The Great Copper Cull.

You have probably been too busy rocking out to Kiss on your Walkman, changing reels on your View-Master and smashing out a new high score on your Game Boy before the AA batteries run out to notice that by 2025 BT are turning off their Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

So don't operate in modern times with a solution that was best suited to the 80's and 90's.

What does that mean?

Well for starters it means this guy to the right has to climb less poles.

But for you running a business, it means that if you have a service that uses the now aged copper PSTN network then you need to implement a new solution.

This is not limited to the likes of ISDN/WLR phone services but also alarm systems, including lift, fire, intruder and also older CCTV systems

You may not know what underlying infrastructure facilitates certain services within your business, so reach out to your providers and ask the question, although the likelihood is they will already of mentioned this to you, and proposed a new solution.

This is when you need to pause, and think.

The world of business telephony can be filled with jargon, misleading claims and long contracts, so being informed ahead of committing is vital.

The best solution for your business will vary depending on; what you do with your phone system, how often you do it and how many people are using it.

So lets look at that.

Keep it simple where possible

In all honesty the majority of modern SIP or IP based phone systems will meet your basic telephony needs. Some will achieve this 'out of the box', others will require you to purchase multiple add-on services, but the 'add-on' aspect is usually driven by the telecoms company selling it to you.

Once you get past the fundamentals of the phone system itself, the primary unknown around 'if this will be a success for your business', is in the user experience.

User Experience

You can have the best, feature rich and cutting edge phone system on the market, but if your staff don't embrace it, the initial few months will be painful.

Yes, you have to move due to the aforementioned change in the physical PSTN infrastructure, but that doesn't mean there has to be compromises made. Quite the opposite.

The switch to a new solution should provide the user with a simple, user friendly solution that not only enhances their experience, but also that of the caller.

Don't add more pieces to your puzzle

In the majority of cases your team will already have the skillset required to hit the ground running.

If you were not using Microsoft Teams pre pandemic, you almost certainly are now.

Again lets keep things simple, don't add another new piece of software that your team will require training on, add a Voice license to your Microsoft 365 subscription and Bob's your uncle.

What do I get?

Microsoft 365 Business Voice includes:

• Cloud-based phone system with advanced features including call transfer, multilevel auto attendants, and call queues.
• A domestic calling plan?with 1,200 minutes?per user, per month within UK with all minutes being pooled at the tenant level.
• Dial-in audio conferencing for up to 250 people per meeting.
• Call from anywhere, on any device through the Microsoft Teams app on desktop, mobile, web, and desk phones.
• Around-the-clock customer support seven days a week, backed by Microsoft.

Business Voice requires a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes Microsoft Teams. It’s?an add-on subscription for up to 300 users?and?can’t?be used?on its own.??

What does it look like?

I'm sure by now most people are familiar with the look and basic functionality of Teams. With Teams Voice you benefit from a 'Calls' tab in the left hand menu.

Clicking on this tab opens up to a keypad, contact list and call history log.

Once in a call you will have all the functionality expected of a modern Unified Comms solution.

You will easily be able to place the caller on hold, perform a blind call transfer and perform an introduced transfer, all from a drop down menu within Teams on your PC.

I'm old school, where's my handset gone!

No worries, if you are more comfortable having a physical handset on your desk or maybe the phone is used by multiple staff members in a warehouse or kitchen for example then we can provide a Teams handset. (pictured left Yealink MP50)

I want more!

For those with more complex telephony needs, like in depth call reporting, wall boards and other call centre related functionality Nexus partner with Anywhere365, the worlds first Microsoft certified Teams Contact Centre.

I want in! How do we get the ball rolling?

In essence its quite simple, following a meeting to discuss your businesses individual needs, the Nexus Unified Comms Specialists will assess what is required to migrate from your existing solution to a Teams Voice system. In addition, Nexus will assess your current phone system usage to see if you would be best suited to the Teams native calling plan or if going down the direct routing path using SIP would be more cost effective for you.

Either way, you are in good hands. Nexus have rolled out these systems for everyone from small business, all the way up to central government. We have the experience required to ensure you get the right product and set up to meet your needs whilst also being cost effective.

Get in touch.

[email protected] / 01392 684336 / 07812 205983