What is a Cloud Hosted PBX

A Slow Start to the Cloud Hosted PBX in Australia

The move to Cloud-based telecommunications in Australia has been coming for a long time, well before the roll-out of NBN was even considered, but businesses have been slow to take this up. Let’s examine why and what your business can do to get started with a Cloud Hosted PBX phone system. The on-premises IP-PBX has been Australian businesses’ most common telecommunications solution over the past 20 years, with the analogue PBX solution being around since the ’70s. In replacing the analogue PBX, many companies started with the simple move to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). They continued with the deployment of an on-premise PBX to facilitate routing calls to IP handsets. SIP is simply the means of sending a voice call through a data connection, or your internet, instead of a dedicated copper wire or POTS line (Plain Old Telephone System). We have, however, seen rapid growth in the number of Cloud PBX service providers offering alternatives to the on-premise PBX phone system, and Australian business is keen to start using this. SIPcity is one of these service providers offering a complete Cloud PBX solution, including Hosted VoIP calling.

What is a Cloud Hosted PBX?

The Cloud Hosted PBX lets you configure and manage all your phones and phone lines from one central online portal from your favourite web browser. Therefore the need for the physical PBX has completely evaporated, leaving the PBX hardware good for nothing more than as a “boat anchor”. Gone is the expense of having PBX Technicians or Voice Engineers available to you as the only ones able to implement moves, adds or changes to your phone system. That’s a relief to the business as a whole, and specifically the budget itself. But the Cloud Hosted PBX phone system is much more, and the technological advancements continue to grow rapidly. Customers can set up and manage their phone system from their browser in a matter of minutes and no longer need a physical IP handset, putting the power in the hands of the business and not a third party. SIPcity customers have the advantage of being able to use IP handsets, such as those provided by Yealink, or to use softphone apps, such as mySIPcity, directly on their iPhone or Android smartphones.

Why make the switch to a Cloud Hosted PBX?

In Australia, the traditional POTS lines are now being replaced with NBN, driving the need for businesses to implement a VoIP solution for their calling. Current analogue telephone solutions and the on-premise analogue PBX systems will no longer work as soon as NBN is rolled-out in an area. To continue to make and receive telephone calls via a “landline”, a business needs to implement a hosted VoIP solution utilising NBN as the voice transport. Whilst it sounds simple enough, the move to hosted VoIP is a daunting task for businesses, many of whom have had the same phone system for years. Without a hosted VoIP solution implemented to replace the analogue phone system, businesses’ only option for calling would be via mobile carriers such as Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Using a mobile solution for business communication is not viable as the features and functionality a business needs are unavailable via the mobile network. Service Providers don’t focus on implementing PBX features over this service, so that’s where a Cloud PBX comes in.

What features do I get with a Hosted PBX Phone System?

When looking for a Cloud PBX Provider, it’s essential to review the features and functionality available that will enhance your business communications, like:

• Auto Attendant
• Welcome Messages
• Call Queues
• Call Forwarding
• Time of Day Call Routing
• Call Recording
• SIP Trunking
• Voicemail to Email

Other important things to consider when selecting your Cloud PBX Phone system include whether the service provider is releasing new features and products which continually enhance your business communications and productivity. Features like softphones for your mobile desktop, text-to-speech recording, video and chat. Whilst these are not essential to most businesses, they demonstrate that your provider is innovative and working to deliver enhanced business communications to suit growing companies. The features and functionality should be easy to implement and shouldn’t require the expertise of an on-site voice engineer or other experts. It would help if you looked for a solution to set up and manage yourself or even let your users manage their phone settings themselves.

What does this cost?

The cost of a Hosted Cloud PBX solution varies from provider to provider. Many will charge per handset/device or have a per-user license. Others will charge you for the volume of calls your business makes, whether calling is based upon a capped or unlimited plan. Some providers will also charge you per feature within the Cloud PBX. For example, you may get the number and call minutes for a monthly price. Still, additional features such as Auto Attendant, Call Forwarding or Voicemail to Email may be considered add-on charges and will soon mount up.  It is often difficult to understand what you’re paying for each month with your current provider. Telstra, as an example, has multiple business invoice types, making it very difficult to understand what services you are consuming, and therefore it makes it even harder to compare this with another provider.  The team at SIPcity can take the guesswork out of this for you and compare your current telecom bill and what it will cost with the SIPcity Cloud PBX and VoIP Calling solution.

How easy is it to move to a Cloud PBX?

With the roll-out of NBN completed in many areas, you still may not have this completed in your area and are considering your options. With SIPcity, our team can demonstrate our Cloud Hosted PBX system to you. Along with showing you the features and functionality available, you can have demonstrations of call quality as well.  At SIPcity, our team works with you every step of the way to ensure there is no downtime for your business. One critical task that needs careful management is porting your numbers from your existing provider. Number Porting in Australia is complex for no other reason than this is how the Tier-1 carriers like Telstra and Optus have agreed to do it. Why does it take 24 hours to port a mobile number and 4-6 weeks to port a landline? That’s one of life’s mysteries; regardless, our porting team will plan and complete the number porting for you. You can set your Cloud PBX up with SIPcity within just a few minutes, and if you’re adding new numbers, you’re ready to start making and receiving calls immediately. If you’re porting numbers, you’ll be up and running as soon as the numbers cut over.

Want to know more about switching to SIPcity?

SIPcity has been providing hosted Cloud PBX and VoIP calling since 2010 and is one of the most trusted service providers. Speak with our team today for more information on your move to Cloud Calling. Contact us at 1800 150 686 or email sales@sipcity.com.au Get a Demo today!