* Especially true when it comes top VoIP providers like 8x8
Most IP PBX systems these days use SIP trunking to manage call sessions through one or multiple telecom lines.
* Especially true when it comes top VoIP providers like 8x8
Most IP PBX systems these days use SIP trunking to manage call sessions through one or multiple telecom lines.
Understand what IP PBX is and how it can benefit your organization
IP PBX stands for Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange. An IP PBX system can be any PBX telephone system that’s set up to manage phone calls to and from IP phones through the internet.
8x8 is a cloud-based IP telephony service provider that specializes in enterprise-grade business phone systems. 8x8 systems use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to provide organizations with a communication system that has IP PBX functionality among other advanced features.
Internet Protocol is a communications protocol that governs how data is delivered across networks. Along with the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), IP is one of the fundamental protocols that make communications via the internet possible.
Together, the IP/TCP protocol specifies a set of standards for packeting, addressing, transmitting, routing, and receiving data over the internet.
VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, refers to technology that makes phone communications using the internet possible. It’s known to employ IP/TCP (it can use other protocols, though) to transfer voice data over IP networks like the World Wide Web.
Voice over IP is overtaking analog phones and traditional phone lines as the telecommunications solution of choice among businesses as more and more of their operations are managed through the internet.
A Private Branch Exchange (PBX) is an organization’s internal telecommunications network that can connect to external telecoms. The term PBX can refer to both the software and any necessary hardware that manages and directs calls into and out of a private network.
Basic PBX features include the ability to route inbound calls to designated extension numbers and to manage call flows to and from multiple phone numbers. More advanced PBX phone systems integrate voicemail, automatic switchboards, and more.
Many types of PBX systems were developed in the service of business telecoms. Depending on the public infrastructures available and an organization’s specific operational requirements, any one of these options may be implemented for operations.
There are three main types of PBX systems you need to be familiar with when exploring this kind of solution for your company.
Many types of PBX systems were developed in the service of business telecoms. Depending on the public infrastructures available and an organization’s specific operational requirements, any one of these options may be implemented for operations.
There are three main types of PBX systems you need to be familiar with when exploring this kind of solution for your company.
Also sometimes known as traditional PBX, an analog PBX system is the oldest type of PBX system. It uses physical equipment housed on-premises to connect a private telephone network to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
Typically, analog PBX systems operate using copper-based telephone lines installed on-premises and connected to an in-house PBX box. Inside the PBX box, a telephone switchboard carries out the task of a) connecting phones inside the private network so that co-workers can communicate, and b) interfacing between the private network and PSTN lines.
Purely analog systems are less popular these days because they generally can’t be integrated into most operational technologies used by companies today and offer limited features compared to digital options.
As analog PBX wanes in popularity, IP PBX systems (built on an IP telephony foundation) have become more widespread.
IP phone systems rely on Ethernet cables and wireless data transfer to set up communications between phone numbers.
Apart from functioning as a VoIP PBX, IP PBX systems can also be set up to handle additional audio, video, or instant messaging communication provided they have SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) implemented—more on this later.
There are also different types of IP PBX: It can come in the form of physical hardware, PBX software, or a combination of both.
A cloud-hosted PBX system is a type of IP PBX that doesn’t require your organization to use special machinery. This is because the key infrastructure is maintained remotely in cloud data centers by the VoIP PBX provider. For this reason, cloud PBX is sometimes called virtual PBX.
Due to its ease of implementation, many advanced features, and flexible pricing, a cloud-hosted PBX from 8x8 is an ideal PBX solution for both large and small businesses.
8x8 also delivers enterprise-grade telephone services and unified communications, as well as contact center solutions to clients.
An on-site phone system requires dedicated equipment to be where the private network needs to be. This includes special PBX machines or designated PBX servers.
A cloud system, on the other hand, connects calls in real-time to secure data centers via the internet.
With a cloud-hosted PBX system, call routing, directing, and other important functions of a business telephone system, are all carried out on cloud servers.
| On-premises phone system | Cloud-hosted IP PBX |
|---|---|
| Special equipment and/or dedicated servers need to be set up and maintained on-site | No special on-site equipment is required |
| Minimum-term contracts and early termination fees are standard | Flexible subscription plans are available |
| Lengthy request process for making changes to your service plan | Easily add or repurpose lines as needed |
| Expensive hardware installations | Generally free and fast implementation* |
| Usage tied to physical location and desk phones | Get PBX functionality on-the-go from any mobile device using cell phone apps and personal computer software |
SIP is a VoIP protocol that starts, sustains, and ends multimedia communications via the internet in real-time. It’s used by internet telephony service providers to signal and control communication sessions like phone calls, video conferencing, and instant messaging.
A SIP trunk is a virtual channel that helps your IP PBX connect to PSTN phone lines using a single port. It minimizes the number of telecom lines an organization needs while increasing their maximum data bandwidth.
With SIP trunking, you get:
Getting set up with an IP PBX phone system is simple, especially if you opt for a cloud-based PBX solution like 8x8.
When you decide to employ an 8x8 cloud PBX system and opt for same-day implementation, you can start designing the configuration that works best for your organization immediately.
Because an IP PBX system doesn’t need you to stay in one place to connect to a telephone network, there are multiple configuration options available. For example, any PC with a microphone and speakers can act as a VoIP gateway.
For a dedicated VoIP setup, choose from a range of desk phones that have built-in IP compatibility, or opt for a softphone combined with a headset of your choice. You can even download a mobile app on your smartphone (iOS and Android are both supported).
If you plan to use your IP PBX system for video conferencing, you’ll also need to consider webcam options to connect users with video as well as audio communication.
The combination of VoIP phones and an IP PBX connected to one or multiple SIP trunks can do more than replace a traditional business phone line.
This setup has all the features of an analog phone system, including call routing, call forwarding, call queueing, and voicemail. But it also brings the advantages of IP telephony to your business phone solution.
The advantages of using IP PBX as your business telephone system include:
Deploying a cloud-based PBX solution from 8x8 gives you the added benefit of advanced cloud PBX features and capabilities such as: Viewing real-time call data Built-in analytics functionality Programmable auto attendants Call recording Microsoft Teams integration Compatibility with both Linux and Windows operating systems
Because an IP PBX system has fairly advanced features, some businesses may be tempted to use it to run their call centers. While this might work for smaller operations, it’s really not ideal for bigger and more complex campaigns. In cases like this, it’s better to opt for a contact center solution.
But shopping for a different system just so you can support your call center activities sounds daunting—especially when you can’t be sure it can work with the IP phones you already have working with your cloud PBX.
This is where 8x8 can help you.
8x8 doesn’t just have a unified communications offering with VoIP, video, and SMS (among other things), they also offer the option to add Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) functionality to customers' plans.
8x8's contact center features include but aren’t limited to:
Even if you don’t think you need to have a call center supporting your company now, things might change in the future—in which case, going with 8x8 gives you a future-proof communications system that goes well beyond PBX.
Phone systems have come a long way since analog PBX boxes and copper wires. These days, digital solutions have taken over and cloud-based IP PBX has become the standard telecoms system for organizations that want to manage their inbound and outgoing calls.
Cloud-hosted PBX is the next logical step in the evolution of business telephone systems.
8x8 combines IP PBX features with the unified approach to communications preferred by many modern businesses.
Find out how 8x8’s cloud solutions could help your organization meet its communications needs today.