10 Reasons to choose Vox Office™
1. Software based PBX
Although there have always been plenty of PBXs to choose from, they were all fundamentally the same. Hardware based, proprietary and expensive to acquire and maintain.
But now there is an alternative. VOX Office is software based, supports open standards and is inexpensive to acquire and maintain.
2. Hardware Platform
VOX ships on standard Intel server hardware unlike solutions from companies such as Cisco or Avaya . This is significant for two key reasons. First, VOX users are not locked into a specific, proprietary hardware platform with its attendant expensive upgrades and maintenance. Second, VOX users can specify the level of resilience they require rather than just accept a manufacturer’s offering. Resilience could mean a second power supply, RAID, UPS and/or a warm standby server. Or alternatively, it could mean a cheap, low-end box with none of these features. The point is that you, the customer, get to make the decision.
3. Operating system
VOX runs on the Linux operating system generally recognised as the most robust, industrial strength OS available. Far less prone to viruses that any Windows variant and more widely supported than embedded operating systems like VoxWorks which is used by 3Com in their NBX range. The choice of the Linux OS has effectively been endorsed by Cisco’s recent announcement (Mar ’06) that its Call Manager v5 release will support SIP.
4. Handsets
VOX Office supports any SIP compliant handset although Soft Telecom does advise clients on particular models which we believe offer the best price/performance ratios. This approach contrasts with that of most vendors who insist on their own proprietary handsets being used. The same argument as for proprietary platforms applies ie that they are more expensive to purchase and more expensive to maintain and/or replace.
5. Expansion capability
VOX Office expands one user at a time if necessary without changing the basic platform on which the service is delivered. This is in sharp contrast to the approach taken by other vendors. For example, IP Office from Avaya ships in 5 different versions including Small Office Edition, IP403 Office, IP 406 Office v2 and IP 412Office. So if you outgrow one version it means upgrading to the next and dealing with the disruption to your business not to mention the additional cost.
6. So much software
The VOX Office suite includes all the software you will need to set-up and manage a state-of-the-art phone system for your organisation including
- VOX Office web-based user interface
- VOX Office web-based administrator interface
- VOX for Windows, win 32 desktop productivity application
- VOX Reporting tool to build detailed, custom reports
- VOX Queue monitor lets you see what’s happening in call queues
7. Built-in tariff manager
VOX Office includes a built-in tariff manager which costs each and every outbound call as it is made. The tariff manager provides companies with a detailed analysis of their phone costs all the way down to the individual user. For financial controllers it offers a simple check on the accuracy of the phone bill provided by the telco and a way of allocating costs accurately to departments, groups or projects.
No other IP PBX that we are aware of provides this functionality. It is available from third party application providers as an add-on service. However, like every add-on service it comes with an additional price tag.
8. Voicemail
VOX Office delivers voicemail to your handset, your web browser, and your email address. There is no limit to the number of simultaneous voicemails messages that can be left and the service is delivered as part of the VOX Office solution.
Proprietary solution providers deliver voicemail with a range of caveats, exceptions and limitations. IP Office from Avaya includes basic voicemail but offers an upgrade to Voicemail Pro. Nortel’s BCM solution requires Call Pilot to deliver voicemail. Cisco Call manager is limited to 4-16 concurrent sessions depending on the option chosen and 14 to 100 hours of voicemail storage again depending on the particular model chosen.
9. Call queue services
VOX Office delivers call centre functionality at no extra charge. This includes the ability to set up and manage call queues to work the way you want them to work. It also includes queue monitoring and reporting so that managers can see what’s happening in their call queues in real time and over time. Observe how agents are handling calls, calls volumes and rates of abandonment.
This functionality has traditionally not been available for SME’s as it is completely out of the price range of such companies. Cisco deliver contact management services through their Cisco IP Contact Center solution. Avaya deliver call center support through their Compact Contact Center offering. 3Com offers its Exchange Call Center Solution as an add-on to its NBX IP Telephony platform.
10. Call recording
VOX Office delivers call recording as an integrated part of the platform. No other IP PBX vendor does the same. Call recording functionality is typically delivered as a third party solution which means you first have to buy it and then integrate it into the PBX.