Virtual PBX is a budget-friendly form of hosted VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) that usually only handles inbound calls. A virtual PBX is typically intended for small business VoIP customers with fewer than 10 employees and low-volume telephone traffic.
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What Is Virtual PBX?
A virtual PBX is an economy-class version of Hosted PBX. Hosted and virtual PBX systems are business VoIP PBX phone systems that transmit calls over the Internet as data.
A virtual PBX offers inexpensive business VoIP telephone service to small businesses. As with a hosted PBX phone systems, a virtual PBX is owned and maintained off-site by a VoIP service provider. A virtual PBX enables a small business telephone system to access enterprise-level features such as auto attendants and voicemail. With virtual PBX small business telephone systems, small start-ups, mom-and-pop shops, freelancers, and entrepreneurs can all present a professional image to vendors, investors, and customers.
Depending on the service provider, a virtual PBX phone system may require a separate phone service for outbound calls.
3CX offers a full-featured unified communications solution as a virtual PBX which can be easily installed and configured with PBX Express. It includes features such as status, chat, video conferencing, queues, apps for iOS and Android and more.
Virtual PBX Features
Virtual PBX phone systems offer lower costs and fewer features than hosted PBX phone services. Compared to hosted PBX small business telephone systems, virtual PBX service is limited to the most basic fundamentals of business-oriented call controls. Virtual PBX is geared toward simple inbound call-routing for SoHo offices with few personnel, small budgets, and limited calling needs. As with many hosted PBX calling services, most virtual PBX phone systems do not require a contract or term commitment.
Standard features offered with most virtual PBX plans are:
- Voicemail
- Auto attendant
- Unlimited call handling (no busy signals)
- Call forwarding
Limitations
Virtual PBX phone systems generally:
- Handle only inbound calls
- Offer a limited number of extensions
- May not include Fax over IP (FoIP) services
- Include a set amount of free minutes
- May not offer voicemail-to-email
- May not include international long-distance coverage
- May not offer Internet fax service
- May charge extra for conference calling
The features offered vary by virtual PBX VoIP provider. As VoIP service becomes a more common solution for small business telephone systems, many virtual PBX plan features are incorporating the more advanced features of hosted PBX phone systems. Compare plans and prices to determine the best virtual PBX solution.
Cost
Virtual PBX phone prices depend on a variety of factors, such as the features included. Virtual PBX phone service plans can start as low as $9.95 (Grasshopper) per month.
Virtual PBX Service Providers
Some virtual PBX providers include:
- 1 Asterisk PBX
- 3CX
- Asterisk SIP Trunking for Virtual Providers
- Callbrix
- ClearlyCore Inc.
- Elastix
- EZphone.Systems
- LazyPBX
- handSIP Virtual PBX
- Optivon
- SendMyCall
- Yuboto
- Zaplee
- Vozelia Telecom SL
- FastPBX
- 4PSA VoipNow
- PBX in a Flash
- Slingshot VoIP & Virtual PBX
- Cebodtelecom
- DIDforSale
- Alliance Phones
- RingRoost
- Voyced
- Melrose Labs CloudPBX
- Cloud-miniSipServer
- MYUC.ONECloud Skype for Business / Lync service
- Multitel Cloud Hosted PBX
- MondoTalk
- QuePhone
- QuickPBX
- RingCentral
- SendHub
- Vocalocity
- Grasshopper
- Telzio
- Thirdlane
- Toktumi
- Vital Telcom
- Voipstudio
- dOpenPBX $1 PBX
See more Virtual PBX providers
Many hosted VoIP PBX phone systems also offer virtual PBX service. The advantage of choosing a hosted VoIP service provider to provide virtual PBX phone services is adaptability: Small business phone systems that grow beyond the limits of a virtual PBX phone system can then easily upgrade to the more fully-featured hosted VoIP PBX phone systems, without the hassle of searching for a new PBX service provider.
March 2, 2023
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