PBX has been the tried and true solution for office communication over the past several decades. However, in recent years, PBX alone has not been able to provide the range of services that many businesses need. PBX systems have also become increasingly difficult to integrate with other communication services, and finding a product that is compatible with existing PBX lines can be time consuming and expensive. Microsoft’s Phone System is an add on to O365 that gives you PBX capabilities without the complicated and expensive equipment..

Phone System in Office 365 is compatible with Skype for Business, and it can complete basic tasks such as making and receiving calls as well as federated calling. It’s available worldwide in areas with internet access. In addition to basic calling features, Phone System has Auto Attendant, which is a feature used to create a menu system for your organization that lets external and internal callers move through a menu system to locate and place or transfer calls to company users or departments in your organization. Auto Attendant ensures incoming calls get to the right employee and connects the caller more quickly, thus reducing wait times and increasing efficiency.

For busy employees and those who travel frequently, Audio Conferencing in Phone System makes it easy to attend meetings, even if they’re out of the office. Though the Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams app is certainly an option to dial into a meeting, sometimes it’s not very convenient for someone on-the-go. Apps require internet connectivity and the call quality may not be consistent depending on the strength of the signal. With Audio Conferencing, anyone can dial in from their mobile phone, and they won’t be asked to provide licenses or set-up an account. Access to the toll-free number will allow them to dial in, and join the meeting instantly from the airport, car, or wherever it is that they need to take the call.

Phone System also offers call analytics which is a tool that helps troubleshoot issues with call quality. In the admin center, Phone System users get full access to call history and detailed pages not only showing who a call was with and when it occurred, but the quality of the connection during the call as well. Help desk agents can also assist users to resolve quality and connection of calls, while maintaining the privacy of call log information should the user not wish to share that information.

Through increased efficiency, more calling and conference options, as well as troubleshooting solutions, Microsoft Phone System provides a wide variety a features that a PBX alone simply cannot match, and without all the cost and complexity. In a world of fast-paced business, a phone system that streamlines communications and allows employees access to calls and meetings from whenever they are is no longer a luxury, it’s essential. To learn more about Microsoft Phone System and how it improve your office communications, click here.