Internet service providers cannot simply stick to providing internet access when their infrastructure is capable of offering value added services that add to revenues. One such stream is IP PBX as a Service. Every business, small and large, needs telephony and VoIP through IP PBX is now fast replacing standard PSTN. Jump in right now and you may eventually find it generates more revenues than your internet access service. Global Market Insight report shows that hosted IP PBX is growing at a rate of 15%
The case for hosted multi-tenant IP PBX software
Standard IP PBX Software permits a number of users to make use of the system. Administrators may set permissions for use of various features such as long distance calls and monitor usage as well as activity. Users form part of a single accounting system. When you plan to offer IP PBX as a service you will need centralized control but with segregated accounts for each user. The multi-tenant IP PBX software lets you handle thousands of users with ease, with each user further being able to designate sub-users as sub-tenants. You can allocate resources and permissions with each and billing is easier with no chances of mix-ups or errors.
Target everyone
As an internet service provider you will have individuals as your customers at one end and large enterprises at the other. You can target everyone since multi-tenant IP PBX is configurable to allow everyone to make use of it for plain telephone and access other features too, possibly at extra cost:
SMS and SMS/voicemail broadcast – ideal for business enterprises, education and government
Find me/follow me and mobile integration – suited for business enterprises that need their executives to be available on phone
Efax – Integrate fax as a service into the multi-tenant hosted IP PBX and you gain another additional revenue stream besides providing convenience to customers.
So easy to set up and get going
Hosted multi-tenant IP PBX is so easy to set up and get going. You have just one interface with your service provider and a control panel that lets you add and manage users and their accounts.
You need just one IP address and a single server with optional redundancy.
You can maintain enterprises as tenants and let such enterprises manage branches as their sub-tenants.
Define rates, currency and taxes in your billing structure for postpaid and also have prepaid customers.
Optimize cost structure with least cost routing.
No need for maintenance and support teams
One apprehension ITSPs may have is that adding IPPBX as a service would entail making space for hardware and employees. However, the beauty of hosted IPPBX is that you simply signup, put minimum infrastructure in place and just assign monitoring task to one trained employee. Everything else is taken care of by your IP PBX software supplier.
Empower resellers
With a multi-tenant IP PBX at your command you can go beyond serving existing customers. If you have resellers they can share in your prosperity by offering IP PBX services to their customers. You can appoint new resellers and designate each one as a tenant with the capability of letting them designate customers as their tenants. As they say, the sky is the limit when you have a much-needed IP telephony service to offer.
Will you attract customers?
That is one of the main questions that anyone asks when adding a new line of business. As for IPPBX, it offers more than plain telephony:
Omnichannel, unified communications by integrating social media, Whatsapp, fax, SMS, voicemail and audio-video conference/chat
Multi-level IVR
Automatic call distribution, find me/follow me and mobility extension
Direct inward system access
Phone books, ring groups, paging, black/white lists, blind/attended transfers and call screening.
With so many features businesses find IP PBX one of the best platforms for communication and you should have no difficulties attracting customers.
Is it viable?
For businesses and individual professionals coming from PSTN, the switch to IP PBX brings in considerable cost saving, especially for long distance and international calls. The facility of accessing different modes of communications is an added bonus.
Those who use in-house IP PBX find that maintenance and software upgrade costs far outweigh the running costs of hosted IP PBX services. It is better to pay out of profits rather than lock up capital in hardware/software.
How much profit you generate depends on balancing costs you pay to VoIP service providers/carriers with how much you charge, depending on local market competition. Even if you operate on very slim margins, the volume of traffic generates noticeable revenues.
The VoIP market is still growing and has yet to reach saturation point. The sooner you start IP PBX as a service, the more customers you can attract. IP PBX can be the stepping stone to more such VoIP offerings in your product portfolio. Just start with the right vendor offering hosted multi-tenant IP PBX solutions.