The Brain

The hotel PBX that just works.

BrainBox is GrayMatter Networks’ software-based phone system built specifically for hotels. It connects guest rooms, front desk, departments and PMS workflows into one flexible PBX platform — so your phone system supports hotel operations instead of slowing them down.

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Unlimited Extensions

NG911 As standard

24/7 Expert support

See it in action

Why hotels need it

Most PBX systems were built for offices. Hotels are different.

A hotel phone system has to support guest rooms, room status, wake-up calls, staff departments, emergency calling, call accounting, PMS workflows, and daily front office pressure. BrainBox is built around those hotel realities.

Replacing an old PBX?

Calls don’t reach the right team
Old PBX and new systems don’t talk
Multi-site = inconsistent experience
Vendor lock-in and licensing creep
Support finger-pointing
Compliance and emergency-location risk

Environmental fit

Deploy physical, virtual or cloud
Trunking options: SIP, T1/E1/J1 or POTS
Keep existing analog handsets via gateways
Built on open standards (FreePBX)
Developed in-house by GrayMatter Networks, backed by Sangoma

Hotel-grade features

Front desk and guest calling experience
Operations and reporting
Staff routing that matches hotel workflows
Safety, compliance and notifications
Security by design — multi-factor authentication and VPNs for zero internet footprint

What BrainBox helps you do

Seven things a hotel PBX should do without being asked

Route calls clearlySend guests, staff, vendors, and departments to the right place faster.
Connect with the PMSUse room status, guest information, and hotel data to make the phone system smarter.
Support guest-room operationsHandle room phones, guest voicemail, wake-up calls, and room-based workflows.
Reduce manual workHelp front desk and operations teams avoid repeated manual updates and disconnected systems.
Modernize without unnecessary disruptionUse software-based PBX technology while preserving existing infrastructure where appropriate.
Scale without per-extension painBrainBox is designed to support large hotel environments without the old licensing mindset.
Keep the PBX out of the operations meetingThe goal is simple: the system works, staff trust it, and managers are not constantly chasing phone problems.

Under the hood

Hotel features, built in

Everything a property needs from the phone system, included in the platform rather than bolted on.

Full PMS interface and integration with the PBX
Voicemail to email for admin extensions
Hospitality voicemail for guest room phones (listen, delete, auto clear all VM on checkout)
Automated or personalized wake up calls, you pick
Guest name display on caller ID to admin extensions
Room status change codes for housekeeping
Call accounting module built-in
Unlimited extensions, queues, ring groups, IVRs, and voicemail boxes
Full, cradle to grave reporting options
Dispatchable emergency locations
Multi-channel alert notifications
Call recording

PMS integrations

Full PMS integration and multi-site support

HOBIC (IP and Serial)FIAS IPFIAS SerialHTNG XMLHilton OnQ and PEP (serial and IP)HMS Infor (IP FIAS)GalaxyMEWSRMS CloudOracle on prem (FIAS, HTNG and Serial)Oracle hosted (FIAS to IFC)Oracle cloud (FIAS to IFC)Oracle OHIP (coming soon)Commtrol UHLLJazzware (IP FIAS)WebRezPro (IP FIAS)Springer Miller (IP FIAS, emulation serial)Maestro (IP FIAS, emulation serial)Emulation: Mitel (Serial and IP)Emulation: Hitachi (Serial and IP)Ask us about your PMS

BrainBox vs everybody

What is included, and what usually costs extra

A comparison of the cost for additional features between BrainBox and other PBX vendors.

Feature	BrainBox included	Mitel · Avaya · Alcatel · other proprietary included	Notes
Extensions			Per-user or per-phone licensing common for proprietary systems.
Voicemail			Often an add-on or tiered feature for proprietary vendors.
Queues			Included in base for BrainBox with unlimited queues/agents, usually an extra Contact Center module for others.
Recording			Carries a licensing cost with other vendors.
Basic calls reporting			Basic reporting is free with BrainBox.
Ring groups			Simple call distribution is often base, but advanced routing might be licensed.
IVR			Interactive Voice Response often requires a separate module or license key.
Text to speech			May require a third-party license or specific hardware/software integration with other vendors.
Voicemail to email			Standard feature in modern systems; can be licensed per-user in older proprietary ones.
PMS integration			Property Management System integration is a critical, often high-cost add-on.
GUI access			Administrator and user-level GUIs can have tiered access licenses or in some cases no access at all.
Granular permissions			Role-based access control often tied to enterprise or professional license tiers.
Call accounting			Essential for hospitality; frequently a separate, mandatory module license.
Rooms management			Specific hospitality features like room status often require specialized licensing.
Dial by guest name			Requires database integration and often specialized software licensing.
Training			BrainBox includes setup/ongoing training for administration for LSPs.

Questions hotels ask

Frequently asked

Can I keep my existing phones and lines?

Yes. BrainBox is designed to fit into what you already have, not force a rip-and-replace. It supports SIP and legacy trunks (T1/E1/J1 and POTS), and it can keep existing analog room phones working through gateways.

Cloud or on-prem?

It depends on your property, IT model, and risk tolerance, and BrainBox supports all of it. You can run BrainBox on physical hardware, in a virtual environment, or in the cloud (including hybrid approaches). That means you can standardize the platform across properties even if each site has different infrastructure requirements.

What about emergency calling compliance?

BrainBox is NG911 compliant and supports modern emergency calling requirements, including dispatchable location capabilities. This helps hotels meet regulatory expectations and ensure emergency calls can be routed with accurate location details.

PMS integrations?

Yes. BrainBox includes full PMS integration and supports multi-site environments. It also supports a range of common hospitality PMS integration methods and platforms (including Oracle on-prem/cloud, OnQ, Pep, Mews, RMS Cloud, Infor HMS, and more).

Is there per-extension licensing?

No. BrainBox has no per-extension licensing. This makes it easier to scale across departments, staff changes, or multi-property deployments without surprise licensing costs as you grow.

The IQ

From PBX to platform

brainbox IQ extends BrainBox beyond telephony into apps, connectors, and operational workflows. BrainBox IQ lets the PBX do more than survive; it becomes a base for solving real hotel problems, one IQ bit at a time.

Ask about brainbox IQ →

The Neurons