IP PBX 'offers savings up to 40%'

Businesses which switch to an IP PBX (private branch exchange) from a conventional system can save up to 40 per cent in telecoms costs, a new report has claimed.

Author Carl Potter, communications research director at Bloor Research, explained that the exact amount of savings is dependant on "how bad things were" before the switch.

He said that firms which have a number of premises spread over various locations, have old PBX systems and require a large amount of communications tend to best from deploying an IP PBX system.

"They gain from lower cost of ownership and simplified management and lower cost VoIP calls and also improved communications between sites and with customers and suppliers etc," Mr Potter claimed.

He added that, "depending on the scale of project and commitment", savings compared with a conventional PBX can range from four to 40 per cent.

Hosted IP PBX solutions can help smaller businesses who cannot afford the initial outlay and maintenance costs of a traditional IP PBX system, the marketing director of Bandwidth.com, Samuel Schneider, said last month.