Factors to Consider While Choosing Hosted PBX Provider

Almost every firm has a business phone system for communication needs. However, as humans advance, so does technology, including our telecommunications infrastructure. Recently, a new technology known as hosted PBX was released to the public, and it has quickly gained popularity in the corporate sector. A hosted PBX, also known as a Private Branch Exchange, is a system for switching telephones by an outside supplier over a network in the cloud. Because it is cloud-based, all communication takes place via the internet. This implies that no installation, wiring, or hardware services are required including maintenance.

If you're not very tech-savvy, hosted PBX may appear difficult and time-consuming to set up, but it's quite simple to use. Despite its incredible ease, there are a few things to consider while selecting a hosted PBX service. Here are some things to think about so that your selected telecom company can satisfy your demands. Using cost-effective, world-class communication solutions is a goal for most businesses. One such technology that might help you save money is hosted private branch exchange (hosted PBX). Hosted PBX is also known as unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and enhances mobility and voice quality while also providing more advanced communication options such as the integration of CRM or ERP software.

Despite the benefits that have made hosted PBX and UCaaS so popular, they aren't always the best choice for every firm. An on-premise branch exchange works successfully for some firms. How can you tell if hosted PBX services are a good fit for you? Consider the following elements:

Benefits of opting for a Hosted PBX provider:

Startup costs

Because your company does not need to acquire the gear or equipment required for an on-premise phone system, hosted PBX provides cheaper initial starting expenses. The majority of businesses that have used hosted PBX have discovered that it is 70% less expensive at the outset than on-premises PBX. Access to the internet. Calls made via the public internet from your connection to your hosted PBX provider do not ensure Quality of Service (QoS). However, some hosted PBX and UCaaS service providers also offer Internet connectivity. Purchasing both services from the same supplier can increase sound quality above and above that of an on-premise PBX using high-definition voice technology.

Long-distance calling

Is your company making a lot of long-distance or international calls? While traditional phone suppliers can provide reasonable long-distance rates, hosted PBX can save you up to 90% over analogue service. Businesses that don't require a lot of long-distance communication will still experience cost reductions, but they won't be as substantial.

Software Integration

If your organisation can benefit from a phone system that is connected to the software it uses daily (CRM or ERP) to activate screen pops, log, organise, or record calls, hosted PBX should be your first choice. In this regard, hosted PBX has a significant advantage: as technology advances, so will the functionality of your phone service. Seven years from now, hosted PBX services will still be present, with capabilities not yet imagined. In seven years, an on-premises PBX may be obsolete or no longer supported.

Scalability of phone lines

Some businesses have seasonal personnel fluctuations or are influenced by numerous variables that cause call volume to dip or increase abruptly. If your company meets that criteria, hosted PBX allows you to swiftly grow the number of phone lines, which is a significant benefit over analogue service.

IT personnel on-site

Not every company has an internal IT team with telephonic knowledge to maintain a system working well. Some businesses may have small IT departments that cannot keep up with day-to-day IT demands while also running a phone system. If any of this sounds similar, hosted PBX is a good option for your company. While there is no one-size-fits-all phone system, firms that would benefit from scalability, expertise, and cost savings on the initial investment are a suitable fit for hosted PBX.

Key aspects to consider before choosing a Hosted PBX provider

1. Understand the needs of your site

A short Google search will reveal that there are several web host services available. However, before you can even evaluate any of them, you must first understand the requirements of your website. The first step in selecting the best web host is determining your website's requirements. Ask yourself questions such as "What sort of website am I building?", "Do I want to utilise WordPress?", or "How much traffic am I expecting?". These questions may appear simple, but they are crucial. Why? Because the more specific you are, the easier it will be to determine which hosting company is best for the job.

2. Look at server reliability/uptime scores

When Amazon went down for 30 minutes in 2013, it lost $66,240 in revenue every minute. To summarise, keeping your website up is critical, and to do so, you must consider how solid your web host service is. There are several server monitoring tools available to follow a web host, but in general, a check of their uptime scores is more than enough to determine whether a web host is solid or not. Today's industry norm is 99.95% uptime, and anything less than 99% should be avoided.

3. The ability to upgrade your server

Today, hosting plans come in different shapes and sizes, but if you're just getting started, chances are you'll wind up with a shared hosting plan. If you do, it is advised that you select a provider that allows you to update your server in the future. The reason for this is that even if you choose a fantastic shared hosting package, the resources you have accessible are limited. When your website develops in size and traffic (over 30,000 unique visits), a shared hosting package will not be able to accommodate all of that bandwidth.

4. Research the signup and renewal price

With web hosting, there are two prices to be aware of: the signup fee and the renewal price. In most circumstances, the price you pay when you first purchase a plan may differ from the price you pay when you renew it. Depending on how many offers/discounts you were offered, the renewal price will almost always be much more. Unfortunately, it is a usual practice for hosting firms to raise their renewal cost, and there is no way to prevent it unless you intend to move your web host every 2 to 3 years. Instead, look for web servers with moderate price increases (nothing more than 100%).

