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In a recent review of the latest technology trends I found myself looking into a new and less expensive phone service. The company claimed to offer both voip and pbx technology, so I thought it a wise idea to investigate each of these things and make an informed decision. Short for private branch exchange, a private telephone network used within an enterprise. Users of the PBX technology share a certain number of outside lines for making telephone calls external to the PBX.

I searched the internet asking the question, what is the difference between an IP PBX and VoIP box? And found a website about voip telephony news that said essentially they are the same, as both provide call control and telephone switching software. The VoIP boxes tend to be more plug-and-play and are for small and midsized businesses. They are based on Open Standards and offer connection to ISDN or analog fixed line networks.

Most medium-sized and larger companies use a PBX because it's much less expensive than connecting an external telephone line to every telephone in the organization. In addition, it's easier to call someone within a PBX because the number you need to dial is typically just 3 or 4 digits.

A new variation on the PBX theme is the centrex, which is a PBX with all switching occurring at a local telephone office instead of at the company's premises.

Voice-over-Internet protocol (voip) is a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice through the Internet or other packet-switched networks. VoIP is often used abstractly to refer to the actual transmission of voice (rather than the protocol implementing it). This latter concept is also referred to as IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband, broadband telephony, and broadband phone. This is a better more cost effective service to be used by the individual and the small business owner.

Both of these services are said to work just as well as traditional phone lines and can greatly reduce the amount you are paying in phone bills each month. For the most part you pay one low monthly fee and included in the deal are voice mail, call forward, call waiting, etc. plus there is no additional fees for long distance involved, slight charges do apply to international calling. This is overall the best deal for the dollar. Whether you are running a big business or are looking for a new home phone service, be sure to check into these services as they can save you a lot of money without giving up the quality of service you currently enjoy.