Five reasons to make the switch to an All-IP phone system NOW

Five reasons to make the switch to an All-IP phone system NOW

There are huge changes ahead for telecoms in the UK in the next 3 years, with the traditional copper phone lines being shut off by BT at the end of 2025 and all lines having to be transferred to All-IP-based networks beforehand.

This will affect 16 million telephone lines and over two million UK businesses, which is a huge undertaking, so it makes sense to make the move sooner rather than later to ensure its business as usual after December2025.

Making the move to All-IP

You might well be thinking you don’t want the hassle of moving at the moment, but there are five good reasons why you should make the move now:

1. Beat the rush

As a result of the BT switch-off over 16 million telephone lines will have to be transferred to IP-based networks which support broadband-based call services. Many businesses are not even aware this change is coming or will think they can leave it until the last minute. But these businesses face the danger of not being able to find a comms provider with the capacity and resources to switch them over in time. And, when the old network is switched off, the majority of their comms services will literally stop working. These include:

  • Phone lines and their numbers
  • ADSL and FTTC broadband internet services
  • Door–entry systems / CCTV
  • Burglar alarms / Fire alarms / Panic alarms
  • Fax machines
  • Emergency phones / Emergency lift lines
  • EPOS terminals

Don’t let that happen to your business.

2. All-IP replaces old legacy technology and equipment

The PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) has been in place for many decades and generally consists of copper telephone lines, fibre optic cables, microwave transmission links, satellites, undersea telephone cables and mobile networks. The PSTN is reaching the end of its life and becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain.

An All-IP solution uses the latest fibre technology and, unlike traditional copper-based technology, it does not suffer from signal loss due to distance or environmental changes, such as noise interference and degradation. A purpose-built network is designed for data consumption, the fibre technology also offers lower latency, meaning no more slowdowns.

3. All-IP has far greater flexibility and scalability

With an IP-based comms solutions such as hosted telephony you can develop and expand your new system in line with your business objectives. As your business grows, you can increase the number of users in line with your business growth, whereas with a traditional PBX based phone system, you must buy for your future expected growth before it happens.

4. All-IP reduces costs

All-IP offers both short-term and long-term savings, providing you with a more cost-effective communications medium. From the moment you start using your new system, you’ll reduce spending. ‘Per user’ pricing and free calls between sites allows your business to benefit from immediate savings and you won’t have the ongoing costs of PSTN or ISDN lines.

Plus, it will incur fewer expenses in the form of maintenance, repairs and downtime than an in-house on-premises system.

5. All-IP connectivity provides seamless business communications

An All-IP Unified Communications solution, allows full integration of the user’s desk phone and mobile plus full hybrid and remote working capability. It brings landline and office PBX features to mobile handsets and delivers all the integration benefits of a fixed mobile convergence (FMC) solution.

Mobile phones can work as part of a business PBX system, with DDI numbers, short-dial extensions, call transfer, hunt groups, IVR, voicemail and all the other PBX features and benefits you would expect of a quality phone system. Plus, mobile call recording.

How can a business move to All-IP?

To make the move to All-IP there are plenty of other methods of voice and data transmission available that are cheaper, faster and more reliable.

To switch to an IP-based service, such as a VoIP or SIP solution, might sound like there’s a lot involved and a hassle you can do without, but a good comms provider will support you every step of the way.

It’s best to talk to a telecoms company that specialises in hosted telephony in order to get the right service for your business. They will be able to assess your immediate needs and provide you with the scalability for your future requirements. Plus, they will be able to take all the hassle out of moving over to a new system, enabling you to keep your existing numbers and ensuring there is no impact on the day-to-day operation of the business.

Guidance from the Xcomm experts

The team at Xcomm are experts in the cloud telecoms field, providing hosted telephony services for many high-profile customers and call centres. We have a whole range of solutions to meet the needs of all businesses, so why not take advantage of the ultimate telecommunications solutions we provide and embrace this change for the better before the rush when the final countdown begins.

Contact Xcomm to find out more on 03333 447 092 or email us at sales@xcomm.co.uk.

Useful Glossary

ISDN – Integrated Service Digital Network, was the first version of high-speed internet. The service enables businesses to send data, such as voice calls or images, through their phone lines using the internet.

PBX – Private Branch Exchange (Telephone system)

PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network is what you might refer to as the classic analogue telephone system – the system that enables landline connectivity. It generally consists of copper telephone lines, fibre optic cables, microwave transmission links, satellites, undersea telephone cables and mobile networks.

VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol is a method of data transmission that allows for voice communications to be sent over the internet.

SIP – The standard IP telephony signalling protocol used to start and terminate voice calls over the Internet

Hosted telephony – an IP-based telephone system hosted in the cloud. It supports functionality such as transferring calls, call diversion, call waiting, call recording etc.

FMC – Fixed Mobile Convergence is device and infrastructure technology that enables the transparent use of voice and data applications across fixed and mobile access points.

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