Tele2 is the last one mobile operators announced the launch of its virtual PBX for its corporate clients. The service is called " Corporate PBX«.

We tried to figure out what this service is and how it works.

Review of corporate PBX Tele2

It offers customers to purchase the service for 300 rubles per month and 50 rubles per month for each connected SIM card. For example, if your company has 30 employees, the service will cost 1,800 rubles per month. And you will also need to pay a connection fee of 300 rubles, which is already strange for these times.

Tele2 describes the operation of its virtual PBX with the following diagram:

Scheme of operation of the Tele2 virtual PBX

How can Tele2 PBX benefit your business?

Tele2 offers to combine employee SIM cards into single network, making calls between them completely free, and also provides each employee with a short number. When calling the company's landline number (purchased separately), clients can hear an audio greeting and then they can configure the voice menu.

That's basically all the service can do. Let's try to buy a service, understand its operation and identify its shortcomings.

Purchase of corporate PBX Tele2

It’s very strange, but we were unable to purchase the service in the Izhevsk branch of Tele2. In the salon itself they didn’t know anything about the service, but e-mail we received a small presentation, but things didn’t get off the ground. Perhaps due to the fact that we have not yet been Tele2 clients.

Final review of the Tele2 corporate PBX and comparison with others

The new service left a rather negative impression. If you look closely, it was made “if others have it, we should have it too!” Here are the disadvantages:

1. We couldn't buy it the first and second time.
2. There is no office telephony. That is, you cannot connect desk phones and IP telephony. Other operators are reluctant to offer this opportunity (unless they do it really easily).
3. Very weak functionality. All operators have a voice menu and free call forwarding. But Tele2 does not have call recording, there are no forwarding to numbers of other operators, there is no flexible call distribution scheme, there are no integrations and generally no API, various notifications (). All this makes the service not particularly useful for business.

Perhaps Tele2 can find its segment of business clients who are loyal to Tele2 and want the service from their operator. But all this looks like a cover-up. Weak functionality, the inability to purchase, and installation fees mark this service as “undesirable.”

If we consider virtual PBXs from 4 federal mobile operators, we would recommend taking a closer look at the classic big three, which can also provide a test period.

In conclusion, a short presentation from Tele2 about the service.

And a short video presentation of the service from a Tele2 employee. Again, there are no specifics.

Olga Vasilkova, head of the Yasna greenhouse center

In the new issue of “Business Driver,” a joint project of the online newspaper site and the mobile operator Tele2, the head of the Yasna greenhouse center Olga Vasilkova talks about the benefits of a corporate PBX for business using the example of her company’s real experience.

About the decision to connect a corporate PBX

Our greenhouse center sells greenhouses and cellular polycarbonate. The business is seasonal: the peak of customer requests occurs in the spring. The idea of ​​a corporate PBX appeared precisely on the eve of the “hot” season - at the beginning of 2016. The need for such a technical solution has been obvious for a long time. Only one number appears in our advertising; one operator cannot process all calls received to it. We asked the corresponding question to Tele2 - we corporate clients. The operator offered the “Corporate PBX” service, which allows you to redistribute calls to one number among several people.

The “Corporate PBX” service from Tele2 does not require additional equipment - everything technical solutions organized in data centers and the billing system of the cellular operator.

All that was required of us was to name the phone number, calls to which will be redistributed between operators. And decide on the number of operators - we settled on three. All other issues, including technical ones, were dealt with by Tele2 specialists. Setting up our corporate PBX took a couple of hours. It’s convenient that we didn’t have to buy any additional equipment to use the service.

About how “Corporate PBX” improves business processes

“Corporate PBX” is, of course, an assistant in our everyday work. Moreover, we have something to compare with: the difference between “was” and “has become” is obvious. Distributing calls between operators allows us not to lose a client - this was our main goal, and it has been achieved.

"Corporate PBX" allows you to redistribute calls between company managers and not lose customers

The “Corporate PBX” service combines everything corporate numbers into a single network, allowing companies to create their own contact center. A convenient voice menu will connect the caller with the right employee or operator.

