ISDN & PSTN - bothered?

We know. You’re bored of this topic by now. Everyone’s been talking about it for far too long and it’s still a couple of years away, right?

Unfortunately, no, that’s where a lot of the information shared is wrong. Although the final switch off is planned for 2025, there’s a much more important deadline looming and it’s just six months away. From September 2023, anyone using ISDN or PSTN services will no longer be able to add to, enhance, or change their current system.

Every single area of the UK will stop selling ISDN and PSTN services by September 2023 – so this is the date you need to focus on.

Now, if you don’t have any ISDN or PSTN services then you’re right to be bored – stop reading now. But if you do, then it’s very important that you do something about it.

Here are three immediate steps to take:

1. Understand your options.

There are two main alternatives to ISDN as a voice solution and they are SIP Trunking or Cloud Telephony. Both provide future-proof communications solutions. The core benefit of SIP is that it enables a business to retain their on-premises PBX solution and hardware if they’ve already invested heavily in that area. Alternatively, Cloud Telephony, or VoIP, is the fastest growing communications solution for businesses due to its rich functionality, easy integrability and flexibility to support anywhere and any device working. Both solutions provide significant cost savings over ISDN and far richer call features.

2. Create the business case for change.

There’s no time to waste. In just six months your existing ISDN service will become completely inflexible which isn’t the way to underpin any business success. However, we know that ‘it has to happen’ isn’t always a strong enough argument, so here are a few more things to add to your business case for change:

• Cost savings can be up to 70% when switching from ISDN.
• New phone solutions take little implementation and cause little in-house disruption.
• Numbers can usually be ported to the new service.
• Cloud phone solutions will be continually updated, meaning your phone system is never legacy again.
• Cloud phone solutions support our new flexible way of working.
• Cloud phone systems can integrate seamlessly with other applications such as Microsoft Teams and CRM systems for easy collaboration and enhanced customer experience.

3. Find the right supplier to make the change easy.

There are a lot of phone providers out there so finding one you can trust can be tricky. Google doesn’t always hold the perfect answer. If you have an existing relationship that you know and trust, that’s a good place to start. Or, if a provider is sharing information that is easy to understand and helpful to you, they’re probably worth a call. Make sure they take time right from the start to properly understand you, your business, your colleagues, your customers – a complete view of your needs – before they start plugging their product. And always ask for a demo of the solution they’re recommending, ideally they’ll have different options so you can talk through which one would suit you best. Finally, never let them rush you. You’ll know when you’ve found the right partner and right solution and as long as it can all be implemented before September everything will be fine!

So, in a nutshell

– If you’ve got ISDN lines, then you need to act now
– Understand the options and benefits
– Read our comprehensive guide for more information (includes a real-life 70% cost saving example)
– Find a partner you can trust to help advise and guide you
– Make the change and start reaping the benefits

If you’d like to talk through your ISDN requirements or any technology change that you’re considering, please get in touch on 0800 160 1111 or email hello@windsor-telecom.co.uk and we’ll work together to find the right solution for both you and your team.