What is a cloud PBX and what benefits it provides?

• What is a cloud PBX phone system?
• How does cloud PBX work?
• The advantages of utilising a cloud PBX phone system
• What does Zadarma’s cloud PBX phone system offer?
• In Conclusion

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has been pivotal in allowing individuals and businesses to make and receive calls using the Internet. Organisations needing an affordable way to activate local or long-distance calls are benefiting from VoIP and its revolutionary technology. In recent years cloud-hosted PBX phone systems have become increasingly popular. The ability to add a robust phone system with all the call handling and monitoring features you need, without having to install or worry about maintaining any equipment, is appealing to growing businesses.

What is a cloud PBX phone system?

A cloud PBX phone system, or Private Branch Exchange, is a private telephone network that allows businesses to deliver internal and external calls. PBX systems typically offer a variety of features, such as call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, and conference calling. Phone users connected to a PBX communicate internally within the organisation, and externally with the outside world using various channels and different types of equipment. Hard wired, hosted PBX phone’s require telephone cabinets and other fixed equipment. The communications are transmitted along copper wires.

In contrast, cloud PBX phone systems do not require all this fixed equipment. Calls, video messaging and data are transmitted online with vital data stored on the cloud-based servers. A business selects a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service provider to host their cloud PBX service and the provider takes care of the system maintenance and support burden.

How does cloud PBX work?

A Cloud PBX operates as a virtualised phone system hosted in the cloud. Unlike traditional PBX setups with physical hardware, a Cloud PBX relies on virtual instances for its functionality. Users connect to the system through various devices, utilising Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to transmit voice signals as data packets over existing data networks. The virtualisation of hardware allows for flexibility, scalability, and simplified management through a modern interface. This technical approach ensures efficient communication, making it an adaptable and practical solution for businesses.

The advantages of utilising a cloud PBX phone system

Practically maintenance free

With traditional phone lines the phone maintenance is often costly due to hard wired infrastructure. Phone lines are required for every handset. It also means you need a telecommunication expert to perform maintenance and upgrades on a regular basis. In contrast, with a cloud-based PBX, system updates, network routing, adjusting your VoIP settings, can all be handled by the hosted provider remotely, in the cloud. Fixed phone equipment and wires cost a lot to maintain and update. A cloud PBX does not require large investments and financial resources. For example, you can add and remove users with the click of a computer mouse.

Reduced phone bill and call costs

The use of virtual numbers paired with a cloud PBX phone system dramatically reduces call and overall communication costs. The reductions are particularly significant for overseas call charges. With a cloud PBX phone system, it takes just a few minutes for a company to open virtual offices around the world and expand its activities. Customers in countries outside of yours, only pay their local rates to call them. Cost savings are one of the main benefits of VoIP that any business can appreciate due to the improved allocation of resources, reduced ineffective man-hours, and improved customer satisfaction. You can only install so many traditional phone lines and costs quickly add up, especially if your business regularly makes long-distance calls. Traditional phone lines also typically charge for each minute of call time, where with VoIP your only costs are your monthly charges with additional free benefits such as the highly valuable CRM, call tracking and IVR features.

Improves the caller experience

Cloud based VoIP business phone systems provide your clients and customers with a wide range of features such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), automated welcome messages, call forwarding, call recordings, integrations with CRM systems and many more. With older phone technology, only the largest companies could support these caller-friendly options.

Allows for remote and hybrid working

Since the PBX is hosted in the cloud, users can use their phone system from wherever they have internet access. This enables employees to work from home offices and other remote locations. It also makes it easy to route calls so there is always someone available to answer that important customer call. It is worthwhile finding out more about how a cloud business phone system could benefit your company, so you don’t lose out on all the financial and convenience gains.

What does Zadarma’s cloud PBX phone system offer?

Zadarma provides a virtual or in the cloud PBX phone system. This is a turn-key phone system that is quick to set up and cost effective to introduce. Zadarma’s PBX has a wide variety of call management features, creating a versatile business phone system in a matter of minutes. The free communication features range from call transfer, call recording, call routing to speech analytics and video conferencing. This PBX supports Interactive Voice Response (IVR), conditional and unconditional call forwarding.

Zadarma’s cloud PBX free features

Call recording, call transfer and call holding

Zadarma’s PBX phone system offers a variety of call handling features which are handy for sales and customer service teams. These features are intuitive and fully functional, providing a hassle free call handling solution. The virtual phone system allows you to record and forward calls, as well as monitor, control and analyse call performance. Zadarma’s cloud PBX offers free call queuing, call holding capability with accompanying call hold music. This is easy to set up and simple to customise the call hold rules. You can apply hold music to keep inbound callers interested while they wait to speak to the allocated agent, as they become free.

