Business Telephony: Part 2 — Virtual PBX

The most common way to connect IP telephony is a virtual PBX (vPBX). It allows you to quickly get a full-featured telephone system without buying equipment.

What is a virtual PBX

A virtual, or cloud, PBX is a telephone exchange that runs not in the office but on the operator’s servers. All of its functions are managed via the Internet.

How it works

1. Connection. You choose a provider, a plan and a number: city, mobile or 8-800.
2. Configuration. In the operator’s personal account you set the logic of operation: voice greeting, call distribution among employees, call forwarding, call recording.
3. Operation. Employees make and receive calls:
   • via softphones — applications on a computer or smartphone;
   • via SIP phones — desktop devices connected to the network;
   • via mobile phones — using call forwarding or the operator’s app.

The operator provides maintenance, software updates and the station’s operability. You don’t need to buy equipment or keep a specialist to support it.

Virtual PBX providers in Russia

Among the well-known providers:

• Novofon. Since March 2022 it has been operating in Russia in place of Zadarma, which ceased operations in the country. Offers a virtual PBX and numbers in various cities and countries.
• Telphin. One of the oldest operators in this market: virtual PBX, SIP trunks, number selection.
• MANGO OFFICE. A large cloud communications operator: in addition to a virtual PBX it offers call tracking, a contact center and other services.
• MegaFon, MTS, Beeline, T2. Mobile network operators also sell virtual PBXs, often on favorable terms for their subscribers.

When choosing a provider compare tariffs, feature set, support quality, reviews and ready integrations with the services you need, for example a CRM. Also clarify how the provider will organize the mandatory labeling of outgoing company calls effective from 1 September 2025.

Advantages

• Quick launch. A virtual PBX can be connected and configured in a day, without specialists visiting and installation.
• Ready set of features. Multichannel numbers, IVR, call recording, statistics, call forwarding and voicemail are usually available immediately.
• No equipment costs. You don’t need to buy a PBX or pay for its maintenance.
• Scalability. New lines, numbers and employees are added in the personal account.
• Independence from the office. Employees work from anywhere with the Internet and remain reachable on the company’s single number.
• Reliability. Providers reserve equipment and communication channels.

Disadvantages

• Monthly fee. Cost depends on the plan, number of employees and connected features. Over several years a subscription may cost more than an on-premise PBX, although the initial investment in an on-premise system is significantly higher.
• Dependence on the provider. If the provider has an outage the company’s telephony stops working, and changes to the provider’s terms must be accepted.
• Dependence on the Internet. Call quality is determined by the stability and speed of the connection.
• Limited customization. Scenarios not provided by the provider are difficult or impossible to implement.

Who it’s suitable for

A virtual PBX is suitable for:

• small and medium-sized companies that need to quickly launch telephony;
• companies with remote employees or multiple offices;
• projects with a limited initial budget;
• those who don’t want to deal with technical details.