Effective communication is a pressing, unavoidable need for modern businesses. Today, tools that enhance the way workers and clients connect remotely are incredibly valuable. While the remote work culture has been growing in the last few years, the current Coronavirus crisis has caused an exponential leap forward.
As a result, VoIP, PBX, and many other options that allow individuals to connect conveniently and safely are more relevant than ever before.
But now that businesses are rushing to implement these tools, new doubts arise. For example, what’s the difference between VoIP and PBX solutions?
At My IT Guy, we promote the remote work culture in order to achieve a happier life-work balance and, in this particular case, be always safe.
Tools to Achieve the Same Goal
Yes, in terms of goals, VoIP and PBX allow businesses to achieve exactly the same. These solutions provide organizations with the capacity to make and receive phone calls in the most convenient way possible. However, they operate very differently to achieve this goal.
We’ll get into the details below but the main difference between the two is that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is based on an Internet connection to establish as many calls as needed while PBX (Public Branch Exchange) is a more traditional way to connect peers, using a dedicated network.
Size and Power
PBX represents a communication powerhouse that is often chosen by big organizations with complex needs. This solution has been available for a while now, longer than VoIP, so for many businesses it has represented the go-to option without studying the alternatives that much.
However, this powerhouse comes with many inconveniences. This solution demands a server, control boards, and physical lines that connect to the public network. It is very traditional in this sense but for some companies with the firepower needed, it becomes a good option to keep everything in-house and under control.
Scalability and Accessibility
On the other hand, we have VoIP, which is a dramatically simpler option. Yet, this doesn’t mean that businesses will have fewer features or something on those lines. Instead, we have a solution that it’s cloud-hosted, transmitting the burden of expensive hardware to service providers.
And while PBX depends on traditional phones, VoIP leverages all technologies available to connect its users. A desktop PC with the right software will be more than enough, for example.
A little step further in terms of accessibility, we have the fact that you don’t need to be an expert to operate all features on a VoIP solution. After the provider has implemented the platform, businesses will be able to easily operate on their own.
The Bottom Line
If you are an SMB, probably VoIP is going to be your best option. It’s cheaper, scalable, agile, and flexible. Yet beware: businesses using VoIP rely on optimum Internet connections, which many times are also being used by the organization to get the work done.
Regardless a company chooses VoIP or PBX, the important thing here is to have the right mechanisms running to allow workers and clients to connect safely. The current health crisis we are experiencing is just a reminder for us to make the most of the technologies available to keep us productive and safe.