Even though email messaging and social media are now well- established as business communication tools, they augment rather than replace traditional routes such as telephony. As businesses expand, or their current PBX phone system reaches the end of its useful life, they will need to source a replacement, rather than dumping it altogether. Traditional ISDN-based PBX systems are still available, but the higher line rental costs are pushing IT managers to consider broadband and ethernet-based VoIP solutions that provide better value for money. As they move forward, the choice of VoIP and SIP trunking also provides increased resilience and flexibility that will allow the system to change as they do.
Although major telecoms operators still provide ISDN links the simple truth is that for most businesses of any size this legacy technology is:
SIP trunking is the fast-emerging next generation technology that works over data connections such as standard broadband and ethernet, whilst ISDN requires a special line that costs considerably more. If your business moves premises or you need to expand your telecoms capacity, new ISDN lines need to be installed at considerable cost. Using SIP trunking, you can add almost unlimited capacity in seconds without having the road dug up or incurring set up costs.
SIP trunking is both cheaper and more flexible than ISDN, making it the only sensible choice for your business. The hardest choice is actually whether to choose to maintain an IP-PBX onsite or opt for a cloud- hosted solution instead.
Managing and maintaining an onsite IP-PBX is almost the same as managing an ISDN equivalent. In this scenario your IT or telecoms team may need to:
• Create and manage new extensions, call groups and perform other day-to-day management tasks
• Source and install additional hardware as the demand for new extensions increase
• Configure and deploy handsets to end users
• Commission new broadband connections to handle increasing call volumes and VoIP traffic
Obviously much of this work could be outsourced to an expert service provider to help reduce running costs somewhat. However the drawbacks of an onsite PBX include:
For the ultimate in flexible telecoms, many businesses are now turning towards hosted cloud services. From the smallest SME to the largest enterprise, cloud solutions like Horizon from Gamma are increasing in popularity. This is because:
When choosing which option is best, you should consider:
Cost
ISDN is much more expensive than VoIP over SIP trunks and in terms of ongoing costs, cloud is usually cheaper than on site
Flexibility
Cloud-hosted voice is more adaptable to your changing business needs – you only pay for what you use
Location
The Horizon cloud-based PBX is available any place, any time, perfect for localised disaster recovery scenarios or
extending your phone system to cover a new branch office
Ease of management
Horizon minimises the management burden of IP telephony, creating secondary cost savings over an in-house PBX
To find out more about which option is best for your business, call us on 01226 704 610 to speak with one of our experts.
in a nutshell
Now more than ever, your business communications are a critical enabler to success. But things are changing in the world of telecoms and your existing telephony solution might become obsolete soon. What’s happening? BT Openreach has announced it intends to switch off traditional landlines in 2025. This is commonly referred to as the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) switch off. […]
9 steps to choose the right solution for your business communications Assess your current phone system You should start by assessing your existing setup and discuss what you like and what you don’t about it. What’s the call quality like? Is the system outdated? Is it expensive to maintain and/or upgrade? What functions do you […]
Even though email messaging and social media are now well- established as business communication tools, they augment rather than replace traditional routes such as telephony. As businesses expand, or their current PBX phone system reaches the end of its useful life, they will need to source a replacement, rather than dumping it altogether. Traditional ISDN-based […]
Now more than ever, your business communications are a critical enabler to success. But things are changing in the world of telecoms and your existing telephony solution might become obsolete soon. What’s happening? BT Openreach has announced it intends to switch off traditional landlines in 2025. This is commonly referred to as the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) switch off. […]
9 steps to choose the right solution for your business communications Assess your current phone system You should start by assessing your existing setup and discuss what you like and what you don’t about it. What’s the call quality like? Is the system outdated? Is it expensive to maintain and/or upgrade? What functions do you […]
Even though email messaging and social media are now well- established as business communication tools, they augment rather than replace traditional routes such as telephony. As businesses expand, or their current PBX phone system reaches the end of its useful life, they will need to source a replacement, rather than dumping it altogether. Traditional ISDN-based […]