Secondly, we installed a “voice business card”: we greet each caller and briefly say what kind of company we are. If it happens that all operators are busy, the caller hears not short beeps, but music, which means the person will not hang up and is more likely to wait for the operator to answer. By the way, the service turned out to be not only useful for business, but also very convenient to manage. You can go to the Personal Area“Corporate PBX” and, for example, change the order of redistribution of calls between operators.

What other options does a growing business require?

Another advantage servants "Corporate PBX"— the ability to record conversations and monitor the quality of service. This option is relevant for companies operating in the mass market - from taxi services to medical centers and sports clubs.

Currently we use only one option, “Corporate PBX”. But by next spring we plan to consider new possibilities. Firstly, we want to increase the number of operators - business is growing, and there is a real need for this. Secondly, we will use the ability to record calls, this will allow us to track the quality of service. We also plan to use an option that allows you to save information about the client in the event that he hangs up, if all operators are busy.

It’s convenient to manage the “Corporate PBX” service through your personal account

About corporate communications and mobile operator Tele2

We have been corporate clients of Tele2 since the beginning of 2015. We preferred corporate communications for a number of reasons. The number is assigned to the company - this means that employees can come and go, and the client will remain with the company, because if necessary, he will call the number known to him.

Secondly, the employee is always available; “I’m out of money” - this doesn’t happen with corporate communications. Calls within the company are free, which is also good. Employees can resolve business issues among themselves, and the company will not overpay for it. There is a personal manager, he will always help: he will tell you which tariff is best to switch to and where to save money, how to enable/disable some function. It is very comfortable.

Tele2 as corporate operator We chose it for two reasons: financial - the tariffs suited us and were the most favorable in comparison with other offers. Secondly, the operator was recommended to us by its existing clients. We started with a few numbers, now we have more than 20 Tele2 numbers. During the time of use, we were not disappointed either in the very idea of ​​​​corporate communications, or in Tele2, as well as in the operator that provides it. Corporate communications really help in business, and Tele2 services provide communications and Mobile Internet- work great.

Natalia Schwartz

The Virtual PBX market died before it even appeared. SMEs have not started using VATS despite their availability. An attempt to expand the market to small businesses that do not have the funds to purchase traditional PBXs did not pay off. There is no justifiable reason for small and micro businesses to pay for VATS.

Terms for reference

Micro-enterprise – up to 15 employees.
Small business – up to 100 employees. We will denote them as MMB.
SME – Small and medium-sized businesses, everything that is not a large business.

Who really needs a PBX?

Who actually buys physical PBXs? These are companies with long-term plans. They have a vision, guaranteed resources for at least a year, and a development strategy. They are ready to pay and understand why they need a PBX. These are the so-called companies “with a high management culture.”
Thus, ATS has always been the preserve of the “right” companies. The fact that they bought ATS by investing in CAPEX simply separated them from other “temporary-project” companies. CAPEX was a filter for the adequacy of the company: the company is ready to invest in what it really needs and will be used in the future for a long time.

It seemed to us that we could simplify everything, remove CAPEX and IMB would buy. No, he won't buy it. And that's why.

For microbusinesses main question- how to make money, and not how to spend money now for a vague future later:

• why analyze and save conversation recordings;
• why do all sorts of call rescue schemes;
• why care about the service provided and the quality of service;
• Why call back missed call numbers, including those accumulated during the night and weekends.

As an exception that proves the rule, many micro-businesses buy a Virtual PBX as a business pill to another pill in the form of CRM. In all other cases, they “don’t need it.”

Reasons why MSMEs do NOT need a PBX and, accordingly, a Virtual PBX.

