Be prepared for ISDN line switch off in 2025

Soon ISDN will be ‘end-of-life’ – from 2020 BT stopped selling it as a product and from 2025 they will no longer support it. SIP Trunking and Hosted Telephony are ISDN’s successors.

What is SIP Trunking?
SIP trunking provides a flexible and low-cost alternative to ISDN for inbound and outbound voice calls. One of the key benefits is how it supports business continuity. Several possibilities can affect how resilient your voice and data connections are. Unforeseen circumstances – such as damage to lines, moving offices or being unable to redirect calls, can be damaging to your business. SIP trunking minimises these problems and ensures you can keep working through every eventuality.

What are the benefits of SIP?
• Number flexibility
• Saves you money
• Offers greater flexibility
• Comes with a contingency plan

What is Hosted Telephony?
A hosted telephone system sits in a network data centre (also known as ‘the cloud’) rather than at your premises. Users make calls through their data connection; from there they are routed to the normal phone network and mobile devices. Hosted telephony means you no longer need to maintain and upgrade a telephone system on site, removing the need for costly long term hardware maintenance.

Users manage the system through a web interface, with a dashboard giving you convenient access to information, such as call history, voicemail, and recorded calls. Personalised settings can be set quickly and easily ensuring your calls are handled effectively.

What’s driving Hosted?
• Cost Reduction
• More features
• Natural progression
• Connectivity
• Cultural change

If you have not yet made the move, we advise opting for a SIP or Hosted Voice phone system soon, to ensure your business will be future proofed and ready in advance for this change.

If you are looking to enable voice within Microsoft Teams, please get in touch with our team and we’ll help you choose the right solution for your business.