What a PBX does
PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange — the system that connects internal extensions and manages calls in and out of a business. A cloud PBX performs the same job in software, hosted off-site.
Core building blocks
Most cloud PBX systems share the same basic pieces:
- Extensions for each user or device.
- An auto-attendant or IVR that greets and directs callers.
- Ring groups and queues that share calls across a team.
- Business-hours routing that behaves differently after hours.
- Voicemail with email delivery and forwarding rules.
Why it matters
Because routing lives in software, changes that once required a technician — a new greeting, a seasonal schedule — can be handled from a web console in minutes.