3CX IP PBX

3CX IP PBX is a Microsoft Windows based telephone private branch exchange (PBX) created by 3CX. Like a hardware based PBX, the system allows calls between phones on the system and to external phones on the public switch telephone network (PSTN) and to phones via voice over IP (VOIP) services. The 3CX IP PBX is comparable to the Asterisk PBX in that it is a software version of a PBX phone system.
While there is a free edition of 3CX it is not open source or GNU software. 3CX IP PBX is a commercially supported product but it is also supported by a voluntary community of users, networking and telephony experts via an internet forum.
The 3CX IP PBX was created as a deliberately Microsoft Windows based system and there is no Linux version of 3CX. It is based solely on the SIP standard and does not support protocols such as Inter-Asterisk eXchange(IAX).
Features
The essential features found in 3CX are comparable to the features found on propietary hardware PBX phone systems: extension to extension calling, paging groups of phones, voicemail, interactive voice response phone menus. Because 3CX is a computer based system it includes features such as a voicemail-to-email option, music on hold based on computer sound files, call recording software and the ability to connect applications directly to phone system information such as call logs. 3CX also includes a SIP softphone that provides presence information about all the phones connected to the system. The system also allows for branch offices to be connected to headquarters by internet connections.
Organizations can use their existing PSTN telephone lines via a PSTN-to-IP gateway device (FXO) or they can have a hybrid system that uses PSTN and SIP VOIP phone service to leverage cost and availability.
Configuration
The system is configured via a web administration interface and has been designed to be easy to configure and use even for non-telephony experts. The three basic steps to configuring the system are:
* Configure phone extensions
* Configure SIP or PSTN telephone lines for incoming and outgoing calls.
* Setup IVR (Phone menus) to direct callers.
Windows Versus Linux for Small Business Software IP PBX
Initially large organizations recognized the most benefit of a software based phone systems such as the free Linux based Asterisk PBX. PBX analysts predict that increasingly companies will replace aging hardware based phone systems with a software based PBX. Others note that much of the PBX growth will be driven by small business. As smaller companies have started to adopt the software based phone system multiple vendors are looking to be a player in the Windows IP PBX market. According to an industry analysist 3CX IP PBX is currently one of the dominant Windows based IP PBX systems.
Some of the benefits of a Linux based phone system:
* Free operating System.
* Free PBX software.
* Quite mature PBX software.
* Large array of addons and customizations.
Some of the benefits of a Windows based phone system:
* Large number of network administrators and users already familiar with Windows administration.
* Many small to medium sized organizations have a largely Windows based network infrastructure.
* Easier integration to Windows server applications such a Exchange
Regional Features
The system has been designed for an international audience and includes multiple languages in its base configuration. It is designed to allow more language sets to be added.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu