A hosted PBX system can use a variety of IP (Internet Protocol) phones to operate. It can either be a hardware phone or a softphone. These phones are specifically designed to be used for VoIP calls and IP telephony.

Hardware IP Phone

An IP desk phone is a hardware type IP phone that looks and operates like a traditional phone. It is specifically designed to be used for VoIP calls. There is also a variety of IP Conference Phones available which are designed to be used in meeting rooms.

Softphone

An IP softphone is a software program that is installed onto a PC or laptop. It can also be a mobile app for use with a mobile phone. When connected to a suitable internet service, it is used to create a phone connection on the device. The device, either the computer or the mobile phone, uses its microphone and speakers to enable a conversation. A phone headset with both a microphone and head speakers may have to be used.

No. In both cases, either a hardware phone or softphone, can use a WiFi or 4G internet connection to make and receive phone calls. Please note that the hardware IP phone must have the feature to enable it to connect to a WiFi network. There are a number of Yealink models that are capable of doing that.

BusinessCo hosted PBX uses enterprise grade SIP trunks to enable phone calls. They offer a much higher level of service provision than traditional phone lines including ISDN services that rely on the copper network. However, call quality can be effected by the type of internet connection being used, quality of the LAN (Local Area Network) and the local router being utilised.

Loss of power usually means the internet goes down as well as no power to the IP phones. And that means you will not be able to make or receive phone calls. However, the benefit of a hosted PBX system is that you can program automatic failover when that occurs. As the actual PBX system is housed in a data centre in another location, the power failure does not effect it. It will still keep on operating and can be programmed to automatically route the incoming calls to another destination, which can be another office or a mobile number. That setting can be activated at any time by contacting our Customer Care Team.

Hosted PBX uses 100kbps, both upload and download, to make one continuous phone call without any interference. As a general rule, you should allocate 100kbps of bandwidth per extension. It is also advisable to invest in a good quality business router with a QoS feature.

Yes. BusinessCom has Local Number Portability (LNP) agreements with all the major carriers. Existing numbers can be ported (migrated) to our network from any type of phone line technology. Once ported, they will no longer be attached to a specific telephone exchange. This is of great benefit as the number will become fully portable and not restricted to a specific geographical area. And that means if you move premises, the number automatically moves with you.

No, as long as you don’t require the extensions to receive outside calls directly. Every extension is allocated an extension number within the hosted PBX system and there is no need to allocate a dedicated landline number. However, that means that all calls are received by the main PBX system and routed to a specific extension, which is usually the reception phone.

Both refer to the same type of service. Quite simply, as internet evolved over the years, new terminology appeared and became the 'newest' way of describing the technology.

Virtual PBX originates from virtual computing which allows users to access software applications remotely by using the internet. The PBX is essentially a piece of software housed in a data centre. It's accessed via the internet through the IP phone or a SoftPhone. In exactly the same way, Hosted PBX is a means of deploying a service via the internet where the software is hosted off premise by a provider.