BT IDSN switch off
During 2015 BT made a huge announcement, this was that they will be switching off BT ISDN network and crease all orders in 2020 and after 2025 the ISDN network will not be supported. But why are BT doing this? ISDN was first introduced in the UK in the early 1980’s which provided new features such as direct dialing inwards and the digital transmission of voice and video etc. However, as the years have progressed ISDN is now a legacy network system which has become short on features, inflexible plus high on maintenance and running costs.
In 2017 BT found that there were still over 2 million businesses using an ISDN connection in the UK, all of which will be affected by the planned switch off in 2020. Also, a recent 2017 survey has also shown that a quarter of UK’S businesses were still unaware that the switch-off is taking placed within in the coming years.
What is hosted telephony (VoIP) and how does it work?
Unlike the traditional telephony which relies on telephone lines, hosted telephony is a telephone system that uses the internet to send voice data via the local phone exchange. Hosted telephony uses cloud technology which results in the removal of
ISDN telephone lines from phone providers. A business phone system is therefore hosted remotely and connected to through the internet, meaning you can use IP handsets, mobiles or desktop applications to make and receive calls, video conference and Instant messaging.
PBX V Hosted
If your business is currently running a traditional PBX you are potentially missing out on huge efficiency and enhanced communication capabilities. Moving to hosted telephony (VoIP) can provide your business with many benefits due to the huge number of features that cloud based telephony offers. One of the big differences between PBX and hosted is that with hosted telephony there are no expensive costs for maintenance or upgrades. Hosted telephony is responsible for the software, system upgrades and the hardware. Hosted telephony gives your business access to low-cost and completely free IP calling. You will also have the ability to integrate mobiles and other devices. A growing number of companies are hiring employees working on the move, if your business needs to cater for remote and mobile workers, hosted telephony is the ideal solution. A recent survey of over 400 UK companies found that only 2% admitted to not using any form of cloud services. This shows that there is a rapid growth of businesses using the cloud-based technologies.
Benefits of hosted telephony
There are many benefits of hosted telephony for the future of business and efficiencies. Here are some benefits listed below:
- No PBX maintenance costs and minimal installation costs
- No capital outlay
- Free calls between your offices
- Allows staff to work flexibly from wherever they want
- High quality calls
- Disaster recovery and safe security
- Voice calls, Video, Instant messaging
- Desktop and mobile applications
8×8 is just one of our trusted and reliable providers, with award-winning cloud communications system for business of all sizes. 8×8 caters for all different types of business and industries such as healthcare, education, insurance and many more. They are a dedicated company that are constantly developing innovative solutions in order to benefit and help business work efficiently, simply and perform reliably.
Quadrant Tech partner with 8×8 to offer first class service and support during the transition.