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PBX is Dead, Long Live the Cloud

Updated: Aug 10, 2022

What do an old school PBX, Mark Twain and Queen Elizabeth II have in common?

Reports of all their deaths have been greatly exaggerated.


Death of a Telephone System

Microsoft foretold the passing of the on-prem PBX as early as 2010 and proclamations of its death litter the Internet:


What ails the PBX?

What provoked talk of the PBX’s demise? Well, there’s a new kid in town. New being a bit of a misnomer, the technology behind the cloud voice ‘kid’ is almost 30 years old. This interloper has cast the frailties of the humble PBX in a very harsh light. On-site PBXs:

- Come with an unwanted price tag that must be paid upfront

- Can be costly to maintain/service

- Drain IT resources

- Are limited in their functionality


Long live the cloud

In contrast, cloud voice solutions:

1. Reduce costs

Eliminating on-prem PBX hardware saves on initial layout and Viatel’s offerings save businesses up to 70% on their ongoing call costs.

2. Fully supported

Cloud voice systems are designed for easy use and central management. In Viatel’s case, end-to end support (instead of the hassle of separate PBX and telephony providers) is provided 24/7 from our Network Operations Centre.

3. Bells and whistles included

Cloud-based solutions pack advanced capabilities that the on-prems just struggle with eg call recording, expansion and remote working.

4. Work here, there, anywhere

Cloud voice adapts readily to flexible and hybrid work scenarios: work from home, the office or anywhere in between with your mobile phone application. Carry your office number with you and be easily accessible to your customers and your business partners anywhere in the world- if you so choose!

5. Greener option Respondents to Deloitte’s 2022 Cloud Index Survey recognised moving to the cloud (particularly removing physical hardware from their premises) could help their sustainability agendas.


Push and pull factors: the top three reasons our customers move to cloud voice

Push: The recent global health crisis and subsequent hybrid work arrangements are just the latest factors highlighting the inadequacy of old systems.

Pull: There are huge benefits enticing companies to migrate to cloud-based voice infrastructure.

In our experience, companies finally bid farewell to their old PBXs when:

  1. On-premise hardware is end of life or contract renewal is due.

  2. The scale of cost savings is truly realised: with very few upfront costs, business can get an entirely new telephone system for very little layout. Voice packages covering all Ireland and UK landline and mobile calls offer huge savings.

  3. Planning for business expansion, growth, diversification and integration - a cloud voice solution easily facilitates such projects with absolutely no disruption to communication.


ONE VERY IMPORTANT reason to call us this August!

Companies that sign up to Viatel Cloud Voice in August can claim zero charges for their first month of service. Call us on 01 2569200 or 1800 930 860 or contact info@viatel.com


What will happen when you call us?

  1. Our Solution Architects will chat to you to establish some basics like number of users. The guys really endeavour to understand your requirements so they can recommend a solution that will work well for you now and into the future. (A copy of a recent bill from your current provider will help us to offer you savings.)

  2. We revert with a quote and walk you through it.

  3. Green light? Excellent! We get a deployment plan in place.

  4. Migration happens on your stipulated timelines. If your ask is asap then we can go live in as little as a few weeks.

  5. Moving your numbers to Viatel is a breeze for our experienced porting team with everything organised to suit you.

Sound good? Our numbers are 01 256 9200 or 1800 930 860.


We look forward to speaking to you soon!



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