Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone systems have been in business since the early 1960s. They have evolved to better provide for the needs of companies as they adapt and grow with new technologies and changing business communication methods. Although an accurate PBX system, in the traditional sense, is rarely seen in businesses today, the underlying principle for our modern hosted VoIP systems is based on these early business telephone networks. Let’s explore the history of PBX phone systems and how they have changed over time.
The first PBX phone systems were large, expensive, and required a dedicated operator to manage calls. These early systems were typically only found in large businesses or organizations. Over time, PBX phone systems became more compact and less expensive, making them more accessible to small and medium enterprises. The introduction of computerized PBX phone systems in the 1980s further reduced the cost and complexity of these systems and made them more user-friendly.
Today, most business telephone systems have made the move to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, which uses your business’s internet connection to make and receive calls. While these systems are not technically PBX phone systems, they still use many of the same principles and provide similar features and functionality.
PBX phone systems have come a long way since their early beginnings and continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of businesses. If you’re considering a new business telephone system for your company, you must work with a reputable provider who can help you select the right system for your needs.
Before PBX Phone Systems: Early PABX
Early PBX exchanges were called Private Automatic Branch Exchanges (PABX) and were implemented in the 1960s. These systems were adopted because they streamlined business operations and reduced costs by allowing a telephone network to be dedicated to a single business or entity rather than administered via telephone providers.
Early PABX systems allowed businesses to place internal calls without using an existing phone line. This removed the need for a receptionist to route all internal calls from one extension inside the network to another. This system also allowed outside lines to be freed up from internal traffic, meaning that businesses needed fewer lines. This system significantly increased functionality and reduced communications expenses for many companies.
The first PBX phone systems were large and required a dedicated operator. Calls had to be manually routed through the system by the operator, which was time-consuming and often led to mistakes. However, these early systems were still vastly improved over the previous method using telephone lines for internal and external calls.
As PABX systems became more popular, they also became more compact. In the 1970s, electronic switching replaced the large manual boards used in early PABX systems. This made the systems smaller and more efficient. Additionally, computerized systems were introduced in the 1980s, reducing the size and cost of these systems.
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PBX Phone Systems Take a Leap Forward
By the 1990s, PABX telephone systems had begun to be referred to as Private Branch Exchange (PBX), a term that persists today. Technology had evolved, and newer methods were available. Still, there was pushback from organizations that didn’t want to purchase an entirely new system at significant expense each time PBX phone systems technology improved.
This changed when PBX phone systems became more flexible, and the idea of giving business consumers the ability to add ports or cards to increase their network ability and functionality caught on. Businesses could now modify or expand their PBX phone systems without beginning anew each time additional features were needed. This concept changed the PBX phone systems industry and how businesses communicate.
With the flexibility to add features as needed, businesses were no longer restricted by the capacity of their PBX phone systems. They could now select the most critical components and add more as their business needs changed. This increased functionality led to increased productivity and efficiency for many companies.
By the late 1990s, features such as auto attendants, data integration, and IVR were commonplace in PBX phone systems. Ideas about using packet switching technology and hosted providers began to take root. These would be the precursors to our modern VoIP communications solutions.
Going Beyond PBX Phone Systems: VoIP Takes Businesses to the Next Level
Packet switching technology for data transmission had been used for some time when early adopters of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) ideas began to see the merits of using this same principle for voice transmissions. Businesses were already set up to transmit large amounts of data, and it was clear that technologies such as VoIP codecs would continue to find more functional and rapid mechanisms to accomplish this.
VoIP became a commonplace term in business communications, and businesses soon learned that they could increase their communications solutions' functionality, automation, and reliability, even while using VoIP on existing landlines. VoIP allowed businesses to connect their Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN), utilizing a single internet connection for data and voice transmissions.
Using a single internet connection for data and voice communications opened up a world of VoIP benefits for businesses that went beyond traditional PBX phone systems. They could now transmit calls anywhere in the world with an internet connection, and many of the features that were once only available on expensive PBX phone systems were now included in VoIP solutions.
What VoIP Means Today
Businesses today have many choices when it comes to selecting the best VoIP solution. Business telephone systems are now almost entirely VoIP-based, and businesses now can purchase on-premise systems specific to their company or a variety of service-oriented packages from hosted providers.
Modern VoIP solutions allow businesses to function more comprehensively, efficiently, and at a lower cost than any of the early inventors of traditional PBX phone systems technologies would have imagined. Although VoIP quality factors may vary depending on the strategies and capabilities used to configure a VoIP system, the base mechanics have allowed for an ease of use and implementation that wasn’t possible until recently.
