In September, Yeastar began introducing new AI features to its P-Series PBX system:
- Voicemail Transcription
- Call Transcription & Summary
- Text-to-Speech (TTS)
- WebSocket for Audio Streaming
Naturally, the question came up:
Is AI in PBX just a buzzword, or does it offer real workplace value?
To find out, we ran a blind test with six team members across different departments. No tutorials or demos—just first-time use in practical, everyday scenarios.
Here’s what we discovered…
What We Tested
We evaluated the AI tools using three standard office tasks:
- Voicemail Transcription: Handling a long voicemail related to internal training
- Call Transcription & Summary: Reviewing a detailed client call
- Text-to-Speech: Creating a multilingual public holiday message
Voicemail Transcription: Surprisingly Accurate
Scenario: Convert a long voicemail into text for easier review and record-keeping.
Findings:
- Transcripts appeared within seconds
- Over 95% accuracy, even with some audio imperfections
- Text was fully editable within the PBX interface
Conclusion: Accuracy exceeded expectations. The feature saved time and improved message clarity. Feedback suggests future improvements could include intelligent summarisation and filler word removal.
Call Transcription & Summary: A Clear Winner
Scenario: Review a complex technical call with a client.
Findings:
- Real-time transcription kept up with the conversation
- Clear summary automatically generated at the end
- Speaker-separated text made it easy to revisit details
Conclusion: This was the most impactful feature tested. It helped reduce multitasking, improved client interaction, and simplified post-call follow-ups. Internal rollout to the sales team happened immediately after testing.
Text-to-Speech: Fast and Functional, but Limited Voice Options
Scenario: Quickly create a multilingual audio message for a national holiday.
Findings:
- Messages generated in seconds
- Clear and professional voice output
- Multiple languages supported
Conclusion: TTS was effective for announcements and automation. Users requested more expressive and informal voice options, particularly for customer interactions. Neural TTS is in development to address this.
WebSocket Audio Streaming: Expanding Integration
Though not part of the blind test, Yeastar has added WebSocket support for audio streaming. This allows PBX systems to connect with external AI platforms for:
- Speech analytics
- Voice security checks
- Sentiment analysis
- Real-time call scoring
Conclusion: This feature enables deeper integration with AI tools beyond Yeastar’s own platform, offering more flexibility to advanced users and developers.
Is AI in PBX Worth It?
Here’s how the AI features addressed real workplace challenges:
- Voicemail Transcription helped capture key details quickly
- Call Transcription & Summary improved focus and follow-up
- Text-to-Speech simplified audio content creation
- WebSocket support opened up broader use cases for external AI tools
These aren’t hypothetical benefits—they solve real communication issues already faced in many offices.
What’s Next for AI in Yeastar P-Series PBX
Yeastar is continuing development in several AI-driven areas:
- AI Receptionist (to be introduced at Yeastar Day 2025 Virtual)
- Sentiment analysis
- CRM integration
- AI-powered call quality assessments
- Chatbot functionality
Yeastar Day 2025 Virtual will focus heavily on AI features and future contact centre innovations. The event takes place on 22 October 2025.
Final Thoughts
The results from this internal blind test suggest that AI in PBX is not just hype. These tools already provide clear operational value—saving time, improving communication, and reducing manual effort.
There’s still room for growth, especially around customisation and smarter automation. But the core functions are already delivering benefits today.
If you’re using Yeastar’s P-Series PBX in Australia, you can trial these features via the Integration > AI settings in your system.