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Service · Cloud PBX

A hosted phone system, with no PBX to run on site

A cloud PBX provides extensions, menus, queues and voicemail from a hosted platform. Your staff use desk phones, softphones or mobile apps; the system, its connectivity and its numbers are operated for you.

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  • Extensions, IVR, queues, voicemail
  • Office, home and mobile users
  • Number porting coordinated
Person typing on a laptop at a bright desk

Cloud PBX or SIP trunk

A hosted phone system is not the same as a SIP trunk

Both connect business calls over IP, but they divide responsibility differently. A SIP trunk connects a PBX you operate; a cloud PBX replaces that PBX with one we host.

Cloud PBX compared with a SIP trunk connected to your own PBX

  • Cloud PBX (hosted)

    Where the PBX runs
    On our hosted platform
    Who configures call flows
    We do, to your specification; changes are requested or made in a user portal where provided
    Software updates and patching
    Handled as part of the hosted service
    What you provide
    Internet connection, handsets or devices
    Capacity
    Sized by users and concurrent calls
    Best suited to
    Organisations that do not want to operate a phone system

  • SIP trunk to your PBX

    Where the PBX runs
    On your premises, in your data centre or on a server you control
    Who configures call flows
    Your team or IT partner, on your PBX
    Software updates and patching
    Your responsibility
    What you provide
    The PBX, its licences and maintenance, plus the network
    Capacity
    Sized by channels on the trunk
    Best suited to
    Organisations with an established PBX and in-house or partner expertise

Call handling

Extensions, menus, queues and voicemail

These are standard cloud PBX capabilities. The exact options available on your system, and any limits, are confirmed during scoping.

  • Extensions and users

    Direct dial · ring groups · internal calls

    Each user has an extension that can ring a desk phone, a softphone and a mobile app. Extensions can be given a direct number, grouped into ring groups and dialled internally by extension number.

  • IVR and auto-attendants

    Menus · time-of-day rules

    A recorded menu directs callers by keypad choice ("press 1 for sales"). Rules based on time of day, day of week and public holidays send calls to an out-of-hours message or alternative destination.

  • Call queues

    Hold music · ring strategies · overflow

    Callers wait in order while agents become available. Ring strategy, maximum wait and what happens when a queue is full or unattended are configured per queue. Queue reporting depth is confirmed during scoping.

  • Voicemail

    Per user and shared boxes

    Personal and shared voicemail boxes with recorded greetings. Voicemail-to-email, which delivers each message as an audio attachment, is typically included where supported and confirmed during scoping.

Devices and remote users

Desk phones, softphones and mobile apps

Any device registered to the system behaves as the same extension. Device compatibility is confirmed per deployment rather than assumed.

Person on a video call at a desk

  • SIP desk phones

    Standards-based SIP desk phones from mainstream manufacturers can usually register to the platform. Models you already own are checked against the platform before migration; some older or locked handsets cannot be reused.

  • Desktop softphones

    A softphone application on Windows or macOS gives a user their extension on a laptop with a headset. Supported applications are confirmed per deployment.

  • Mobile apps

    A mobile SIP app places and receives calls as the user’s extension, presenting the company number rather than a personal mobile number. App choice and push-notification behaviour are confirmed per deployment.

  • Remote and home workers

    Because the system is hosted, a user at home or travelling has the same extension, menus and transfer options as in the office, provided their connection is adequate for voice.

Numbers

Bringing your numbers into the cloud PBX

Callers should not notice the move. Existing numbers are ported in; new numbers can be added for other cities or for toll-free access.

Porting transfers a number from your current provider to the service behind your cloud PBX. It needs a letter of authorisation signed by the account holder, and the details on it, such as the company name, address and account number, must match the current provider’s records exactly. Mismatches are the most common reason a port is rejected.

The porting date is set by the carriers involved, not by us, and lead times vary by country and number type. We build and test the cloud PBX with temporary numbers first, so it is ready before the port completes. Keep your current service active until the port is confirmed.

If you need numbers you do not have yet, local, national or toll-free numbers can be added subject to availability in each country. See Virtual Numbers for number types and regulatory requirements.

Availability and security

Planning for outages and protecting the system

A hosted system removes on-site hardware as a point of failure, but makes your internet connection more important. These are the points we plan for with you.

