Why wait for the benefits of better business connectivity?

Some things are worth waiting for. Sometimes there’s an extra buzz because you have to wait. Think of the anticipation before the start of the football season – all those possible outcomes. And who can forget the endless and thrilling wait for Father Christmas to arrive?

But sometimes waiting is pointless, and worse than that, it can be damaging. If you’ve got a troublesome tooth, get that dental appointment booked. If there’s a business issue, something that’s holding you back, don’t wait until it’s causing you real pain. Sort it now.

Don’t switch off about the switch off A great example is the upcoming changes to the existing public telephone network. You’ve probably heard some things about the outdated copper wires and BT’s plans to switch off the ISDN network. Maybe you registered that the move is scheduled for 2025 and, if you’ll pardon a weak pun, you switched off.

You shouldn’t have. 2025 isn’t too far in the future to be planning for and many of the accompanying changes are happening well before that date. Indeed, some three hundred exchange areas will start to be impacted from this April. Yes, April 2022.

This isn’t just a matter of the traditional phone and switchboard system needing a quick refresh, your whole telephony infrastructure will be impacted. Any connected services: point of sales terminals, fire alarms, security systems and telecare devices will have to be upgraded. Imagine waiting until the last minute to address the issue and finding yourself in a huge queue of similar desperate businesses unable to operate or service their customers.

Enjoy the benefits now

While getting things sorted now makes sense, my point isn’t simply one of urgency. It’s that your business can benefit from switching over now. Why wait when you can have the benefits right away? Early generations of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology have evolved into robust and reliable Hosted Telephony. It has speeds that easily support today’s diverse working practices, including video conferencing, homeworking and fully connected mobile teams.

What’s more, Hosted Telephony offers user freedom without complexity. With a single contact number, the user can choose how to answer calls and on what device – mobile, desk-top or softphone. It’s a boon for remote working now and in the future, and also improves the business efficiency matrix.

When all this is available why would you choose to stick with the rigid infrastructure of fixed copper wiring and your in-house switchboard? Why wait weeks if you need an extra line? Why rely on the one person in the business who understands how to set up call forwarding or change an extension number?

With the new technology, cost savings can be significant. That doesn’t just relate to calls. You don’t need the same investment in infrastructure or system maintenance. You can scale the system to suit and do it within hours not weeks. You won’t be constrained by the switchboard or the wiring.

You’ll see improved productivity, easier collaboration and information sharing. You’ll find call management simple and call quality excellent.

All these improvements help to create a connected, responsive and adaptable business that’s equipped to thrive.

Why wait for that?

You can have it now. 2025 is hurtling towards us. Eventually, all sorts of organisations will realise that they cannot ignore the impending ISDN switch-off. But if you’ve already embraced the change and capitalised on the benefits, you’ll have nothing to fear.