Internet PBX Has Arrived

From the early telephone switchboard operator to the digital Internet PBX, telephone systems continue to become more technologically advanced with new features being added each year. Personal communications assistant, unified communications and web based call controls are a few of these advancements.

Daily hundreds of calls coming into companies are automatically routed to the appropriate individual and at the same time those individuals are making calls, sending and receiving voicemails, emails and faxes with their phones and over the internet using their PC. This so called 'convergence' of voice, messaging and data allows individuals and companies to improve overall efficiency and reduce overall cost which is allowing companies to become more and more competitive.

Telephone Switchboard Operator 1952

In times gone by a company's incoming calls were manually connected by an operator using switchboards and cords.

Early PABX
Then the private automatic branch exchange (PABX) was introduced in the 1960s. The PABX allowed employees to make calls to one another within the building or connect to an outside line without having to go through a receptionist. The PABX allowed companies to reduce cost by eliminating the need for a large amount of phone lines because of the way internal calls were handled plus this also freed up lines for outgoing calls.

PBX Becomes more Efficient
PBX systems (as PABX later became known) had difficulty being accepted despite the cost and time savings they provided. Many companies were not willing to give up their own paid-for systems to spend thousands on new and difficult to use PBX systems. In the 1990s PBX manufacturers started adding flexibility to their systems which allowed expanding them simply by adding ports and card instead of starting over with a new system. This is what companies wanted.

Also during the 1990s automated attendants became easier to use and more accepted. PBX systems started to be integrated with computer technology, making call handling and administration easier. This did not put the telephone assistant (operator) out of business because many companies and callers preferred a live person answering the call. The PBX was becoming a high efficient tool to help companies manage their changing needs whether a small business or large call center.

Digital Internet PBX
The digital revolution has changed many areas of our lives and has also worked its way into telephony. The digital PBX has enabled even more functions, more reliability with fewer resources. The traditional PBX no longer supports the needs of today's modern workforce. Companies today have become more distributed.

Employees are now working in a variety of geographical locations: office, on the road, home or wherever. Workers feel the need to manage their communications from anywhere at anytime which includes accessing messages, emails, faxes and live phone calls. Business people want reliable, expandable and cost efficient ways of achieving this.

Today's internet PBX uses powerful software and hardware that works smoothly and efficiently without the need of a IT professional to maintain or administrate. The cost is so efficient it even allows for the small company to compete with the large businesses with large budgets. The cost is even less if you select a hosted PBX service because there is no up-front capital expenditure for hardware and software nor do you have to worry about on going maintenance cost, or obsolescence. The Hosted PBX service provider maintains the platform at their location and provides enhanced features as they become available. For a list of recommended hosted PBX service providers click here internet PBX service providers.

The internet PBX allows companies to effectively and easily manage inbound and outbound calls. Voicemail, faxes and email go to one inbox where they can be easily managed. Calls are routed automatically to the desired extension allowing the operator to take calls requiring immediate, personal attention. Calls can also be screened allowing more control of the call.

Emails can also be accessed and read over the phone using text to speech technology. On-demand bandwidth to handle companies changing needs to manage varying voice, data and messaging is becoming more popular today. On-demand communications servers that provide flexibility and cost-efficiency are the next big step in computer telephony.

The voyage from switchboard operators to today's sophisticated internet PBX has been amazing.

The development of today's technology appears not to be slowing down any time soon. The evolution of the PBX is alive and well.