Is the PBX dead?
Is the PBX dead? Of course it is. Look in your pocket or purse for a great example of system consolidation.
The long loved PBX featuring proprietary hardware and operating systems, proprietary peripherals, requiring a separate maintenance contract, a separate vendor relationship and for what, expensive handsets that take up a big chuck of the most expensive real estate in the office, your desktop, and features that few, if any people use.
Proprietary, not open, expensive. Sounds like the Mini Computer era of the 80’s and 90’s. The most expensive computing ever model invented. More expensive than mainframes with centralized virtual domains and very very thin clients, monitors. More expensive and PCs and centralized servers.
The best example of consolidation of devices is the Smart Phone. Look what this replaces; cell phone, camera, email device, GPS, watch, note pad, newspaper, Walkman. Start adding Apps and the list goes on and on.
Why wouldn’t the PBX merge into your server based computing environment? It has the capability to do everything that the PBX does.
This platform consolidation saves lots of dollars, simplifies your vendor and maintenance relationships and performs all the telephony features that your staff wants. All in an easy to use platform that everyone uses everyday, their PC.
While the industry keeps consolidating, so do the hardware platforms required to do your work.
The PBX may not be entirely dead but with Microsoft Lync gaining more and more acceptance, it will be soon enough.
Brent Cherry, PEI
