Microsoft Teams Calling vs Hosted PBX: A Buyer’s Matrix for Aussie SMEs

It's very clear the Australians have options for modern telephone systems for small and medium businesses. Two of the most widely used ones are Microsoft Teams Calling and Hosted PBX. Which one to adopt is more about strategy, being influenced by your current IT ecosystem, the amount of collaboration required by your people, and the importance of sophisticated telephony features in your daily functions than anything else.

For simplicity, we made a systematic buyer matrix for the effect of solutions on Australian SMEs and the extent to which they fit their business needs.

Foundational Differences in System Design

Microsoft Teams Calling: A Unified Communications Powerhouse

For qualities just like an open document sharing phone system, it twinkles as part of the complete built-in Microsoft 365 collection. It connects easily for SMEs already using platforms like Outlook, SharePoint, or OneDrive, creating a complete system so that their employees chat, share files, meet via video, and call outside with a single click.

This unification reduces app fatigue, thereby simplifying workflows and easing management for the IT department, especially in a hybrid or completely remote workforce. Teams Calling also reaps rewards from what has become an agile feature development cycle at Microsoft – one that features virtually continuous upgrades to the capabilities of the platform, rather than needing large investments needed to push through massive updates. Essentially, for those SMEs with a taste for shared communication as well as voice, Teams is by definition not just a phone application; it has become the digital office.

Hosted PBX: The Telephony Specialist's Platform

A hosted PBX, on the other hand, is a particular phone system designed specifically and solely by telephony. It has all the cloud capabilities of a standard on-premise PBX; however, it does not incur the hardware expenditures or have maintenance stress.

It draws its power from expertise. Complicated call queues, multi-level IVRs, thorough reporting of calls, smooth CRM integrations, and compatibility with a range of handsets are basic features that can be customised according to particular business needs. Hosted PBX would be suited to businesses where telephony is really a mission-critical operation – such as law firms, medical offices, or customer contact centres – providing that depth, dependability, and control that Teams Calling will never be capable of competing with.

While Teams Calling would be about collaborating, Hosted PBX would be about optimising the pure telephony performance.

A Buyer’s Matrix: Key Decision-Making Factors

Cost, Scalability, and Management Model

At a cursory glance, one might find the pricing model from Microsoft Teams Calling and Hosted PBX to be subscription-based. However, the specific details differ.

Microsoft Teams Calling is a per-user, per-month licensed programme. Add-ons such as international calling plans can increase cost, but companies can often save or gain flexibility by bringing Teams to a preferred carrier via Direct Routing. Scaling is pretty simple – just add new users to the administrative portal within minutes. Teams are most attractive to IT administrators in a small and medium enterprise already tying in Microsoft 365.

Typically a hosted PBX also has some per-user subscription and handset costs applicable. All things being equal, these initial expenses often yield ratcheted and more predictable call rates and more tailored design for complex telephony installs. It still remains flexible regarding scalability; however, extension addition or reconfiguration generally needs provider help as opposed to a single click with the license. The trade-offs come with a more hands-on management style but also dedicated provider support.

Features and Functionality: Generalist vs. Specialist

Microsoft Teams Calling acts as a generalist, aggregating presence (who is available), calendars, chat, meetings, and voice on one interface. This unified user experience is a key advantage for small and medium enterprises, where cross-team collaboration and productivity are of utmost importance.

On the other hand, hosted PBX is much more specialised. It has an array of advanced IVRs, comprehensive call data, customisable call flows, and connectors going deep into CRMs, customised for enterprises for which telephony is the lifeblood. A hosted PBX wins over Teams Calling for organisations that need advanced call handling, such as skill-based routing, after-hour policies, or exact reporting.

So in summary, if your number-one problem is collaboration, then Teams has an edge; if telephony performance is paramount, then Hosted PBX is a better choice.

Strategic Considerations for Australian SMEs

The Importance of Your Existing Ecosystem

The most critical factor in the Microsoft Teams Calling versus Hosted PBX debate would be your current technology stack.

Teams Calling is a completely in-house experience if you're all in with Microsoft 365. It also reduces the number of platforms staff has to manage and aligns very closely with your IT direction.

If you rely more on other disparate platforms such as Salesforce for CRM or Google Workspace for email, then Hosted PBX may give you added flexibility. Many hosted PBX providers in Australia have built-in interfaces to third-party applications, which you can't get with Teams out of the box.

The more you rely on Microsoft tools for your operations, the clearer the justification for Teams Calling; the more diverse your ecosystem, the more compelling Hosted PBX is.

Partner and Support Models for Australian Businesses

While Microsoft offers a solid worldwide platform, local presence is necessary for SMBs in Australia. Almost all hosted PBX companies provide dedicated, Australian-based support teams who have knowledge of local telephony rules, complications with number porting, and the requirements for customisation. Therefore, this particular type of support could be priceless, as it opens a way for speedy response and expert advice actualised to the realities of the Australian company.

Unlike Teams Calling support, which thrives globally and is much bigger, this would have some effect on the speed of response for businesses needing assistance that is customised.

No doubt Microsoft provides a powerful worldwide platform, but local presence becomes essential to Australian SMEs. Many hosted PBX companies provide dedicated, Australian-based support teams who are conversant with telephony laws and number porting issues and specific customisation requirements. This kind of specific support can prove invaluable in terms of quick responses and specialist advice with respect to Australian company realities.

Very different, on the other hand, the other Teams Calling support, which is larger and more global, may have an effect on the speed of answer for those companies that want highly customised support.

Selecting between Microsoft Teams Calling and a hosted PBX is a strategic decision that must be carefully matched with the operational model in use in the SME, the IT environment in use, and the communication objectives of the SME. Teams Calling is appropriate for organisations that have invested bandwidth in and leverage Microsoft 365 for applications that demand unified collaboration. On the other hand, hosted PBX is best for companies that have a preference for specialised telephony features, supported by a local touch.

Get in touch with the Anticlockwise Team now for industry-knowledgeable advice and support on choosing the right voice solution for your business, which will best suit the requirements of your business.