You will probably have seen the news that BT will switch off ISDN services in 2025. This is part of their strategy to manage all calls over internet protocol by that time.
This transfer includes all business and home telephone services including non-voice networks such as security alarms, electronic point of sale systems and so on.
Sales of ISDN line installations will be concluded in 2023, with the permanent switch-off coming two years later.
Which means that if your business is not already managing calls by VoIP, or has not yet begun to consider this change, now is the time to start.
It can be confusing, so to help, we’ve produced a step-by-step business guide to migrating from ISDN to VoIP.
Assess your current system and requirements
It’s important to determine the shape of your current system and how your hardware, software and process needs will be met under the new VoIP regime. If in any doubt, contact an experienced and understanding telecoms services provider to support your assessment.
It’s good to determine how many phones you currently have, and how many you plan to have in your future plans.
How many phone numbers do you have, and how many do you use? (these two elements can be different)
How do you manage call flow across your business, particularly unanswered calls? Does your business telecoms system currently provide routing, call queueing software or voicemail facilities?
How do you manage telephony for different teams? What are your requirements for extensions for various teams and colleagues? How might this change in the future?
Do you allow remote working, across various sites, or working from home? How do your colleagues keep in touch when they are not on your primary business site?
Create a clear working plan
Scope out your future telephony needs and be clear about your objectives.
Are you planning to manage your operating costs more effectively? Do you need to increase your call handling capacity or call management capabilities? Will a new telephony system help with plans to scale your business?
Relate your working plan to your likely future telecoms systems requirements, and at this stage you will be starting to create a realistic plan of your likely future needs.
Identify your service provider
VoIP offers integrated communication capabilities across a range of channels, so it’s important to understand which VoIP provider can best meet your needs for your core telephony requirements, as well as additional features, including video and audio conferencing, integration of relevant apps and call routing.
Remember, your business telecoms are all about helping your people to connect with customers and each other, so don’t forget to engage your teams, to understand their needs, issues and ideas.
After all, the most creative and useful ideas in any business often come from those colleagues at the chalk face, who best understand the pain points with your existing telephony system, and can provide great insight into what customers and colleagues need, as part of your future success.
With the ISDN to VoIP switchover becoming more imminent, it’s critical to begin assessing your telecoms requirements and determining how you will meet these. As important, you need to approach this calmly and thoughtfully.
Your telecommunications system is an important cornerstone of your business technology, so it’s critical to consider and document your current state and required future state clearly and carefully.
If you would like to learn more about making the switch from ISDN to VoIP, Time Communications would be happy to talk you through the options available to you. Contact our expert team on 0113 2059640, you can request a callback on our home page, email at [email protected] or message us here.