Cloud PBX: what it is and how to choose one
A cloud PBX does what the PBX in the cupboard used to do (extensions, transfers, voicemail, routing) but lives on the internet: no box to buy, update or repair.
Cloud PBX or on-site PBX?
The features are the same; what changes is where they live and who looks after them.
- On-site: a box in the office, with maintenance, updates and dedicated lines
- Cloud: no box, configured from the browser and working from any site
- With the cloud the extension follows the person: office, home or on the road
What do you need to use it?
Very little, and you probably have it already.
- A stable connection: about 100 kbit/s for each simultaneous call
- Desk IP phones, a softphone on the computer or mobile, or just the browser
- One SIP account per desk, created from the portal
Extensions, routing and voicemail
You decide where every number rings, step by step, without calling an engineer.
- Ring one or more extensions together
- Then forward to a mobile or another number
- Finally voicemail with an e-mail alert
How much does a cloud PBX cost?
With Vohippo there is no fee for the PBX itself: you pay for traffic, per second, and the extra services have a stated price.
- Calls billed per second from the first second, no connection fee on listed destinations
- Virtual numbers with a monthly or yearly fee, inbound calls included
- Recording €0.02 per call, extra simultaneous channels €0.50 per month
How to choose the provider: a checklist
Before you sign, ask these questions. The answers tell you what you will really pay and how protected you will be.
- Per-second billing or rounded to the minute? Is there a connection fee?
- Can I use my company number as caller ID?
- Can I set spending limits and enabled countries, to block fraud?
- Is there a portal where I see every call and cost, and change settings myself?
- When I have a problem, who answers and how?
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep the phones I already have?
Yes, if they are IP phones that speak SIP: you register them on the portal's accounts. Analogue phones work through a SIP adapter.
Does it work if I work from home?
Yes: the extension registers over the internet, wherever there is a connection, with no VPN.
How many extensions can I have?
As many as you need: each SIP account is an extension, with its own channels, caller ID and limits.
Can I connect the PBX I already have?
Yes: if you already run an IP PBX (Asterisk, FreePBX, 3CX) you can use Vohippo as a SIP trunk.
Let's talk: the demo is given by a person, not a video
One of our operators walks you through the portal live and answers the questions that matter for your case. If you would rather write, we are on WhatsApp.
Signing up is free and with no commitment: we credit your account with trial credit so you can make your test calls.