1. Mobile connection. Mobile operators provide very cheap rates with minutes included. For example, Tele2 for 400 rubles gives 600 minutes within Russia. No PBX or Virtual PBX will provide such low rates.
2. IP telephony and cheap calls. Calls via IP telephony have long been no cheaper than the tariffs of mobile operators with included minutes. However, IP telephony is still cheaper than legacy analog and digital channels due to the fact that supplying operators do not index prices.
3. Chats. Chats on the site solve the issue of contact with the client. The client can calmly state his problem and solve it in a chat, without resorting to calling the company.
4. Task managers. Close communications within the team. Instead of internal calls, the issue is resolved in the service interface.
5. Website capture forms and shopping carts. Another option for interacting with clients. Thanks to the website, the company makes it so that the client places orders independently and fills out the necessary forms without the need to call. Often, online stores strive to do everything so that the client switches to self-service.
6. Skype and Zoom. Completely covers the issue of interaction within the company between employees, as well as audio and video conferences. Now there is no need to know the employee’s internal number in the PBX in order to talk to him. Communications with partners are also closed automatically. Everyone already has Skype.
7. Messengers (Telegram, Slack, etc.). They also close the issue of communication within the company. In some cases, they even allow you to accept orders, for example, Whatsapp, Viber.
8. Email. It has existed for a long time, but has become even more convenient due to the transition to smartphones. Resolves the issue of internal communication and interaction with clients.
9. Corporate work tools (Bitrix24). They perfectly close interaction within the company by setting and discussing tasks without calling each other.
10. 800 numbers. Allegedly, they increase the number of calls and, as a result, clients. Actually this is not true. Perhaps such numbers look more respectable, but they do not lead to increased conversion. But such numbers and minutes of calls to them are quite expensive.
11. Direct numbers. In fact, the number is not important for small businesses. First, a mobile phone is always used, then another mobile, then perhaps a city multi-channel one. In any case, all numbers are posted on websites and the client will always be able to update it. If you change your number from old to new, you can always set up call forwarding.
12. Redirecting after hours to managers. It's no secret that managers work 8 hours and no more. They will not answer calls outside of business hours. They will have thousands of reasons not to answer: from noise in the subway to silent mode on the phone. We specifically conducted research on small clients and called them after hours. Despite the redirects configured, no one answered us. And what’s more, he didn’t call back during business hours.
13. Employee control. All employees in the MB are already under control. No need for additional tools. You can see who is calling, who is not calling, who is saying what, who is speaking incorrectly. These are small companies fighting for survival.

Why is the cost of Virtual PBX so low and constantly decreasing?

Micro and small businesses, as described above, do not need an ATS and are reluctant to pay for this service, but perhaps they would use it for free! This is indirectly confirmed by the constantly decreasing cost of Virtual PBX solutions from market participants.

Medium and large ATS business In addition to all other infrastructure, it comes “as if” free of charge in maintenance. The equipment is either already installed, or free solutions like Asterisk are used and supported by internal technical staff without interrupting their main activities.
Therefore, in both cases, the ATS solution tends to 0! At zero cost, small businesses will begin to use VATS with an eye to the future, and large businesses will be able to abandon their cumbersome solutions during the next expansion or increase in capacity in favor of a solution with zero (!) cost in the cloud.

What should be the real cost of VATS?

Typically, when calculating the price of a cloud and SaaS solution, the difference between an on-premises solution and a cloud solution begins after the first year of use. Those. The cost of maintenance for the first year is equal to the cost of purchasing your equipment. But if the cost of owning a Virtual PBX tends to 0, then there will be no such difference. In reality, VATS can be paid for in a completely different way, namely in minutes of conversation. After all, a minute maximally reflects the essence of the approach of any saas - pay as you go. The more you talk, the more you pay! And vice versa! Those. A virtual PBX can only be paid for by the cost of traffic.

So is there a market for Virtual PBX?

The Virtual PBX market is forced to focus on companies that can afford the costs of hardware and software indoor solutions. Those. in these companies there should be a smooth replacement of iron-clad internal solutions with clouds.

