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In 2015, BT made a significant announcement that they would be discontinuing the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) by 2025, marking the most substantial shift in the telecoms industry in over three decades.  But what implications does this hold for businesses?

This transition signifies the end of analogue phone lines, pushing communications technology fully into an entirely online space.  Businesses will no longer have the ability to acquire ISDN and PSTN after September 2023, with the total switch-off scheduled for 2025.

Over the past decade, telecom companies have been constructing modern Internet Protocol (IP) networks capable of supporting both broadband and landline telephone services.  As the PSTN nears its end of life and becomes increasingly expensive and complex to maintain, internet-based call services are becoming the norm.

Our IT Solutions team are experts in aiding businesses migrating from traditional phone systems to cloud-based solutions such as Gamma Horizon and Microsoft 365 Teams Phone System.  We evaluate current phone system setups, provide recommendations, develop project plans, and implement the solution that best fits your business needs.

Teams Phone System, integrated within Microsoft 365, offers a comprehensive cloud-based phone system and online and audio meetings to small and medium-sized businesses.  Leveraging the capabilities of Microsoft Teams, any business can consolidate communications within a single interface, integrating chat, meetings, files, apps, and now calling.

Similarly, the Microsoft Teams Phone System provides a robust platform for businesses to manage their calling needs entirely within the Teams environment.  With features such as direct routing and seamless integration with Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams Phone System offers a powerful solution for businesses looking to modernise their telephony infrastructure.

As a partner of Gamma Telecom, we also focus on the Gamma Horizon platform, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution enabling users to connect their office phones to preferred devices such as laptops or mobile devices.  We offer guidance and recommend the most suitable communication system for your business.

The transition promises several benefits to customers, including clearer and more affordable phone calls.  Beyond its modernity, VoIP offers numerous advantages over PSTN and ISDN:

• Rapid provisioning of new lines
• Reduced line rental by necessitating fewer physical lines
• Remarkable scalability and flexibility; for instance, a cloud-based telephone system enables easy call transfers between offices and locations, the use of work lines from anywhere in the country, and visibility into team members’ availability for calls

While this transition should be straightforward for most customers, some may require additional assistance to update their services.  We specialise in aiding businesses in transitioning from their legacy ISDN systems to cloud-hosted phone systems.  Our onboarding team manages everything from number porting to hardware setup to ensure a seamless transition.

Visit our website to explore testimonials from satisfied customers, which can be found here.

Contact us for more information and to discuss your business telephony needs.