There's no doubt that a hotel's phone system is crucial to its success. Hospitality businesses demand a reliable and affordable means of accommodating both internal and external calls. Traditionally, hotel PBX phone systems have been the norm, but this may not be the case for much longer. As technology evolves, a growing number of hotel proprietors are making the switch to VoIP telephony. So what's the right decision for your business? To help you make your decision, here's a closer look at the capabilities of both PBX and VoIP phone systems for hotels.
PBX - Tried and True, or a Thing of the Past?
Since the early 1960s, Private Branch Exchange (PBX) telephone systems have been a staple in the hospitality industry. Although these traditional, wired systems have certainly evolved throughout the decades, the reliability of PBX voice transmissions has ensured that no major changes have been made to its basic functions or infrastructure. Despite this, advancements in technology have altered the way in which we communicate, and hotel PBX phone systems are being left in the dust. But why is this happening?
For starters, PBX systems are more expensive to install and operate than newer, IP telephony. Additionally, the burden of maintaining thousands of feet of voice and data cable is far less favorable than a wireless system, both for proprietors and hotel guests. PBX phone systems tend to be less scalable than their counterparts, and updating information on each individual phone in your facility can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Hotel PBX phone systems were originally developed as a means of enabling businesses to save money, improve functionality, and simplify services, but we have now reached the point at which this is no longer possible. Our growing need for faster, more efficient, and more economical communications services has surpassed the limits of PBX technology.
VoIP is the Way of the Future
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony is able to close the gap between the capabilities of PBX systems and the evolving needs of the hospitality industry. For both hotels which are first starting out, and those that are making plans to upgrade their phone systems, VoIP is, by far, the more cost-effective option. Consider the fact that most hotels utilize the same phone system for between 10 and 20 years. With experts estimating that landlines and older PBX technologies will be completely extinct by the end of the decade, it stands to reason that VoIP is the smarter choice, in terms of longevity. It is also cheaper to make phone calls through VoIP. This is because calls are routed via your high-speed internet connection, rather than through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Ultimately, hotels can save as much as 40-60% on their telecom bills by switching to VoIP telephony.
In addition, hotel PBX phone systems offer a far more comprehensive and convenient communications solution. If the name or phone number of your hotel restaurant changes, for example, web-based controls will allow you to instantaneously update the information on all guest phones with a few clicks of a button. With an older analog system, you would have been required to physically switch out the paper labels on every single unit. These same web controls make it possible for hotel management to view guest information directly from the phone's caller ID read-out, and are far more user-friendly than traditional systems. And as more and more business professionals are beginning to prefer VoIP to traditional phone networks, you'll find that hotel VoIP phone systems will be greatly appreciated in your facility's business center and conference rooms.
Are you ready to find out how hotel PBX systems could improve your business?