Cloud PBX
A cloud PBX is a business phone system whose PBX software runs in the provider's data center rather than the office and is used over the internet.
A cloud PBX is a phone system model in which PBX features such as extensions, transfers, menus, queues and recording run on the provider's servers, and the business uses them through a web console and apps. It is often used interchangeably with virtual PBX; the word "cloud" stresses where the system runs, meaning the provider carries the installation and operations work. Its opposite is an on-premises PBX running in the office or on the business's own server. IP PBX, on the other hand, describes the technology: an IP PBX can be on-premises or in the cloud.
How it works
Lines reach the provider's platform from your carrier over a SIP trunk, or the number is ported to the provider. Staff connect with desk IP phones, mobile apps or a browser-based softphone. Settings are managed in a web console, while software updates, redundancy and capacity are the provider's responsibility. Pricing is usually per user, per line or by usage.
Why it matters
A cloud PBX goes live without hardware investment or on-site maintenance, adding users as the team grows is simple, and remote staff use the same system as the office. Questions to ask when choosing one: where are data and recordings stored, can you keep your existing number, where do calls go if your internet connection drops, and which integrations are ready to use?
In Speakline
Speakline runs in the cloud. You can port your existing number or connect the line you already have with your carrier through BYOC. Business hours, IVR menus and routing rules are built in a visual call flow designer; agents have extensions and take calls in the browser. See Call center for details.