Hosted IP PBX transforming VoIP landscape

Small and medium-sized businesses are replacing their circuit-based telephone switchboards with internet-based private branch exchanges (IP PBXs), a trend that is "transforming" the telephony landscape.

That is according to TMCnet, which suggested that IP PBX allows companies to get the most benefit from communications over both local and wide-area networks.

"With widespread proliferation of VoIP in the telephony world, SMBs are quickly tapping the benefits IP telephony," said the site's contributing editor Ashok Bindra.

IP PBX is interoperable with the public switched telephone network, meaning that businesses can deliver voice and video over a data network, while seamlessly using VoIP for long-distance calling as well.

The system also enables added functionality without massively inflating price, with conferencing, live calls and interactive voice response all easy to add.

Earlier this week, Filipino company VoiceOne Asia claimed that business VoIP solutions offer cost savings to companies of all sizes and allow firms to acquire an edge over their competitors.