A private branch exchange or PBX phone system is a major part of how many businesses have switched from the traditional multi-line systems that used to pad the pockets of local phone providers, to newer and more dynamic systems that allow multi-line functionality without the cost of buying additional phone lines from a landline vendor. As private branch exchange systems have emerged, they have allowed businesses to route calls within an office, without buying a large number of extra phone lines in order to help outside callers reach a ‘direct number’ – over time, PBX systems have gotten ‘smarter,’ with new digital tools replacing old analog switches and converters.
Now there’s an option for even more intelligent PBX: a range of data capture and storage tools, along with neat new visual interfaces, are adding a whole lot to what businesses can do with these innovative multi-line telephony architectures.
So what does it mean to upgrade to an ‘intelligent PBX?’ There are a number of ways in which investing in new voice-over-IP technology can make an office phone system more capable and sophisticated, based on some of the newest trends around building a system that serves an enterprise and its clients better.
Intelligent PBX can be one element of a system that spans traditional telephony networks, the Internet, and other kinds of local networks that help provide different kinds of call handling and processing. For instance, individual workstation voice-over-IP phones can be attached to a call handling queue that helps to connect callers accurately. Some of these networks may include a traditional landline for call origination, also utilizing Internet protocol to handle or store data.
Intelligent PBX can also be connected to instant messaging or other messaging components. In addition, some vendors offer their own innovative visual platforms for customer relationship management and other resources that can be built into the visual displays of the IP phones, embedded in software and solutions, or otherwise integrated into a PBX environment.
Great PBX systems also often include different kinds of categorization and storage protocols for data, to allow for data mining that can help business leaders plan for the future of a business by knowing more about what’s sold, what customers are saying, and who is patronizing the business.
Clearly, some of the newest software packages and other technologies, including networking resources, are helping to develop a kind of private branch exchange system that incorporates a lot of those elements that would have been referred to as ‘artificial intelligence’ not more than a few years ago. Industry experts would say it’s not a misnomer to consider these advanced enterprise systems to be intelligent in nature, and excellent for assisting business leaders who want to compete in fast-paced markets and industries, grow a business, and operate from an informed basis.
Justin Stoltzfus is a freelance writer covering technology and business solutions at Techopedia and Business Finance Store, as well as Ringio, focusing on emerging trends in IT services.
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