Think about the clothing combination you chose this morning. Are your outerwear, top and bottom made by the same brand? Most likely not, as you chose items based on their appeal to your mood and the day’s events, and then mixed and matched the pieces according to your style. Having wardrobe options enhances an individual’s ability to dress to meet various situations head on, knowing that his or her apparel is best-suited to the particular occasion—and will not disrupt or stymie interactions.
Options are an important component of your company’s phone system too. Every business has different communications needs that require tailoring to address them optimally. But what if you’re locked into a proprietary phone system vendor, and don’t have the flexibility to accommodate your business initiatives, as legacy phone systems limit customizable configurations? In that case, you should consider upgrading to an IP- PBX phone system; it’ll give you the freedom to mix and match your VoIP and SIP providers, just as you would the brands in your closet.
Below are a few ways you can choose to configure an IP-PBX phone system to meet your business’s needs:
Upgrading to an IP-PBX doesn’t mean you need to say goodbye to your PSTN lines. In fact, by using a VoIP gateway—from your vendor of preference—you can connect the IP-PBX server with PSTN lines. This is beneficial for organizations that want to make a gradual transition to IP telephony.
If your company opts for an entirely Internet-based infrastructure to eliminate the on-premises wires of legacy phone systems, SIP phones are your solution. Choose from a hardware phone, which resembles a regular desk phone but sends and receives calls via the Internet, or a softphone—a desktop-based phone that allows configuration and operation over a desktop-based interface.
For offices with multiple locations overseas, a chief communication concern is long-distance fees. With an IP-PBX, businesses can create bridges—which connect phone lines over the internet—to remote locations, eliminating long-distance fees imposed by phone carrier.
Now that you’re aware of the varied options an upgraded phone system can provide for your business, learn more about the benefits here.