Phone Systems Change for the Better Thanks to the IP PBX

A Customer Center entry from May 4, 2007
by Spencer D. Chin - TMCnet Web Editor

The phone system has undergone radical metamorphosis in recent decades.

The image of the operator behind an imposing looking switchboard with buttons lighting up has become a relic of the past as the phone system continues to change from a hardware based product to a software based one, thanks to the development of IP PBX.

No longer does a phone system require a bulky console and thousands of feet of bulky cables running through a building. Nowadays, many of the key elements of a phone system can be controlled by the operator—and that doesn’t necessarily have to a dedicated receptionist—clicking a mouse.

Thanks to the development of IP PBX, a high-quality phone system no longer is only the province of a large corporation with thousands of employees and billions of dollars in revenue. Small and medium size businesses, trying to compete with larger ones, no longer have to settle for an archaic phone system befitting the image of a mom-and pop business of years ago.

The phone system geared toward an SMB provides the advanced capabilities of an enterprise level phone system at an affordable price. Nowadays, such a system can incorporate enhanced call monitoring options, such as the ability to take over or listen in on calls. In addition, an the phone systems have the ability to monitor, view, record, or pick up calls simply by clicking a button, and showing the call queue.

An IP PBX typically incorporates advanced phone system features such a voicemail, support for analog phones, a message waiting indicator, one-touch voice mail retrieval, call transfer, a dial by name directory, and advanced features for administrators.

Nowadays, an IP PBX phone system can also support Voice over Internet Protocol phones. The latter feature is becoming increasingly important as more businesses find VoIP to be a practical, less expensive phone system and an alternative to conventional phone systems.

In addition, an IP PBX phone system facilitates configuring access for remote users, as workers nowadays often work from their homes or on the road and require full-fledged phone system access rather than relying on someone in the home office to retrieve and relay messages.

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Spencer Chin is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

— May 4, 2007