The ISDN/PSTN switch off – are you ready?

Organisations will have to migrate to a replacement technology such as an IP/and/or SIP network, which is good news as many of these solutions are more cost-effective, easier to manage and flexible. 

If your organisation is still using an ISDN or PSTN network, you’ll need to review your telecommunications infrastructure as soon as possible, to make sure you’re fully prepared.

Trust the experts

If you were unaware of the switch off don’t worry, there is still time to plan and migrate to a replacement technology solution such as SIP trunking or a hosted phone system.

A communications solution provider will be able to explain, advise and guide you through the process. They’ll work with you to discuss your objectives and ensure that the replacement solution fits your bespoke unified communications requirement. 

Do not fear

Moving to an IP, SIP or hosted communications technology means that you’ll be able to protect your existing investment whilst you transition to new technology. There are a number of benefits, with hosted voice systems providing opportunities for organisations to save money on phone bills, increased flexibility and the ability to react to and plan better for emergencies.   

Communications in the cloud

By hosting your telephony in the cloud, you have access to a flexible platform that not only enables you to save costs but also provides you with the opportunity to easily add on new applications and technology when required. Additionally, you can easily scale up and down accordingly when required, and moves, adds and changes can be easily conducted in minutes.

Organisations also benefit from cost saving with SIP, IP and hosted communications because they have no rental costs, call charges are cheaper and internal calls are free between sites.

As safe as houses

Your communications will be secure hosted in the cloud which will strengthen your business continuity plans, so should your telephony infrastructure fall over then it will seamlessly transfer to the disaster recovery network. This will enable you to continue providing services to your customers and your employees to carry on working.

Mobility/remote working

A rise in remote and hybrid working is forecasted, it’s important that your team can continue to work collaboratively. IP solutions allow unified communications so that employees can keep in touch via video conferencing, conference calls, send instant messages and work on shared documents.

Improving processes

The last year has changed how we all work and operate, and now is the perfect time to evaluate what has worked and what hasn’t. It is an opportunity to make improvements to existing processes and this has to be done with a new outlook and the acceptance to change and doing things differently moving forward. A communications provider can assist you with this, showing you how to optimise your remote workforce and existing telephony processes.

Integration is key

IP and SIP provides flexibility, allowing you to integrate with other technologies such as Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) for contact centres, providing you with the opportunity to give your customers a personalised service. Whether it’s Teams, Salesforce or HubSpot, using VoIP allows you to integrate your telephone system with the latest platforms.

Opportunity calling

For many organisations, the switch off will be an opportunity to embrace IP hosted and SIP solutions and take the first steps in their digital transformation journey.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about how our Network Connectivity and Telecommunication Solutions framework can help, please get in touch with the team!