Cloud PBX: what it is and why to choose it
What a cloud PBX is, how it differs from a traditional on-premise phone system, and the benefits it offers small and medium-sized businesses.
Despite chat, email and video calls, the phone call is still the channel many customers prefer when they need to reach a company. That is why a professional business phone service is essential. The real question is which technology to choose: the traditional PBX installed in the office, or a cloud PBX.
This article explains what a cloud PBX is, how it compares with a traditional one, and the practical reasons to choose it.
What is a cloud PBX
A cloud PBX (or virtual PBX) is a business phone system that runs entirely over the internet. Instead of buying and maintaining equipment on your premises, you use a service delivered from a data center: voice travels over the network using VoIP (Voice over IP), and every feature is managed from a single interface.
You will often see the term UCaaS, Unified Communications as a Service. Besides calls, the same platform can include voicemail, web fax, chat, SMS, video meetings and a contact center. Your team uses an IP phone or an app on a computer or smartphone, and the business number stays the same.
Traditional PBX vs. cloud PBX
| Traditional PBX (on-premise) | Cloud PBX | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Equipment and cabling on site | No equipment to install; IP phones or apps |
| Upfront investment | High | Low, with a recurring fee |
| Maintenance and updates | Handled by your company | Handled by the provider |
| New users or offices | Require work and sometimes new hardware | Added or removed in a few steps |
| Remote work | Limited or complicated | From anywhere with an internet connection |
| Advanced features | Often extra cost or unavailable | Included in the platform |
Why choose a cloud PBX
More predictable costs
With no equipment to buy, install and upgrade, the initial investment drops sharply and spending becomes a monthly fee that is easy to budget. On-site technical interventions also decrease, because platform maintenance is the provider’s job.
Flexibility and growth
A company’s needs change: new hires, a second office, a seasonal peak. With a cloud PBX you add or remove users and lines when you need to, without replacing the system at each stage of growth. Moving office no longer means rebuilding the installation: phones simply connect to the network at the new site and your numbers stay the same.
Remote and hybrid work
With the desktop and mobile apps, everyone answers with the business number wherever they are, on a personal or company device. A call in progress can move from one device to another without interruption, and presence status shows colleagues who is available. Hiring people outside your local area also becomes easier. For more on the telephony features, see the page on the cloud phone system.
A more professional image
A business number separate from personal ones lets you publish it on your website and public channels with confidence, and gives customers a stable point of contact even when people change roles or leave. A cloud PBX also gives you:
- auto attendants and multi-level IVR, including in several languages;
- office hours, holidays and day and night profiles;
- call queues with custom messages and hold music;
- call forwarding, transfer and ring groups;
- local and toll-free numbers, with the option to port the numbers you already use.
Simpler operations
IVR handles incoming calls automatically and routes callers to the right person or department, leaving your team time for more complex requests. Customers no longer meet a phone that rings unanswered or a full voicemail box.
Collaboration and call quality
Phone, chat, SMS and video meetings on one platform mean fewer tools to manage and fewer steps for your team. As for voice quality, it depends mainly on your internet connection: on an adequate network, cloud VoIP delivers clear audio, and the EagleMercury platform is covered by a 99.999% availability SLA.
Control and integrations
When employees only use their personal phones, the company has no visibility into its communications. With a business phone system you can record calls on demand or continuously, for training and quality review, and keep important information in line with the rules that apply to you. The platform also integrates with Microsoft 365 and the main CRMs, with click-to-call from the browser and APIs to connect your own applications.
How to choose
Before deciding, check a few points:
- the features your team really needs (IVR, queues, recording, mobile app);
- whether you can keep your current numbers;
- integrations with the software you already use;
- the quality of the internet connection at each site;
- the level of support the provider offers.
In short
A cloud PBX replaces on-site equipment with a service delivered over the internet: more predictable costs, easy growth, remote work without obstacles and a more professional image. EagleMercury Elevate brings telephony, video meetings, chat and much more together in one platform. If you want to know whether it is the right fit for your company, contact us and we will help you assess your needs.
