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The 3CX phone system, explained
What a modern phone system actually is, what 3CX includes, what you need to run one in Kenya, and what it costs to own. Written for the person who has to make the decision, not for an engineer.
What it is
A phone system that runs as software
3CX replaces the PABX box in your server room with a system your team reaches through apps on their computers and phones, or through ordinary desk phones. It carries calls, website chat, WhatsApp, SMS and video meetings in one place, and it connects to Kenyan phone numbers through a SIP trunk.
Because it is software, the question "where does it run?" has more than one answer. You choose: we host it in Nairobi, we install it on a server at your site, or we build it inside your own AWS or Azure account. The system is the same in all three; only who looks after the machine changes.
What it replaces
The PABX nobody can reprogram
The box was configured by someone who has moved on. Changing a menu means finding them. Here, a menu is a screen, and your own staff can change it.
Staff on personal phones
Clients save a salesperson's private number, and it leaves with them. The office line on the app means the number belongs to the business.
Missed calls nobody can count
"We're busy, but the phone is quiet" is not a measurement. Queue and call reports turn it into one, so you can act on it.
What it does
Nine things it has to do well
Each links to its own page, with what it does, what it looks like day to day, and which edition includes it.
Calls and routing
IVR menus, ring groups, queues, office hours and call flows.
Apps and mobility
Web, desktop, iPhone, Android and desk phones on one extension.
Contact centre
Queues, wallboards, agent coaching and SLA alerts.
Chat, WhatsApp and SMS
One inbox for website chat, WhatsApp, Facebook and SMS.
Video meetings
Browser meetings with no download for the people you invite.
AI features
AI receptionist, AI agents, assistant and transcription.
Integrations
CRM, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, hotel PMS and an API.
Reporting
Call reports, queue and agent statistics, live dashboards.
Security and reliability
Firewall, anti-hacking rules, 2FA, backups and updates.
What you need to run one
A licence
Sized by how many calls happen at the same time, not by how many people work for you. Everyone gets an extension either way.
Somewhere to run it
Our Nairobi cloud, a server of its own at your site, or your own cloud account. It installs its own web server and database, so it wants a machine to itself rather than a corner of one already doing something else.
A SIP trunk and numbers
Your Kenyan numbers reach the system through a licensed provider. Existing numbers can usually be ported; we handle that with you.
Phones, or the apps
Desk phones where people want a handset, the apps where they do not. Most offices end up with a mix, and reception nearly always keeps a real phone.
What it costs to own
Four things carry a cost: the licence each year, somewhere to run it, the setup, and support afterwards. Numbers and trunk minutes sit alongside those. We quote all of it in KES, and prices exclude vat at 16%.
What surprises people most often is the direction the cost moves as the business grows. Because licensing counts simultaneous calls, hiring ten more people who each spend an hour a day on the phone frequently changes nothing at all.
See it on a real system
A 30-minute session on a live system, walked through in your own terms. No obligation, and prices in KES.
We confirm your slot within 24 hours.