The short answer
For most small and mid-size businesses, a cloud phone system costs less over time than buying an on-site PBX, mainly because there is no hardware to buy, maintain or replace. An on-site PBX can still make sense for large sites with special call-handling needs or existing equipment with years of life left.
What you pay for with an on-site PBX
- The PBX hardware and licenses up front
- Desk phones that work with that system
- Phone lines or SIP trunks from a carrier every month
- Maintenance contracts, programming changes and eventual replacement
- Battery backup, rack space and someone who knows how it works
What you pay for with cloud VoIP
- A monthly cost per line or user
- Desk phones, or no desk phones at all if staff use the mobile and desktop apps
- A solid internet connection, ideally with a backup
- Setup: number porting, call flows, auto attendant and hunt groups
Costs people forget
With a PBX, the hidden cost is the next upgrade and the vendor you depend on for every change. With cloud VoIP, the hidden cost is a weak network: poor Wi-Fi or a single internet connection can make calls choppy. That is why we look at the network and cabling during a phone project, not just the phones.
Where Verizon One Talk fits
One Talk puts your business number on desk phones, mobile phones and a desktop app, with an auto attendant and hunt groups managed online. As a Verizon partner, Strategix sets it up, ports your numbers and trains your staff. You do not have to be a Verizon customer today. See Verizon One Talk setup or ask for a quote.