Guidelines for Identifying the Perfect Hosted PBX Provider

Posted by AmandaTom on November 23rd, 2012

Why is it that people claim that the world has shrunk enough in size to be called a global village? Probably because now it is possible to travel from one end to another in a matter of hours not to mention unhindered and incessant communication at any given point of time. Hence for a business to survive in such a scenario one of the mandatory requisites is application of futuristic technology and hosted PBX is one such form. In order to accrue its many advantages, the company is required to get in touch with any one of the many hosted PBX providers after a process of careful selection.

If you are one of those people who find the concept of hosted PBX extremely confusing, then you can expect to be completely overwhelmed when it comes to selecting a provider from amongst thousands of services. Looking for a needle in a haystack would be an apt way to describe the situation and the only manner in which things could be simplified entails bearing in mind certain parameters. But before venturing out and inviting quotes from various hosted PBX providers it is essential to ascertain your own needs and ensure that the chosen service does benefit your organization in a number of ways.

Nowadays it is common for most companies to operate from various locations around the globe and even the concept of work-from-home employees is not unheard of. In such a situation wherein communication is the only binding factor between all the diverse points of operation, hosted PBX is indeed a good choice. However, the responsibility of discussing and determining the extent of coverage with the hosted PBX providers lies solely with the owner. Further diversification like inclusion of mobiles, pagers and cordless facility is also decided upon at this stage.

Having estimated the requirements, the next step entails making an accurate list of facilities and asking the hosted PBX providers if they are capable of meeting the demands. While some of the facilities might be mandatory like fax machine and desk phone, others like cordless instruments, automated greetings and voicemail are optional. Because the hosted PBX is plugged into a LAN outlet, presence of a LAN connection is a must at every location even if it means laying down a new network of cables. Likewise analog ports and Ethernet switches can also be installed.

Owing to lack of standardization amidst hosted PBX providers, call plans pertaining to various services vary from one provider to another. As the first step towards finding an appropriate calling plan, the objective of evaluation should be to match the calling areas with the locations of the business. Even though it might be tempting to opt for the cheapest plan, this is often akin to stepping into a honey trap since the bill at the end of the month could contain some unpleasant surprises. Under the circumstances the simplest hosted PBX plans offering unlimited local calls are usually the best.

Another must in the process of selection is the comparison between various hosted PBX providers in terms of the price quoted against the services in question. Prior to finalizing on the deal everything should be mentioned in a written contract and signed by both parties. Once the formalities are over, the onus is on the client to accrue the benefits of hosted PBX through a provider who has been selected as a result of rigorous selection. Like other fields there are shortfalls in this arena too and as long as the buyer is aware of them, there is nothing to stop him from making the most out of the deal.

Being the latest in the world of communication, hosted PBX has many benefits for the buyer as long as it is provided through the appropriate provider. This is the reason as to why it is essential to choose the right one amongst a horde of hosted PBX providers so that the advantages can be enjoyed for many long years to come.