MTN Business Kenya has launched an Internet Protocol (IP) private automatic branch exchange (PABX), a software-based telephone exchange service that is set to take on the traditional private branch exchange (PBX) in business environments.

The facility, which the company describes as "a seamless and digitized telephony" solution dubbed the MTN Managed IP PBX service, is a combination of technologies designed to deliver innovative telephony to business over the Internet.

The solution is available in the Kenya market but will likely be rolled out across the MTN Group's operations on the African continent.

As a hosted service, it is aimed at helping businesses to significantly reduce any capital expenditure, maintenance and total network costs. It will also simultaneously increase access to converged applications, letting data and voice, IP and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)-based applications be managed together, said Tom Omariba, MTN Business Kenya managing director, who launched the service in Nairobi Thursday.

The PABX includes real-time management features that give businesses the ability to monitor services via a user-friendly online portal.

"As voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) matures, the hardware PBX has become increasingly irrelevant," according to Omariba. "All of its functions can be replaced by software, while a range of additional functionality can be introduced," he said.

The facility has built-in, cost-effective routing, evaluating each outgoing call and selecting the most appropriate breakout point to further reduce costs.

Omariba said the MTN Managed IP PBX solution is also built upon the MTN core network infrastructure and subject to strict controls that ensure high levels of availability and reliability.