Weighing the Options
Recently,
there has been debate over whether or not on-premise PBX is the more
viable option for small businesses. As telecommunications is an
essential component for most businesses in today’s economy, the question
as to which PBX system to choose is an important one. Considering
budget and efficiency, businesses looking to install a VoIP system
should examine the following five arguments, weighing the pros and cons
of both situations to establish which cicrumstance satisfies the
business’ needs:
- Cost of Ownership -- Businesses looking to purchase a VoIP system may opt to pay for their service monthly or through a large, one-time investment. While many businesses believe small monthly payments to be the affordable choice, business owners almost always discover that an up-front investment pays for itself over the course of one-to-two years, saving money in the end.
- Functionality –Hosted IP PBX often comes pre-bundled with features and ad-ons, whereas on-premise PBX is flexible and unrestrained by monthly service charges. With this said, depending on the business’ intent, a hosted PBX solution may be the cheapest route; it all depends on the specificity of the system in place.
- Customization –Similar to the functionality of the system, businesses need to consider where customizations will be performed and how this will affect the business. Hosted systems are maintained by the service provider, which may lead to delays, restrictions, and other obstacles. On the other hand, on-premise PBX is perfect for companies expecting growth, as adjustments can be made easily to match the business’ varying climate.
- User Experience – In terms of data traffic, on-premise PBX systems will always prioritize. Although there are devices to improve the data quality on a hosted system, such upgrades may be expensive. Besides this concern, the interface remains practically the same.
- Technical Support – Simply stated: if your business does not have tech support in-house, hosted PBX will be the better option. If there are not staff members available to operate and maintain the system, the business may face a variety of troubleshooting scenarios without resolution. In saying this, with on-premise PBX, upgrading, customizing, and servicing can be tended to without waiting in a que.
See the full post on the VoIPITS Blog!