Conditional & unconditional Call Forwarding

As part of Zadarma PBX features, Zadarma offers both conditional and unconditional call forwarding features. Conditional call forwarding is activated when no response is available. This allows calls to be forwarded if there is no internet connection or mobile connection or the call is not picked up. This can be useful if a business has high call volumes or lean teams, to ensure all calls are picked up in a timely manner. With conditional call forwarding, you won’t have to worry about your phone line connection or missing calls, as conditional forwarding will ensure the line is forwarded to an agent who is available to answer the call, rather than being sent straight to voicemail.

You can customise this functionality further, allowing you to send calls to voicemail when no agent is available. Unconditional forwarding is when calls are set up to always forward on to another number. This is often advantageous in call centre environments where you may be answering calls for different departments or areas of your business. Zadarma's PBX allows you to set up call forwarding to your mobile or landline number.

Push notifications for messaging

Zadarma’s cloud PBX also offers automated push notifications. This allows users to receive a notification when they missed a call. You can also set up notifications to alert you of your account balance, price plan renewals, and SMS messages. This feature has proved popular for busy, lean teams who are often on-the go.

PBX call statistics

Zadarma’s PBX has a call performance statistics feature which provides accessible call analytics reports and usable charts. This feature is being used by businesses to understand how best to improve call quality and sales conversion rates. When every call can affect your revenue, it is vital that each outbound call to customers or prospective customers provides the highest quality of service. Through the PBX call recording and statistical features, managers can re-listen to calls and use recording as part of training and mentoring exercises to improve team call performance, customer servicing skills to influence customer satisfaction rates.

Speech recognition & speech analytics

Zadarma PBX provides visibility of call analytics data which allows for internal business processing, analysis and improvements. Speech analytics, also known as call analytics, is a specialised technology that enables the extraction of relevant data from either a real time conversation or a previously saved audio file. The PBX speech recognition feature is a paid for service and the price depends on the language of recognition and phone system price plan you are on. All options do provide free transcription of minutes along with the analytics feature.

Multiple phone lines and numbers

Zadarma allows you to link up to 20 numbers and lines from different providers to the PBX itself. If you are looking to link external numbers into your Zadarma virtual PBX, this is straightforward. If you have a traditional landline number connected via a copper line, the process involves using a VoIP gateway with an FXO port.

Incoming call scenarios and IVR

Zadarma’s PBX offers a useful voice menu feature which allows sales and customer service teams to set up the routing of calls aligning to working hours, timezone and availability. This will enhance your productivity and avoid dissatisfied clients since they still have a prompt on your end when no one is available to take their calls. Incoming call scenarios are a group of extension numbers that will receive incoming calls in a specific situation, for instance timezone or cities. You then can go on to organise how your calls are managed and change the IVR settings and hold music, set working hours and turn on missed calls notifications based on the scenarios within your voice menu. You can customise and record responses on your answer phone as well as set up your company voicemail for all calls that are missed outside business hours.

Integration capability

Zadarma PBX currently integrates with a variety of mainstream CRM systems and messaging solutions including Salesforce and MicrosoftTeams. Integration is the best way to maximise business productivity. It is highly advisable to integrate your PBX phone system with your CRM to enable you to control communication with clients through all stages of the sales process to ensure you never miss important calls. You will also benefit from a complete database of customers' contacts, as well as have a history of past communication. The integration can also help evaluate the work of your client relationship managers.

Teamsale CRM

Zadarma offers free access and integration with the Teamsale CRM, to registered PBX users. Teamsale CRM can assist with automating all traditional customer management processes without any additional costs. The CRM system is fully integrated with Zadarma PBX phone solution. Teamsale CRM is easy to set up and is perfect for small to medium size businesses who wish to keep track of new, growing relationships with existing and potential clients and suppliers.

Video calling

Zadarma offers free video conferencing to all PBX users. To set up a video call, only one participant is required to register or be a Zadarma user. You can share the link provided to your colleague, partner or customer attending the conference call to commence the video call. Zadarma’s virtual communication solution has been commended for its ease in use and for its high quality conferencing facility, with simultaneous communication of up to 100 participants, screen and file sharing and unlimited conference time.

Setting up the cloud PBX is easy and can be done in a few minutes! Just follow the instructions here.

In conclusion

Businesses are increasingly introducing centralised cloud communication into their internal operations. Through leveraging a cloud PBX phone system like Zadarma’s you are set to enjoy the advantages of reduced costs and raised productivity, along with engaged customers and employees in the future. A PBX phone system is perfect for remote and virtual offices under one centralised communication solution, providing virtual phone number and toll free number connections to anywhere in the world.