That difficulty helped bring VoIP technology to the forefront of small-business deployments. The combination of low-cost VoIP calls and PBX functionality can now yield significant savings to most any business.

Packet8 Virtual Office is an affordable, easy-to-use VoIP based alternative to traditional PBX systems or Centrex class services from legacy telecommunications providers. In response to a growing demand from retailers serving the small-to-medium business (SMB) market, 8x8 has created a special, all inclusive Virtual Office retail package, enabling customers to acquire and self-install a powerful, off the shelf business phone system at significant cost savings.

Packet8 Virtual Office solution. Simply put, Virtual Office is a hosted PBX based on VoIP technology. Virtual Office requires little more than a reliable broadband Internet connection for VoIP service. The product is built around hardware and software. The hardware consists of a broadband phone adapter (basically a VoIP router) and a VoIP telephone—in this case, 8x8’s own 390 series VoIP telephone. The product has a one-time hardware cost of $99 per extension and a $39.95 monthly service fee per user with a minimum of three extensions.

On the software side, customers can run the optional Switchboard application, which is a management interface for monitoring and programming 8x8’s Virtual Office service. It has click-and-drag simplicity and provides a receptionist-style interface for directing calls. After configure the software on a PC, a receptionist can manage incoming calls using a mouse to connect callers with single extensions, groups of extensions or voice mail. Switchboard costs $19.95 a month.

Virtual Office provides a smaller company with enterprise-class PBX features while eliminating large long-distance phone bills. The service works like any other telephone system: Direct-dial calls can be made to or from any conventional phone in the world.

Virtual Office’s Auto-Attendant eliminates the need for a receptionist, transferring calls by extension, name, company directory or workgroup. It can automatically transfer calls to voice mail. Password-protected voice mail features message forwarding and up to eight pre-recorded greetings. And a conference bridge enables calls among multiple participants.

Virtual Office allows users anywhere in the world to group multiple Packet8 VoIP lines into a virtual business telephone system that includes a host of PBX features. Virtual Office gives small businesses geographic independence and flexibility, providing feature-rich telephones that bring together dispersed staff to sound like one office location or to appear as satellite offices located all over the world.

For more information go to  Packet8 Business Solutions