5. Do they have a refund policy/free trial?

Using a web host may be an expensive endeavour. Especially if you're just starting out and don't have a large budget. That is why a hosting business that offers a return policy and/or a free trial period may significantly lower your expenditures. With free trials, you may securely test out the hosting plan and cancel if it does not meet the demands of your website. If something goes wrong, selecting a hosting service with solid refund policies will ensure that you don't lose too much money.

6. Do they have essential features?

While most hosting providers provide all of the requirements for a website, you should always check to see if they also provide additional important services like a one-click installation, file manager, and DNS administration.

One-click installer

A one-click installer is an excellent tool for quickly installing software such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla. This is especially helpful if you are not familiar with the technical parts of web development.

.htaccess File Access

You'll be able to access the .htaccess file if you wish to make site-wide administrative modifications. It allows you to alter and change a variety of parameters, including password authentication and administration.

FTP/SFTP Access

Most hosting companies will give some sort of file manager, which is usually pretty basic. You will be able to safely manage and move massive volumes of files on the server with FTP/SFTP access.

7. Having backups for your site

A website cannot function without backups. Even with the best security precautions in place, your website will have a crash, failure, virus, or hack that will bring it down or, worse, destroy it. That's where a strong backup policy comes in helpful because you can always go back to a functional website if something goes wrong. To minimise substantial losses, a decent web host company should be able to restore your entire site (or at least a large portion of it) with very little delay. Some of the essential questions you should ask your web server concerning backups are:

• ● Do they perform complete backups regularly?
• ● Is it possible to manually backup your site using the management panel?
• ● Can you use applications to automatically backup your website?
• ● Can you restore the backup files yourself, or do you need to contact support?

8. The quality of customer support (live chat or telephone)

There will be instances when you are faced with a server problem that you simply cannot resolve on your own. This is when a solid customer support team comes in handy. Ideally, you should choose a hosting service that provides great and responsive assistance via live chat or phone.

9. Quick server responsiveness and speed

With Google now taking mobile page loading time into account for ranking purposes, it's evident that having a fast-loading page is critical for your website and business. It is advised that you choose hosting companies that can supply you with a steady and fast server speed to guarantee that your website loads quickly and smoothly. Not only will this enhance the overall user experience, but it will also assist your SEO rankings.

FAQ’s:

1.How Much Does it Cost?

Every firm has particular demands, funds, and goals, thus money is allocated for a specific reason. As a result, knowing the service cost of a telecom provider is critical since not all firms can afford to invest a huge sum of money on a new business phone system. However, some phone companies provide inclusion plans. They can provide a more economical hosted PBX for corporate needs, preventing the organisation from going over budget. You may discuss your requirements with your selected provider, who may provide a reasonable offer to your firm.

2.Are International Calls Offered?

Some firms are well-known worldwide and have global relationships. If your organisation often communicates internationally, be careful to check if your selected telecom provider allows long-distance calls and at what rate, as these calls might result in a considerable rise in your bill. Although most hosted PBX providers now include international calling in their inclusion plans, they usually charge reasonable prices for international calls. You and your organisation may save up to 90% on analogue service by using hosted PBX from the proper telecom operator.

3.Do They Include Internet Management Services?

Whatever phone system you have, it is unavoidable for any business to route calls via a public internet connection, sometimes known as an "over-the-top connection." When this occurs, there is no guarantee of providing great service to your clients or staff. Furthermore, security and technical issues may arise unexpectedly. As a result, be sure that your selected telecom operator provides internet management services to resolve any difficulties that may arise. A telecom operator that provides internet management services can ensure service quality and data security. You might also haggle with your provider to incorporate internet access in your selected package. Furthermore, because hosted PBX systems are housed off-site, you may not need to engage an IT team for your firm to address technological issues.

4.Do They Accept Customization Needs?

Every business is different, and so should your phone system. The term "feature-rich" refers to a feature of hosted PBX systems that enables customisation. However, you should first check with your selected telecom provider to see if they have the particular services you require in the plan contents you've chosen. Software integration is an example of a distinct characteristic of PBX systems. The phone system may be incorporated into the software on your computer to allow screen pops for notifications, manage files, and even record calls.

5.Do They Offer Phone Line Scaling?

Workplace interruptions can occur for a variety of causes. For example, some businesses endure changes in personnel and other employment variations, making it difficult to keep up with all of the phone lines that need to be answered. However, hosted PBX systems offer the unique flexibility to immediately handle a dip or increase in call volumes. You may work with your preferred telecom provider to include this one-of-a-kind feature in your signature package. With this feature in your phone system, you may add or remove phone lines as many times as you like, which is very useful for analogue service.

Conclusion:

Business phone systems are an essential component of any modern business. Thanks to our Smart Check services, we can now comprehend and access the current telco infrastructure of your company and update it with the newest technology. We provide solutions to both equip and enhance your current infrastructure, ensuring that your business is always running at peak performance. Our solutions will improve the communication, ensuring that you never miss a call or experience communication problems.

If you have trouble determining your requirement and the best system for your business, please give us a call and one of our friendly team members will assist you in acquiring the best phone system for your business.