The Best Cloud Hosted PBX Providers for 2022

What is Cloud Hosted PBX?

A hosted PBX is a cloud-based solution for making and receiving calls within a business. This cloud-based business phone system allows users to take advantage of calling platform features within their company. Since a hosted PBX is cloud-based, it is managed and hosted by the PBX business phone system provider instead of utilizing an analog connection. Hosted PBX solutions are ideal for any size company or organization, and they help businesses save money while reaping the benefits of a high-tech cloud phone system.

Important Benefits to Consider

These types of phone systems provide users with the ability to access them from any location, meaning that your staff can work mobilely while still being able to tap in to the hosted PBX phone system. Since cloud PBX solutions are hosted, businesses are able to scale back or up depending upon their current needs and circumstances. This convenience is just one of the benefits of going with a cloud PBX solution.

With this type of hosted PBX service, companies save money because they don’t need expensive equipment, and they don’t have to pay hosting fees. Your hosted PBX service provider takes care of all the minute details, such as the aforementioned equipment and hosting charges, leaving you to enjoy the high-quality results of utilizing unified communications via the hosted PBX system.

Virtual PBX solutions offer benefits above and beyond on-premise, traditional VoIP services as well as standard telephone solutions. They provide the same, high-quality standards and features – just through the cloud, virtually. Cloud PBX providers operate and own data centers so they’re able to offer PBX services to a large number of companies. PBX providers usually operate a large number of data centers in various locales so they can offer this cloud-based service globally, meaning that regardless of where you live, you should have the ability to use this revolutionary service.

What Makes a Hosted PBX Service Stand Out from its Competitors?

PBX solutions give companies a high-quality service just like the type one could obtain from the enterprise phone system used by Fortune 500 businesses. However, PBX solutions don’t require the investment and intense hassle that come with these types of phone solutions. With a hosted PBX service,  you can expect to have access to a number of features and benefits, including automated greetings, call recording, unlimited phone extensions, advanced call forwarding, conference calling, and more.

Not only do you receive an impressive number of features from your hosted PBX provider, but you also save money, and the size of your organization doesn’t limit your ability to use hosted PBX.

How Does a Cloud PBX Phone System Work?

Cloud PBX systems work in exactly the same way on-location PBX services do. However, you have the added benefit of not having to worry about management and routing on-location; that’s all handled within the hosted PBX solution provider’s data centers across the world. PBX systems as well as their backup redundancy are maintained 100 percent by the provider. If a data center fails to operate, your hosted calls will be routed through a different data center so you never miss a call.

More benefits of hosted PBX systems are that the providers operate with a team of engineers and IT pros who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure your phone system is working correctly. Users who subscribe to PBX services don’t have to worry about installing hardware on-site. All they have to do is log in to an online portal, hook up their office phones, and begin making and receiving calls through the cloud.

Why Should You Use a Hosted PBX Phone System?

Since you don’t need on-site hardware or a phone infrastructure, cloud-based PBX allows you to deal with more pressing issues, such as raising your business’s revenue. Hardware, setup, reliability, and security are all taken care of by the hosted PBX solutions provider. You’re not obligated to take money out of your business to pay for IT, the infrastructure, or any other related costs.

Another added benefit of cloud PBX is that additional phone lines can be tacked on to your account quickly via your online portal. Don’t have enough phone jacks in your office building? Not a problem! The best hosted PBX systems providers give their users the opportunity to make calls via mobile phones, desktop apps, and desk phones. Since your employees can make calls from virtually anywhere that can sign on to the internet, they can truly work remotely and stay connected even when they aren’t in the office.

In the rare instance of something going wrong with your hosted PBX service, you won’t have to rely on your organization’s IT professionals to handle the problem; instead, your PBX provider will jump on the issue and rectify it. The majority of the time, problems with your hosted PBX solution will be taken care of before you’re even aware of them. As you can see, opting to go with a hosted PBX provider is a simple way to save your business money and keep your organization’s employees constantly connected.

The Best Offerings of Hosted PBX Providers

Since your PBX solutions provider will be handling such a large part of your business’s communications, it’s important to do your research and ensure that you choose the best company for the job. Following are some points to focus on that will help you weigh the pros and cons of a hosted PBX provider.

Features

One of the most obvious factors to look at when comparing hosted private branch exchange providers is the features offered by that particular service provider. Each provider will offer a number of plans to their users; take a look at every plan’s features, which should be clearly broken down and displayed. This way, you can be sure to go with the provider – and plan – that best fits what your organization needs and is looking for.

