Office Communications with a Multi-Tenant IP PBX Software
Since its launch in 2006, multi-tenant IP PBXs (IP Private Branch Exchange systems) have become extremely feasible and cost-effective solutions for businesses and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) providers all over the globe.
Multi-tenant IP PBX is a phone system that’s designed to handle multiple tenants or subscribers in different locations with a single instance of the software. Each tenant has access to their private phone system. In a multi-branch organization, every branch becomes a tenant and all tenants are connected by a single controlling unit.
This blog post discusses the top features of multi-tenant IP PBX phone systems, their multiple benefits for small and medium businesses, and the ways to find the right multi-tenant IP PBX system for your business.
Features of multi-tenant IP PBX phone system
Multi-tenant IP PBX software is equipped with several sophisticated features such as:
Auto attendant: This feature greets callers, provides information, and routes them to the appropriate destination.
Auto-provisioning: The feature enables you to create, grant access, and delete user accounts based on your business needs. It ensures easy integration with any VoIP phone.
BLF and presence: The feature helps in knowing if an agent is available to take calls and also monitors the real-time status of users.
Call blocking: This feature blocks calls from unwanted numbers or call types.
Call forwarding: It forwards calls to another extension or even a mobile device.
Caller ID: It enables users to view the name and number of incoming callers before they answer the calls.
Call recording: This monitors and records calls for quality assurance and training purposes.
DID management: Direct Inward Dialing management enables callers to call specific extensions or PBX systems without an operator.
Group call pickup: This feature allows users to answer incoming calls intended for other users within their group or department.
IVR system: Interactive Voice Response combines pre-recorded messages or text-to-speech technology to enable callers to access information and choose the right options without a live agent.
Least cost routing (LCR): This feature routes the calls through providers which cost the least.
Multilingual support: It supports automatic language detection for incoming calls, which allows users to switch to the appropriate language automatically.
Multi-tenant support: The phone system enables users to provide hosted services on their servers to their clients.
Prepaid and postpaid billing: It allows easy management of all billings with automatic invoicing.
Payment gateway integration: The software is integrated with various payment gateways options such as PayPal, Stripe, and CCAvenue.
SIP-based calling: Session Initiation Protocol calling account enables users to make incoming and outgoing voice calls, video calls, and text messages.
Gateway/trunk management: This feature allows system administrators to manage multiple trunks (lines) across multiple tenants.
Unified messaging: This allows users to access all their messages, such as voicemail, email, and faxes, from a single interface, which makes it easier to stay organized.
Benefits of multi-tenant IP PBX phone system for small and medium features
The sophisticated features of multi-tenant IP PBX phone systems help in empowering the company’s communication system. That enables multi-tenant IP PBX phone systems to have the following benefits.
Enhanced productivity
The features provided by multi-tenant IP PBX software enhance productivity by many folds. By automating communication processes, multi-tenant IP PBX software enables customer service agents and employees to save a lot of their time and helps them to focus on several other important tasks.
The communication system also removes all barriers to the communication process, which enhances productivity.
Cost-effective and higher ROI
Multi-tenant IP PBX phone system is extremely cost-effective. It’s easy to install, manage, operate, and maintain. It doesn’t need any specialized hardware or cabling and wiring. It can be easily integrated with the existing communication system and it’s good to go.
When it comes to call tariffs, internal calls can be made free of cost. It also reduces the cost of local and international calls by 50-90 percent. Apart from reducing phone bills, a multi-tenant IP PBX phone system also considerably enhances a business’s return on investment (ROI). Enhanced productivity, efficiency, collaboration, and cost-effectiveness play a huge role in increasing the ROI.
Improved collaboration
Multi-tenant IP PBX solution improves collaboration by supporting multiple branches working under a centralized system. By using a multi-tenant IP PBX system, businesses can access a shared IP network, which enables seamless communication between team members, departments, business partners, and customers.
