8x8 Branch Office is a new Virtual Office feature that allows customers to segment their primary 8x8 cloud-based PBX to unique physical or logical branch offices, while still keeping those individual locations fully integrated into a single unified communications platform. System administrators are able to quickly and easily define a branch office and associate extensions from their corporate directory to that location or group. This feature is especially useful for companies with multiple geographically dispersed regional or global offices. Customers no longer need to purchase, install and maintain disparate and expensive on-premise PBX equipment for their corporate headquarters and each of their individual branch locations.
“Branch Office is a perfect example of how the cloud technology inherent in the 8x8 Virtual Office communications solution can be put to work to support an organisation’s strategic business processes and goals,” said 8x8 CEO Vik Verma. “In this instance, rapid deployment and scalability, characteristics many of our midmarket and distributed enterprise customers choose us for, is easily achieved using our cloud-based service delivery model which also carries the added bonus of requiring very little oversight on the part of an organisation’s internal IT staff.”
Branch Office enables Virtual Office customers to:
- Define unique branch office instances.
- Quickly associate a receptionist for each branch office.
- Easily assign an auto attendant and unique call flows for each branch office.
- Allow callers to opt out of leaving a voicemail and go back to the branch receptionist, or any other administrator defined extension.
- Eliminate the need for multiple PBXs while providing overall enhanced call flow and better caller experience.
8x8 also announced Virtual Office Switchboard Pro, a powerful, web-based, multi-faceted offering that streamlines call routing and management capabilities for receptionists and other front office users. Switchboard Pro enables the receptionist to view real-time “presence” of all users, corporate-wide or within a branch office, all on their computer screen. This tool allows them to manage multiple incoming calls, and quickly apply call treatment options such as Call Park (public, Branch, or extension), Hold, and Call Transfer to an extension or directly to voicemail, all with the click of a mouse. Switchboard Pro also provides a platform to coordinate call coverage with other receptionists when on a break and toggle to auto attendant when no receptionist is available. Switchboard Pro can handle more active simultaneous calls than a telephone alone. Incoming calls can be answered from either the Switchboard application or from a physical handset.