3CX

3CX develops a business phone system that started as a software PBX and has grown into a platform for calls, video and live chat. Founded in 2005, it keeps offices in Europe, the US, Dubai and Australia, and every sale goes through one of roughly 10,000 resellers. It reports more than 350,000 customers in 190 countries, including Air France, PepsiCo and the NHS.

What 3CX offers

• Flexible deployment — installation on Windows or Linux, self-hosting on Amazon, Azure, Google or DigitalOcean, or hosting by 3CX itself.
• Contact centre — queues, IVR menus, ring groups, website live chat and reporting on calls, all inside the phone system.
• AI features — an AI receptionist and AI agents that screen and direct callers, including after hours, along with transcripts and summaries of calls.
• Apps and integrations — apps for the web, iOS and Android, links with Google and Microsoft 365, and connections to CRM and helpdesk tools including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho, Zendesk and Freshdesk.
• Numbers and handsets — existing numbers can move to a SIP trunk provider and compatible desk phones can be reused.

Who it works with

Organisations from small offices to large enterprises, reached through its partner network. A free edition covers small offices of up to 10 users, and licensing is per system rather than per head.

Key facts

• Founded: 2005
• Offices: Europe, the US, Dubai and Australia
• Sales model: partner channel only