  • Internet dependency

    Every phone reaches the system over the internet. If an office connection fails, phones at that site cannot make or receive calls until it returns, so connection quality and a backup link matter more than with on-site hardware.

  • Failover to mobiles

    Because the PBX is hosted, it stays reachable when your office is not. Inbound calls can be forwarded to mobiles or another site when office phones do not answer or are unregistered. Destinations are agreed and tested.

  • Credential security

    Each device registers with its own credentials. Long, unique SIP passwords, restricted administration access and removing credentials promptly when staff leave are the main defences against misuse.

  • Encryption

    TLS signalling · SRTP media

    Signalling over TLS and audio over SRTP protect calls between devices and the platform, where both the platform and the device support them. Availability is confirmed per deployment.

  • Fraud controls

    International and premium-rate destinations are enabled deliberately, not by default, with usage alerts and limits suited to your calling pattern.

  • Network quality

    Voice needs low latency and little packet loss rather than high bandwidth. Prioritising voice on your router and avoiding congested Wi-Fi resolve most quality complaints.

Onboarding

How a cloud PBX is set up

Call flows are agreed in writing before anything is built, and everything is tested before your numbers move.

  1. Scoping

    Users, sites, numbers, call flows, devices and any existing system to migrate from are recorded. We check whether current handsets can be reused.

    Output: requirements summary

  2. Call-flow design

    Menus, queues, ring groups, opening hours and voicemail are written down as a call-flow specification for you to approve.

    Output: call-flow specification

  3. Build and provisioning

    The system is configured to the specification. Devices are provisioned or set up with the credentials supplied, and temporary numbers can be used for testing.

    Output: configured system

  4. Testing

    Inbound calls to each number, menu options, queues, voicemail delivery, outbound calls, caller ID and mobile failover are tested against a written plan.

    Output: test results

  5. Number porting and go-live

    Existing numbers are ported on the date set by the carriers, or new numbers are switched on. Live calls are checked on the day.

    Output: live service

  6. Review

    Early issues and requested changes to call flows are reviewed with you after go-live.

    Output: change list

Pricing

What determines the price

Cloud PBX pricing is quoted against your requirements and itemised, so you can see what each element costs.

  • Number of users or extensions, and any shared devices such as reception or meeting-room phones
  • Concurrent external calls the system needs to carry at peak
  • Numbers required, ported or new, by country and type
  • Outbound destinations and expected monthly minutes
  • Call-handling requirements beyond standard menus, queues and voicemail
  • Devices, if you need handsets supplied rather than reusing your own
  • One-off work: call-flow design, migration and porting coordination

FAQ

Cloud PBX questions

What is the difference between a cloud PBX and a SIP trunk?

A SIP trunk is a connection for a phone system you run yourself. A cloud PBX is the phone system, run for you. If you already operate a PBX and want to keep it, a SIP trunk is usually the right choice. If you would rather not operate one, a cloud PBX removes that work.

Can we keep our existing phone numbers?

Often yes. Numbers are ported from your current provider into the cloud PBX. Portability depends on the country, number type and current provider, and the date is set by the carriers involved. We check portability before you give notice on your current service. See Virtual Numbers for how porting works.

Can we reuse our current desk phones?

If they are standards-based SIP phones that are not locked to another provider, usually yes. We check make, model and firmware during scoping. Handsets tied to a proprietary on-site system generally cannot be reused.

What happens if our office internet connection fails?

Phones at that office stop working until the connection returns, but the system itself remains available. Calls can be forwarded to mobiles, another site or the mobile app, so callers still reach someone. A second internet connection at important sites reduces the risk further.

How much bandwidth does each call need?

With the G.711 codec, roughly 90–100 kbps in each direction per concurrent call, including packet overhead. Consistency matters more than raw speed: voice traffic should be prioritised on your router, and congested Wi-Fi avoided for desk phones.

Can the cloud PBX record calls?

Call recording is a common cloud PBX capability, but whether it is included, how long recordings are kept and where they are stored are confirmed during scoping. Recording calls also carries legal obligations, such as informing callers, that vary by country and remain your responsibility.

Next step

Plan a move to a cloud phone system

Tell us how many users and sites you have, the numbers you use today and how calls should be handled. We will reply with a proposed setup and an itemised quote.

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Helpful to include

  • Number of users and sites
  • Current numbers and provider
  • Desk phones, softphones or mobile apps
  • Menus, queues and opening hours