Cost of Legacy PBX
Despite the evolution of modernized business communications over the past decade, many businesses still use legacy, on-premise PBX systems. What you may not realize is that a legacy PBX is not only an inconvenience; it can actually cost your company money.
Legacy or not, a PBX phone system is the backbone of operations and a core investment. It can be difficult to know when it is time to replace such an important piece of equipment – especially if your business is centralized around communications. This article will explain how to identify that your PBX is outdated, and explore some of the key reasons that you should upgrade.
Related: How can a Cloud PBX system help my business?
How Do You Know That Your PBX Is Outdated?
Just because your existing PBX still works doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t consider upgrading to a cloud-based phone system. If your business is experiencing any of the following issues, it may be a sign that your system is outdated:
Trouble Expanding to New Locations
Legacy PBX systems become costly when trying to expand into new territory. Opening a new location and connecting with older branches means paying for long distance telephone calls. This can become expensive depending on the location of your new offices. Upgrading your PBX to a cloud-based solution will provide you with remote extensions and provide you with affordable VoIP calling rates.
Limited Ability to Work Remotely
Is the inability to take work with you outside of the office affecting your productivity? It may be time to consider a VoIP phone system solution.
The problem with legacy PBX systems is that they are not designed with the flexibility to take your wherever you go because of the hardware they require. Today’s cloud PBX phone systems do not require any hardware, allowing them to be used wherever there is a reliable Internet connection.
Limited Features and Functionality
Customer service may be limited with your current PBX due to the lack of features it has to offer. An upgraded PBX can provide you with call statistics, call recording and other features that are useful for maintaining the level of service required for a successful business. You may find yourself at a competitive disadvantage while many other companies are reaping the benefits of their added features.
Why Should You Upgrade to a Cloud PBX System?
Don’t put your business in jeopardy by hanging on to an outdated system. Legacy technology not only hurts your wallet; it also puts your business at a high risk. Unexpected outages, underestimated expenses and the inability to keep up with competitors are just a few.
Avoid Unplanned Outages and Downtime
Unplanned downtime can result in a massive loss of revenue. Recent studies report that large businesses can lose millions of dollars a year as a result of network outages. That is an incredible amount of money to be losing on a problem that can be avoided. The risk for outages is much higher for businesses with legacy PBX systems; if disaster strikes and there is no cloud-based backup, the entire system will not work. It can take days of physical repair to resolve downtime issues, and your business can’t afford to be offline for that long.
No Problems with Discontinued Hardware
What do you do when the equipment you need to keep your business running doesn’t exist anymore? Using a legacy PBX means you run the risk of relying on hardware the may very well become obsolete. Even if you are able to find the required hardware, the lifetime of the new equipment may not be long enough to make the investment worthwhile.
When you move your PBX system to the cloud, the need for hardware – let alone legacy hardware – disappears. All you need to use most modern, cloud-based phone systems is a laptop, a phone and a reliable Internet connection.
No More High Upgrade and Maintenance Costs
Upgrading your legacy system is a major investment. And in some cases, the expense can be more than it would cost to move to the cloud. In addition to the high cost, the ability to find parts becomes increasingly challenging and the number of trained technicians who have the knowledge to perform the work decreases.
Just because your legacy PBX is reaching its expiration date doesn’t mean your business has to suffer. Upgrading your communications system promotes growth, increases productivity and saves your business money.
