Advantages of IP PBX in hotels

Every industry faces disruption from technological advances, and the hotel and hospitality industry is no exception. With the rapid adoption of smartphones, the need for more app-based services has become clear. There are services that offer hotel rooms by the hour and offer short-term booking to help the business traveler. With the range of service offerings expanding, hotels and those in the hospitality industry need to stay on the leading edge of communications technology to continue to offer top quality customer service. Hosted PBX systems are one solution that can help integrate lots of features into a single, cloud-based communications platform.

Advantages of IP PBX in Hotels

Since becoming the de facto standard in data communications over the last decade, IP has been heralded as the new frontier for voice communications. While VoIP technology adoption has been rapid amongst enterprise users, hotels are just beginning to see the benefits of bringing their PBX onto an existing broadband connection. What are the advantages of IP PBX systems in hotels?

Cost savings

For most adopters, the key reason to transition to IP PBX systems is cost savings. As data communications users have long understood, IP offers free communications. Calls are no longer transmitted via the PSTN, but through a broadband internet connection, avoiding PSTN tolls and charges.

Many functions, one architecture

Another significant benefit of an IP PBX is the ability to converge many services onto one common architecture. Regardless of the number of worldwide offices a company has, it only have to invest into one PBX system to handle remote access, data routing, and unified messaging. The single network architecture means less equipment and easier integration for IT staff. Communication between branches, whether across states or countries, can be easily achieved by dialling an extension number.

Flexible integration of applications

Often, technology adoption is slowed by the fear that future applications will suffer compatibility problems with the IP PBX . IP PBX manufacturers have eliminated this concern by adopting a common protocol, ensuring that users can choose from a wide range of applications into the future, retaining the capital investment in their new IP PBX.

Simplified remote management&maintenance

With voice and data merged onto one common IP network, the need to maintain separate networks is eliminated, and remote management of the PBX becomes possible, with the right equipment. With an IP PBX, yearly maintenance contracts are not required.

Hospitality-specific feature sets add value

The hospitality industry is key for IP PBX manufacturers. It is a highly specialized telephony market that represents approximately 30 percent of total telephony capacity. This is evident in the hospitality-specific feature sets now available on the market. Features include intelligent speech recognition for more efficient guest services, and in-building wireless communications.

Clearly, the transition to IP PBX systems offers great promise to hotels. IP systems deliver advanced communications that enhance the guest experience, improve customer service and optimize operational productivity and costs.