connection. The equipment consists of 1 DTA and 1 phone for every extension. Minimum configuration for a Packet8 system is 3 extensions, however there appears to be no upper limit to the number of extensions. Every DTA and phone combination costs $100, and there exists a $40 activation fee per line.

Because all the extensions attach to the equivalent PBX, calls to extensions and calls to outside amounts are processed just as they usually are in a corporate office. The phones have a huge LCD with soft-buttons for voicemail, don’t disturb, and each feature you would expect in a corporate PBX. I personally discovered the system elementary to utilise however as well incredibly flexible. Phone functions are managed applying the phone’s LCD and its buttons, while extension assignment, routing, auto-attendant, and system-related functions are managed through the PBX’s Web interface.

Packet8’s sound quality was incredibly fantastic. Calls between Packet8 VoIP lines were clear with no noticeable delay. Calls between Packet8 VoIP phones and standard phone lines were equally clear. The quality of the overall system was even more than acceptable.

This is the kind of system that fits any virtual office whose employees require to produce lots of long-distance calls. The Packet8 system is particularly well suited to today’s distributed virtual businesses. The fact that all the extensions are section of the equivalent system and operate as a seamless phone system puts a consolidated face on the distributed office.

Packet8 Virtual Office Features:

Price: $40 per extension per month
Setup costs of $100 for equipment and $40 activation fee per line
Unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada
Full-featured conference bridge for up to 20 participants
Auto-Attendant
Voicemail with message forwarding and e-mail notification
Call transfer and automatic call forwarding
3-way conferencing
Music/messaging on hold
Distinctive ringing for internal/external calls
Caller ID and call-waiting caller ID
Stutter tone notifications
Call park/call pick-up
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