Swapping millions of ISDN users is a mammoth task, hence BT gave until 2025 to source an alternative. Around half of UK companies have already made the switch, enhancing their software and saving money in the process. Everyone must switch by 2025, but with superior tech and cost-savings available, why wait?
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) was introduced by BT nationally in 1986. ISDN is a set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
With traditional telephony services, the ISDN line is used to send voice signals digitally down the line. ISDN was a big improvement over analogue technology and delivers clearer calls and high levels of reliability. However, compared to VoIP, this technology is inflexible and requires physical infrastructure to be installed at your premises; often with long delivery lead times.
These days, technology has moved on considerably. With advancements such as ultrafast broadband and ethernet connectivity, business telephony services use Voice over IP (VoIP) as the default.
With superior options now widely available, businesses are jumping onboard. Cost-savings and improved tech have made waiting until 2025 illogical.
What is Available?
As with most business decisions, the choice of which telecoms service to use is usually determined by cost. Because of this, solutions such as VoIP and SIP have taken the market by storm. Not only are there savings to be had, the tech is better – as is the experience.
VoIP technology has transformed traditional telephone services, superseding ISDN systems with low-cost, cutting-edge solutions. Added flexibility and advanced calling features have resulted in its global market dominance.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technological method of making phone calls over the internet. Also known as an internet telephone or SIP, the use of this method of communication has become mainstream with many companies moving away from traditional phone companies in favour of it. Opting for VoIP tech delivers many business benefits, with one of the most obvious being significant cost reductions.
VoIP Features:
• Huge savings (Cerberus offer free and cheaper calls, plus no more expensive line rental)
• Advanced features (integration, greater control and analytics that transform your business communication)
• Greater flexibility (connect to your phone system from anywhere with Wi-Fi or 4G)
• Higher resilience (stay connected, ensuring business agility and productivity)
Instead of ISDN lines, modern phone systems use Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to connect you to the public phone network via IP data services and offer improved scalability and functionality – often at considerably reduced cost.
The good news for business is that you don’t always need to chuck out your current phone system to get the benefits of VoIP. SIP connectivity is now standard on most modern phone systems and available as a simple upgrade to legacy systems. This allows you to maintain your investment on your existing system and still benefit from the flexibility and cost savings of SIP services.
SIP Features:
• Reduced costs (Cerberus SIP includes free UK calls and low-cost international calling)
• Scalability (individual SIP endpoint connections can scale from 1 to multiple channels)
• Business continuity and reliability (Cerberus provide multiple servers for your phone system to connect to as well as supporting inbound routing to multiple endpoints for superior reliability)
No Good Reason to Wait
So, if you haven’t already enjoyed the business benefits of moving away from ISDN, why wait?
Cerberus Networks provide business solutions and expertise in communications, Internet services, IT systems and network security.
For businesses looking to replace an old telephony system, our managed, cloud-based phone system, MyCloud PBX offers powerful business telephony, allowing you to cut down on cost, whilst upgrading your communications. The clock is ticking and a better business telephone system is waiting.