A cloud PBX is a business phone system that runs from a data centre instead of a box in your office. Your team gets extensions, call routing, voicemail and call recording on desk phones, computers and mobiles, and the provider looks after the system for you.
This guide covers what a cloud PBX does, what it costs in Australia, how it compares with an on-site PBX, and what to check before you choose a provider.
What is a cloud PBX?
A cloud PBX (also called a hosted PBX) is a hosted business phone system. It gives you everything a traditional phone system does:
- extensions for every team member and every location
- auto-attendant menus that send callers to the right team
- ring groups and call queues, with callback so callers keep their place
- voicemail to email, with transcription
- call recording and transcription
- business-hours and holiday rules that change how calls are handled automatically
The difference is where it runs. There’s no PBX hardware on site. The system runs from data centres, and you manage it from an online admin portal.
What can a cloud PBX do that an office phone can’t?
Because the phone system lives online, your business number goes wherever your team goes:
- Every device on one extension. Take calls on a desk phone, a desktop app, a web browser or a mobile app, and move a live call between them without dropping it.
- SMS from your business number. Send and receive texts from the same number customers already call.
- Remote and hybrid work. Staff answer business calls from home or on the road, without a VPN or extra equipment.
- New staff in minutes. Add an extension from the admin portal, anywhere in Australia.
- AI and automation. A modern cloud PBX can have an AI call assistant answer calls after hours or when everyone is busy, and can trigger follow-ups automatically when a call is missed.
How much does a cloud PBX cost in Australia?
Cloud PBX is priced monthly per extension (per user), so there’s no up-front hardware cost for the system itself.
As an example, Bluehubcloud PBX is A$30 per extension per month ex GST for 3 to 50 users, and A$28 per extension per month ex GST for 51 to 100 users. That includes:
- Australian landline and mobile calls, under fair use
- the desktop, web and mobile apps
- IVR menus, ring groups and queues, voicemail to email and call recording
- the admin portal and Australian support
- standard remote setup
A 10-user team would pay A$300 a month ex GST for the phone system.
Compare the total cost, not just the headline price. Some low monthly prices leave out Australian mobile calls, or charge extra for call recording and advanced routing. Before you compare quotes, check what each one includes and what’s billed separately, such as:
- phone numbers (for example, a local number is A$0.50 a month and a 1300 or 1800 number is A$30 a month, ex GST)
- SMS
- handsets
- international calls and calls to 13 and 1300 numbers
- the contract term (ours is a 12-month minimum)
Is an on-site PBX outdated?
For most businesses, yes. An on-site PBX means:
- buying hardware up front, often A$10,000 to A$50,000 or more for the PBX, handsets and installation
- replacing that hardware every 5 to 7 years
- booking an engineer to add staff, move desks or change call flows
- a single point of failure in your office
A cloud PBX has no system hardware to buy, is priced monthly per extension, adds new staff in minutes and runs from geo-redundant Australian data centres.
| Cloud PBX | On-site PBX | |
|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | None: pay monthly per extension | PBX hardware, handsets and install |
| Time to set up | Days (24 to 48 hours when you need it fast) | Weeks to months, with engineers on site |
| Adding staff or sites | An extension in minutes, anywhere | New cabling, licences and a call-out |
| Remote and mobile work | Built in: desktop, web and mobile apps | VPN, extra licences or add-ons |
| Resilience | Geo-redundant Australian data centres | A single point of failure on site |
How to choose a cloud PBX provider
The best provider is the one that fits how your business handles calls. These are the questions worth asking:
- Where is the system hosted? Check whether your calls, recordings, voicemail and data stay in Australia.
- What’s in the monthly price? Ask whether Australian mobile calls, call recording, the apps and setup are included, or extra.
- Can you keep your numbers? Ask how porting works and how long it takes. Single local numbers usually move in one to five business days. Number blocks and 1300 or 1800 numbers take longer.
- Which devices does it support? Check the apps (desktop, web, mobile) and whether your existing handsets can be reused.
- How does it handle busy times? Look for ring groups, call queues with callback, overflow and business-hours rules.
- Does it connect to your other systems? Ask about CRM integration, Microsoft Teams and automation.
- Can it answer calls you miss? An AI call assistant built into the phone system can answer after hours and when every line is busy.
- Who supports it? Find out where support is based and what hours it covers.
- What’s the contract? Check the minimum term, and whether you can trial it first.
Moving to a cloud PBX: what to expect
- Plan the setup. Your users, numbers, call flow, business hours and greetings.
- Port your numbers. Your provider lodges the port and manages it through to cutover. Keep your old service active until the port is confirmed complete.
- Set up devices. Supported handsets are provisioned automatically, and staff sign in to the apps.
- Go live and test. Make test calls, check the menus and ring groups, and confirm voicemail reaches the right inbox.
With Bluehubcloud, standard setup is done remotely and included: your numbers and simple porting, every extension, handset pre-provisioning, an auto-attendant menu and a ring group, configured, tested and ready to answer.
Common questions
Is a cloud PBX the same as VoIP?
A cloud PBX uses VoIP (voice over the internet) to make and receive calls, and adds the business phone system features on top: extensions, menus, ring groups, queues, voicemail and recording.
Do I need new handsets?
Not always. Handsets on the supported list can usually be brought across after a compatibility check, and many teams run on the desktop and mobile apps alone.
Can a cloud PBX work with Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Bluehubcloud PBX can sync your Teams status, and Communicator for Teams puts calling, SMS, transfers and voicemail inside Teams.
What happens to my calls if the office internet goes down?
Because the phone system runs in the cloud, calls can still reach your team on the mobile app.
See how Bluehubcloud PBX fits your business
Bluehubcloud PBX is an Australian cloud phone system hosted in Australian data centres, with AI call answering and automation built in.