3CX Phone System Review

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3CX Phone System is a software-based IP-PBX that any SMB may want to use to replace their traditional and sometimes proprietary hardware PBX. It’s worth a look since they’ve been awarded with the “Best of Show” award at the latest TMC Internet Telephony Expo in Los Angeles.

3CX Phone System is composed by a software server that runs on Windows and can interoperate with various industry standard media gateways, softphones and IP Phones. They highlight that you are not bound to specific media gateways or hardware brands.

At a first sight, the web based user interface to manage the whole system seems well done and easy to use even if you’re not a VoIP expert. From there, you can easily add extensions, PSTN lines (if you have a media gateway) or manage the VoIP providers you want to use to terminate your calls to PSTN or Mobile. So, you don’t need to have a media gateway neither a traditional PSTN connection, but you can setup your phone system by only using your IP network. In addition, if your VoIP provider supports peering, you can easily make phone calls to other VoIP networks as well.

A feature I found interesting is the 3CX Call Assistant. It’s a windows application that helps you to manage your SIP extension, whether you are using a soft-client or a hardware one, directly from your PC desktop.

One of 3CX’s challenges is that their system runs under Windows. Most popular IP-PBX are mainly Asterisk-based hence under Linux. During an interview with Rich Tehrani, 3CX CEO Nick Galea points out that this is a big differentiator from competitors, meaning that it’s easier to install and configure without needing extra expertise on Linux.

3CX Phone System is available in different versions: FREE, Small Business, Professional and Enterprise. You can find a comparison table that helps you to choose the right version.

Prices:

• Small Business: $350
• Professional: $895
• Enterprise: $1250

They provide you with packages for maintenance and upgrade insurance at $125 and $175 respectively for the first and second version and $250 for the enterprise. Phone support is available through their partners. More details on pricing here.

The main differences among the four versions are in terms of available features and simultaneous calls. All versions let you add unlimited extensions though, while most capabilities of integration with CRM systems, MS Exchange and other features provided by the Call Assistant are available on the paying versions only. Full data-sheet can be found here. Here is a table with the basic phone features available in ALL versions:

I believe the free version (downloadable here) can be the right choice for most small businesses that are looking for an easy to use alternative to other Asterisk-based solutions. On the other hand, the paying versions offer a comprehensive set of features that most SMB can find enough and worth the price for their needs.

The choice is now up to you.

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