Internet Fax Glossary: VoIP Hosted PBX

This is a new type of product based on VoIP technology and can truly be classified as a "Hosted PBX." As with any true hosted PBX, a hosting company provides PBX service from outside the company. Incoming calls are answered at the hosting site and sent, via internet, to phones in a customer's business. This technology has high promise for future use, once early problems can be resolved. The biggest drawbacks today are call quality and reliability of service, since call quality and service levels are much higher on today's PSTN than they are over the internet. Another major problem today for most VoIP systems is that businesses work hard to protect their computers and networks from outside attacks with firewall and other security technology. VoIP systems must have an opening for calls to be routed through firewalls, making them difficult to configure and install. An additional problem with a hosted PBX based on VoIP technology is that implementation requires someone inside the customer's business to learn a lot of new terms and methods.