PBX

A private branch exchange (PBX) is a private telecommunications network that serves a specific subscriber (typically a business or office). Generally, those with a PBX network also have access to the public switched network (which is a publicly available common carrier) in tandem with their PBX system. Features of a PBX include enabling onsite dialing and offering connections among internal telephones of a private organization, with additional access to the PSTN via trunk lines. PBX operates exclusively with a manual switchboard. PBX has been affected by the substantial growth of data networks due to the need for packet switching, which ultimately led to the development of VoIP PBX, which utilizes the Internet on a telecommunications system with packet switched communications fueling the technology. PBXs are often difficult for companies without core competency to establish on site, leading to the rise of hosted PBX which is both hosted and managed by a telephone service provider with calls delivered via the Internet.