Overview

For decades, most corporate phone systems were powered by on-premise PBX hardware.

Legacy PBX systems once provided key advantages, but those benefits are now outweighed by major cost drawbacks and severely limited functionality. Traditional PBX hardware is inflexible and lacks the scalability to adapt to the ebb and flow of business. It hinders true mobile device integration and the seamless connectivity of remote workers and multiple locations. Additionally, onsite hardware requires a significant upfront investment that is expensive to maintain. Simply put, on-premise PBX phone systems are cost-prohibitive and impede even the most basic forms of modern communication.

Enter RingCentral.

An early innovator of cloud communications, RingCentral saw a new way to revolutionize business PBX using the power of the cloud. They developed a virtual PBX (also known as cloud, hosted, or IP PBX) solution, which has all of the benefits of traditional PBX—voice, fax, voicemail, extensions, conferencing, paging, intercom calling, etc.—without the expense and limitations of hardware such as trunks and swtiches. And with RingCentral Office®, virtual PBX now offers key advantages over legacy systems. Advanced PBX features such as complete mobile integration, business SMS, and online meetings with screen sharing enable businesses to compete in the new world of work.

Benefits of virtual PBX

RingCentral ensures that your data is safe from security breaches and disruptions caused by natural disasters

Maximize uptime and safeguard your data.

  • On-premise PBX systems do offer some measure of security, since they are physically controlled by a specialized IT team or service business vendors. However, it is precisely this environment that leaves your phone PBX vulnerable to a security breach or natural disaster. A virtual PBX eliminates these threats.
  • RingCentral’s cloud PBX is housed in bi-coastal, Tier 1 data centers and features multiple layers of redundancy, failover technology, physical and biometric security, encryption, system hardening, and 24/7 monitoring. With RingCentral, your valuable company data and communications are protected by enterprise-grade security.
  • Ensure business continuity during emergencies or disruptions. In the event of a power outage, inclement weather, or a major disaster in your area, your operations can continue without interruption. With the RingCentral mobile app, employees can call, fax, text, and host conference calls and online meetings using their smartphones or tablets. Even if internet service is unavailable or of low quality, the mobile app can use cellular voice and data networks.
  • Maximize uptime and quality of service (QoS) for your phone PBX with carrier-grade reliability. What does “carrier-grade reliability” really mean? RingCentral’s operations are co-located in world-class data centers with all of the major US telecom companies, so response times and interconnect services are the same as those provided by the titans of telecommunications.
RingCentral virtual PBX spares you from the expensive capex, maintenance costs, and excessive billing from similar providers

Lower overall costs and increase ROI.

  • Eliminating on-premise PBX hardware reduces initial capex as well as the long-term, hidden costs of maintenance and expansion. With RingCentral’s business PBX, you don’t have to shoulder the burden of hardware upgrades and upkeep. Your state-of-the art cloud communications system is continually updated to deliver the latest in communications technologies.
  • The simplicity of cloud PBX means there are no “sunk costs,” so you’re spared the expense of specialized IT staff or outside vendors. Legacy systems require onsite support for everything from troubleshooting to adding new extensions, and manufacturer-specific training is required to service these devices. With RingCentral, you can manage the entire system online—no obscure certifications required.
  • RingCentral Office is simple to use and easy to manage. Each user can modify powerful features such as call handling, voicemail, greetings, and much more without IT assistance—so they (and the IT team) can be more productive.
  • Avoid convoluted billing. Choose a single provider for all your business communications, and receive one bill for all users, locations, and features. VoIP system, mobile minutes, fax, text, voicemail, conferencing, online meetings, the virtual receptionist, and desktop and mobile apps—everything is included in one low, monthly cost.
Work remotely with RingCentral's always on, always mobile capabilities and features

Connect multiple locations and mobile and remote workers.

  • Unite geographically dispersed locations, in-office staff, and remote workers into a single, seamless communications system. Employees in India can text or fax their colleagues in Indiana. The team in the UK can have online meetings with their US counterparts. RingCentral Office bridges distance, enabling collaboration among teams situated around the world.
  • An IP PBX allows for complete integration of mobile devices. With the RingCentral mobile app, smartphones and tablets are integrated and have all the functionality of a business phones service’s system: voice, text, fax, conferencing, online meetings, and access to the corporate directory. Users make and receive phone calls and texts using their extensions or direct numbers, and they can use company-issued or personal mobile devices, ideal for BYOD initiatives.
  • Employees can make and receive phone calls using the main business number or their direct line, regardless of which device they use: a desk phone, a personal or corporate smartphone, desktop, their home telephone, or even a hotel phone (with RingCentral’s RingOut® feature).
Whether you're working in a home office, a shophouse, or a corporate tower, RingCentral has the right solution for you

Choose a solution that can flexibly adapt and scale to business needs.

  • Get new phone numbers, locations, phone lines, and extensions up and running the same day. With the free RingCentral desktop and mobile apps, your cloud business PBX doesn’t require hardware like the systems of yesteryear, so you don’t have to wait for equipment to be shipped and installed before you can start working.
  • From the admin portal or using the RingCentral mobile app, you’re able to add permanent or temporary employees, and purchase devices to the system immediately and change group or individual user settings just as quickly. Spend less time on admin tasks and focus on mission-critical ones.
  • Accommodating sales staff who are always on the go or people who work at client sites or from home offices is smart business. Unlike traditional PBX systems, RingCentral Office provides your employees with the freedom and the flexibility to work more efficiently, no matter where they are. When people are empowered to work where and how they choose, their productivity increases—and so does your company’s bottom line.