The end is(dn) nigh...
Ok I admit, this may be a little over the top. However time is ticking down on the life of the ISDN telephony network and business' need to start working on a strategy to move away from this legacy communication platform, before a forced migration in 2025.
A little bit of background; Back in 2015 British Telecom (BT) announced they will be switching off the ISDN network by the end of 2025, meaning business' will no longer be able to communicate via this network. In addition to this, it will no longer be possible to purchase new ISDN lines from 2023, hindering your companies ability to grow.
But why? In short, technology has advanced and BT have realised this. With a host of benefits offered by an IP based communication platform, BT are no longer prepared to invest in, and support a legacy outdated solution that won't enhance the business world.
What next? There are two options for migrating away from ISDN, both of which will save you money, improve overall call quality and potentially offer a host of new features;
- SIP - This is best suited for companies who have already invested in onsite infrastructure that has the ability to communicate via IP. SIP is similar to ISDN, however the phone lines are virtual instead of physical and allow you to scale up or down quickly giving you flexibility and control over you communication spend.
- Hosted VoIP - This is best suited for companies who are looking to move away from managing onsite infrastructure, or if that infrastructure isn't IP enabled. With a hosted solution, the provider handles all maintenance and future updates freeing up the time of your IT team in the process.
With the right provider, migrating away from ISDN is a simple process. Existing numbers can be ported over to the new solution and the migration can be completed in as little a 4 weeks, with minimal to no disruption of your day to day business workflows.
To pull this all together, if you are currently using ISDN now is the time to start planning your migration over to IP, especially if your contract is coming to an end. Working with an independent telecommunications consultant will allow you to devise a plan, evaluate the options and deploy the correct solution for your business needs.
The future of telephony and communications is in the cloud. For more information and support please reach out to me today!