This plays a huge role in increasing collaboration and enhancing customer service. The advanced features of multi-tenant IP PBX can enable employees, customers, and channel partners to stay connected with each other.
Robust security
Multi-tenant IP PBXs ensure greater security and confidentiality for every defined sub-tenant. That’s why they offer more reliable and secure infrastructure compared to their single-tenant counterparts.
As multi-tenant IP PBX systems efficiently segment tenants (each tenant is isolated from one another), they succeed in securing the data and conversations and keeping them separate from each other.
Multi-tenant IP PBXs also provide added security, as each tenant is isolated, providing a higher level of data protection. They provide robust security through a combination of measures, which include:
- Authentication and authorization measures: These ensure that only authorized users can access the system and its resources.
- Encryption: It ensures that data remains secure during transmission over public networks.
- Firewalls: It safeguards the system from external threats.
- Intrusion prevention system: It detects and prevents malicious activities.
Flexibility and scalability
Multi-tenant IP PBX systems are extremely flexible and scalable. Even though they are designed to accommodate multiple tenants on one platform, they can be easily customized to meet the specific needs of each tenant. This enables tenants to customize their communication system as per their unique needs.
Apart from that, multiple tenants can access the same capabilities and features without having to separate hardware and software in each environment.
Multi-tenant IP PBX systems are extremely scalable. They can easily accommodate new users and features as per business requirements. They can be easily scaled up during peak and busy seasons and scaled-down during lean seasons.
How to choose right multi-tenant IP PBX solution for your business?
If you’re planning to buy a multi-tenant IP PBX phone system, then you must make sure that you get the most suitable one as per your budget and business needs. Here are the following steps that’ll help you find the right multi-tenant IP PBX solution for your business.
Determine your business’s needs and set a budget
First thing first, before looking for a multi-tenant IP PBX system, you must identify your business’s needs. How many users will use the system? What features do you want in the system? Will you need to scale up or down the number of users? Do you want a customized solution?
After finding answers to the above questions, set a reasonable budget for the multi-tenant IP PBX system. When you make the right calculation and invest the right amount, the return is much higher. But if you miscalculate the cost or cut corners, then you won’t get the desired results.
Research multi-tenant IP PBX systems
The next step is to look for a wide range of multi-tenant IP PBX systems and compare the features, functionalities, and prices to get the best solution. In the highly-saturated market, you will get many options. The internet can help you look for a wide range of solutions and make an informed decision.
Type search terms such as “multi-tenant IP PBX for small businesses,” “top multi-tenant IP PBX solution providers,” or “multi-tenant IP PBX development services.” You can also search for location-specific results such as “multi-tenant IP PBX solutions in Canada,” “multi-tenant IP PBX systems in the UK,” and “multi-tenant IP PBX in the US.”
Compare features and solutions
After getting the search results for the above search terms, click on the top results on the first page of the search engine and compare different solutions with each other. You may find some websites of aggregators such as Software Suggest or G2, in which you will find a list of 10-20 solution providers along with their features, pros and cons, pricing plans, reviews, and ratings.
Contact shortlisted service providers
Contact shortlisted service providers and ask them more about their products, features, flexibility, scalability, support options, and security mechanisms. By contacting multi-tenant IP PBX service providers, you will also find out whether or not they provide a free demo. If they do, then introduce the multi-tenant IP PBX system to your team and seek their feedback. If everything is fine, then consider buying it.
By and large
Multi-tenant IP PBX phone system has facilitated two-way or three-way conferences between teams as well as between agents and customers. It also enables seamless communication among executives in one branch (location) and executives in a different branch and the other way round.
With a sophisticated multi-tenant IP PBX system, routing calls to the right individuals becomes efficient and automated, which results in faster communication and resolution. That’s why choosing the right service provider can make a lot of difference. If you are looking for a reliable multi-tenant IP PBX system, do your research and select a company that has years of experience and a proven track record.