The main advantages of Virtual PBX for this market are the opportunity to SAVE SIGNIFICANTLY:

• on capital expenditures for the purchase of stations and programs;
• on capital expenditures for the purchase of ports, canals, licenses;
• on installation, implementation and maintenance costs;
• on the costs of laying and renting channels;
• on the cost of paying for lines for multi-channel;
• and, finally, on service costs, because paying for traffic is enough to pay for VATS service!

For example:

1. Digital stream E1 for 30 lines costs 15 thousand rubles per month, and installation costs 30 thousand rubles.
2. Many operators still limit the client's channels for outgoing calls! A minute brings money to the operator, but the client cannot complete it due to a lack of lines and hears a busy signal.

Why is there no question of cloud hosting or local hosting for VATS?

The iron PBX in the company is always connected by a channel thread to the telecom operator. If we designate that the “thread” is a channel, and the “node” is the automatic telephone exchange on it, then moving the node will not change much. Why?
Any telecom operator has SORM and a constant connection with the FSB with the ability to listen to conversations. Those. even if you have an indoor solution, then all your conversations still “leave” the company to reach the subscriber and can be controlled by a third party.

Who will sell the Virtual PBX?

It is VATS that will become the obligatory OTT service of the telecom operator. Now the call processing logic will be located not at the client, but at the operator. In this case, the channel to the operator will remain, but “routed” calls will already go through it.
Modern virtualization tools allow you to store each client's data separately and encrypted and serve a large number of end devices. Therefore, the client’s choice of Virtual PBX will be based on the level of solution and service provided.

Which parts of VATS will remain in demand by microbusinesses?

1. Multi-channel numbers and their quick connection.
2. Recording and storing conversations.
3. Ready integrations with popular products - 1C, amoCRM, Bitrix24, Advantshop.

Finally

A virtual PBX will gradually displace hardware PBXs from medium and large companies, and will also allow small but promising companies to quickly shoot up and become real large businesses, preserving the entire “trail” of the history of interaction with the client. If you are a small business with ambitions, we are ready to take you on board.

Register now for

The mobile operator offered its users a corporate PBX service. In June it can be connected at a reduced price.

When connecting to the service, clients will purchase a dedicated multi-channel line, as well as all the functions that modern telephony provides. According to company representatives, it is convenient and economical, which will undoubtedly receive a good rating from business owners and management.

The operator offers this service primarily to those users who have a desire to work more efficiently with incoming calls when clients and partners call. Cloud PBX will serve good tool to optimize enterprise infrastructure.

Principle of operation

With this offer you can use the functions of a full-fledged multifunctional automatic station, and you won’t need to purchase any other equipment. For the service to work, you need to have only a few Tele2 numbers connected under a corporate agreement, as well as regular cell phones.

According to the commercial director of the Omsk branch of the operator, Maxim Solovyov, connecting this service is possible to a new or existing one. It will receive incoming calls.

When customers call this multi-line line, they are first greeted with a pre-configured voice greeting. If necessary, the secretary can immediately receive calls. It is possible to dial to get direct access to the right specialist.

The call type is configured using one of the options. It is possible to distribute incoming calls to all employees. They can go along all lines at the same time. You can also distribute them according to the situation - to whoever is currently available.

An important point is the ability to forward incoming calls between employees. This creates convenience for customers: they can call once and get access to the right person.

The functionality is quite wide. You can configure short numbers. This allows you to dial within the company using a short combination of numbers using your mobile phone.

To control how well customers are served, all conversations can be recorded and stored on the operator’s server.

Two packages

Now you can connect two service options - “Standard” and “Premium”. The first package requires a fee of fifty rubles monthly and includes a customizable voice menu, intercom free of charge using short numbers, incoming calls that come to a multi-channel number are forwarded free of charge to mobile specialists; plus it is customizable.

In the Premium package, at a price of three hundred rubles per month, you get all the functions of the service. Go to options standard package conference calls and call recording are added to control the service; selection of melodies when a call is on hold; messages about which calls were missed - via email, collecting statistics.