Customer Service

Customer service is a huge factor to consider, regardless of what type of service you’re evaluating. If your PBX provider’s servers go down or you experience problems with your service, you need to know that you can quickly and conveniently contact the provider’s customer service department. Some providers’ customer service representatives are US-based, while others are overseas. Some providers offer limited customer service availability, while others are available for you to communicate with 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Next, look at how you’re able to connect with the customer service team. Can you only get in touch with them via email or an online chat system? Or are you also able to contact them over the phone? Ensure that your preferred method of contact is available so on the off-chance that your private branch exchange system experiences issues, you aren’t frustrated while trying to contact your provider’s customer service representatives.

Reliability

How reliable your PBX service is goes hand in hand with your provider’s customer service offerings. If the servers fail, then your phone system will also fail, meaning that your company could lose potential business. The PBX solutions provider you choose should have a high service level guarantee; ideally, they should guarantee over 97 percent uptime.

Ensure that your service provider maintains data centers in more than one location. This means that if one data center goes down, the provider can easily route its users’ calls through another data center. This type of redundancy is important in any service claiming to offer good uptime.

Flexibility

In an ideal world, your hosted PBX provider will be as flexible as the private branch exchange service itself can be. This means that the provider will offer a number of plans to its users, making it easy for you to scale up and down with the needs of your business. If the time comes that you require access to more users and/or features, you want to rest assured, confident that your provider has the ability to conveniently and quickly change your plan.

It’s not uncommon for PBX providers to charge fees for removing lines, adding lines, and changing features. Before you sign on the dotted line, understand these fees. That way when you need to scale up and down, they aren’t a nasty surprise.

Hidden Costs

Hidden fees are never a good time for anyone. You want to go with a PBX provider who provides transparent price quotes from the beginning of your relationship. However, be sure to review your bills for any extra charges that you didn’t expect. This way, you can nip the problem in the bud right away, when it’s easy to deal with.

Hosted PBX Solution Benefits

Save Money

A traditional PBX (not a cloud-based one) can be expensive to set up, maintain, and upgrade. With a hosted cloud PBX, most of the fees involved with having an on-premise phone system are abolished, providing you with some excellent cost savings.

Ease of Use and Setup

The initial setup will be taken care of by the PBX service provider, so you won’t have to struggle to get the system up and running. If you decide to add lines or change up the features associated with your plan, all you have to do is log in to the online portal and make those changes. The ease of use is out of this world.

Local Presence

Instead of calling a faceless 800 number, your customers will be able to contact a local number. This is because cloud PBX providers have the ability to provide users with as many local numbers as they require.

Location Flexibility

Your staff will have the opportunity to work from anywhere – on the road or out of town, if need be. Desktop and mobile phone applications make this possible, as your employees will be able to access your PBX phone system from wherever they are. They’ll no longer be chained to their office’s desk phone.

Getting Your Hosted PBX System Set Up

Learn Your New Number

Chances are that you’ll have a new number when you switch over to a cloud-based PBX solution, so be prepared to let your customers know all about it. Change it on your site online, send out an email to customers, and alter your social media accounts to display the correct number. The important thing is to keep customers up-to-date with any number changes so they’re always able to contact you, regardless of where you are in the process of switching to hosted PBX.

Configure Your Dial Plan

As you get set up, you’ll need to organize how your business’s calls will be routed. Plan when your desk phones will be the ones to ring and when the calls will be routed to personal cell phones. Another call rule you’ll need to handle is how to deal with simultaneous ringing. When your business is closed, will you route calls to voicemail or to another phone?

If you want to set up a menu for your customers when they call – for example, having them press one for voicemail, – then you’ll need to set that up. Additionally, if your business operates with a dial-by-name phone directory, that needs to be organized in advance.

Review Your Bill

When you receive your first couple of bills from your hosted PBX supplier, review them carefully to ensure that you received all the services and features you’re paying for. Keep in mind that you may be paying for setup fees, number porting fees, and/or activation fees.

If you have a concern about your bill, contact customer service immediately to rectify the problem. You want to take care of any billing issues as soon as you become aware of them.

Cloud PBX services have quite a few advantages over traditional PBX, as you can see from the information supplied here. Before signing on with a PBX supplier, be sure to become intimately acquainted with the plan you opt for, the features offered, and the fees you’ll be paying. This will save you a lot of headache in the future!