The best ways to use your PBX from your mobile phone

Using the switchboard from your mobile means that you are always ready to telecommute. It means being able to leave the office without missing a call. It also means being able to move around the company with your fixed phone on your mobile. And, of course, being able to call your colleagues with speed dialling and free internal calls. If your company doesn’t already have a mobile solution in place, read on – you’ll be interested to learn more.

When it comes to using a mobile phone with a switchboard, there are four trends. Two are more exclusive, only offered by a few operators, and ideal for companies that care about their image and productivity and prefer to spend some money to make sure everything works.

And the other two are cheaper, all the corporate IP telephony operators offer it, but they have few inconveniences. Let’s explain everything in more detail:

MOBILE INTEGRATED INTO THE SWITCHBOARD – NO APPS

The Ferrari of mobile switchboards is to use mobile lines that are an extension of the switchboard:

• Calls are not interrupted or sound bad in certain locations because they do not depend on an Internet connection.
• You don’t lose calls because you don’t need an internet connection, so you don’t lose calls when there is no connection or a poor connection.
• It’s not necessary for the employee to have a landline in the office in addition to the mobile, as they act as another extension of the switchboard and the mobile is used for everything.

Integrated mobile phones within the switchboard is an option that has not yet been widely adopted by all businesses for a very simple reason: very few operators have the infrastructure to integrate fixed, mobile and PBX telephony.

Only highly specialised business operators, such as Enreach, offer this advanced service.

This solution is ideal for businesses because it gives employees complete mobility without the risk of misdialing: no missed calls and no dropped calls.

However, as with any ideal solution, the cost is higher than other more basic options. How much is it worth ensuring that all calls are heard clearly? How much is it worth preventing sales reps from missing customer calls?

In order to use integrated mobiles with the PBX, it is essential that both the mobile and the switchboard are subscribed to the same operator. Operators offering this solution have made technical efforts to ensure that the mobile phone acts as an extension of the switchboard and can function as an extension of a desk phone with its switchboard.

In Spain, there are only 4 operators that offer this type of solution, and prices for mobile lines integrated with the switchboard are usually around €15. You can check with Enreach how much it would cost to implement a mobile PBX in your company.

CASE STUDY: INTEGRATED MOBILE PHONE IN THE PBX

Since COVID, hybrid working has become part of everyday life in many companies. This means that employees need to be able to carry out all their tasks from both the office and any other location: using company programmes, communicating with colleagues, meeting customers via video conference, taking calls, making calls and much more.

When a remote worker uses a mobile phone integrated with the switchboard, they can receive calls without relying on an Internet connection. This means that if their internet connection slows down or they are far from the router and experience a connection failure, they will still be available. Because not everyone has a perfect connection, and there is no perfect connection that is immune to interference.

This means that if a salesman is in the car, he can take calls from the switchboard using the car’s hands-free kit. And when calls come in to the switchboard asking for them, they can be transferred if necessary and answer them on their mobile from wherever they are.

MOBILE PHONE APP

Using applications that emulate a phone is a cheaper option and is offered by most operators, but in some cases it’s not the best alternative.

The operation is very simple: an app is installed on the smartphone and configured with the employee’s switchboard extension details. With this application, they can receive and make calls to the switchboard from their mobile phone, using the Internet connection available at the time.

It is important to note that these applications, called softphones, work over the Internet connection. This means that calls may be choppy or sound distorted if the connection is not optimal.

Dropped calls are the most frustrating aspect for businesses using applications with the switchboard. It’s important to understand that whether you’re using one phone app or another on your mobile, they won’t work without an internet connection.

If you’re just using the app to make outgoing calls to the switchboard, it’s a good option because it connects every time you open it. So even if you lose the connection, you will be able to reconnect. You can also check the quality of your internet connection before making a call. If you have a good connection, make the call; if not, you can either move to an area with better coverage before making the call, or wait.

In any case, many businesses start with an app solution only to find that it doesn’t meet their minimum expectations and have to rush to integrated mobile phones. So if you’re considering this option, choose an operator that offers both options, so that if you decide to switch, you don’t have to port numbers again, configure another switchboard, change extensions, etc.

REDIRECTION TO MOBILE PHONES

Another option, if you cannot port the mobiles to the operator with whom you have the virtual switchboard, is to divert switchboard calls to mobiles. In this way, calls can be answered from the mobile phone.

This option can be used on special occasions, for example if you have to leave the office urgently for some reason, or if you have commitments that cannot be met. However, it is not recommended as a permanent solution because:

• There is a charge for each call you take on your mobile. The switchboard has to call your mobile so that you can take the call on it, and this costs the same as a call to a national mobile.
• You cannot distinguish between calls coming from the operator and calls coming directly to your mobile. All calls you receive on your mobile are the same, so you must always answer as if it were a call from the operator.
• You cannot call the PBX number.

INTEGRATED PHONES + FULL COMMUNICATION APP

This is undoubtedly the best of all the options available, combining the benefits of integrated phones, the benefits of apps and the benefits of tools such as Teams that facilitate internal communication from any location:

• Integrated mobiles have the great advantage of working like regular mobiles, ensuring no missed calls and the best call quality.
• Apps have the advantage of working on both mobile phones and computers, making them convenient in different situations.
• Advanced apps such as Enreach Contact include internal chat functionality for communicating with colleagues, file sharing and even video conferencing.

Still not sure which option is best for you? Contact Enreach and an advisor will explain in detail the best mobile option for your situation.