Pros and Cons of Hosted PBX System

In case you are not able to come to a concrete decision about switching to a hosted PBX system, then its pros and cons might help to clear the fog and help you to choose the best phone system for your office. In this article, we delve deeper into the advantages and disadvantages that a cloud-based or hosted PBX system offers.

• Cost – This is probably the most debated feature of every communication system, and a hosted PBX has to be measured in terms of its cost as well. The acquisition cost of a hosted PBX system is definitely lower than an on-premise system. However, when it comes to the long-term operational costs, it is a little bit speculative. But, hosted business phones should definitely cost less. Factors like equipment redundancy come into play because we are never sure how fast new technologies will make the equipment obsolete.

      Pros: Very low set up costs make it easier for small organizations to subscribe for these services. The maintenance costs are also       lower and more predictable. Businesses can expect to cut down their operational costs by a large margin.

      Cons: The running and subscription costs are dependent on the providers, and they may charge high fees.

• Scalability – Both the on-premise and hosted PBX systems offer scalability and flexibility; however, the costs associated with an expansion are definitely lower when it comes to hosted PBX systems. You get the chance to expand the number of telephone lines as you need. The risks associated with scaling up the communication system are also eliminated when you have a hosted PBX system.

      Pros – It is the provider who will take care of all the risks and expansion-related workload. You will not have to worry about the             complexities involved in scaling up your communication system.

      Cons – At times the provider might not be able to make the changes quickly and this may lead to unwanted delays.

• Control – This is something that varies with the IT policy of every company. There are companies that want to retain control and are not willing to give away the control of their communication systems to others. On the other hand, there are companies that are more than happy to let others take care of their business phone system and just enjoy the services. If you want to have a higher control over your system, then you will have to bear the cost of maintenance and other costs related to the internalizing the system. If you are willing to let your service provider take care of the hardware and seek to reduce your operation costs, the hosted PBX system might be just the right choice for you.

      Pros: By giving up the control, you will be able to get a better understanding of the performance of your system and concentrate         more on your core business processes.

      Cons: It is your service provider who has absolute liberty of running your system, and you will never be able to micro-manage the       operations.

• Options and Features – if you own your phone system and have full control of it, then you will be able to add any number of features and options—at a cost. On the other hand, your service provider offers the same features and options to all their customers, so they can spread the cost across their customer base. This eventually brings down the amount you will spend for accessing every new feature or option.

      Pros – You have access to all the features you might need. The cost associated with each feature is determined up front before         activation. A cost-benefit analysis can be done to help you determine whether to pay for the specific features.

      Cons – Features are often included in different packages, which might not suit your needs exact business needs.

About Universal ComOne

Universal ComOne offers award winning business telephone systems that are right for any business. We can design a solution to fit your needs.

Call 337-205-9364 for all your communication needs.