After nearly 25 years of continuous service, ISDN channels are finally coming to their end of days.
As more and more businesses migrate away from ISDN technologies we explore the reasons for the decline and the replacements on offer to businesses in more detail.
So what is ISDN?
ISDN stands for integrated services digital networks. It is a standard developed to cover a range of mediums like voice, data and image services. ISDN channels were initially intended to provide end-to-end simultaneous handling of voice and data on a single link and network, most if not all businesses would have had one or more of these.
However, as technologies have evolved, these channels have struggled to keep up with the rate of change and often buckle under the pressure.
The decline of the ISDN lines
The number of ISDN channels used by businesses in the UK shrank considerably, with a rate of decline to accelerate as alternative solutions reduce in price and the wide range of application services increase.
We can identify a number of causes behind this decline. For example, the need for remote workers using mobile phones has meant that fewer business people are reliant on legacy phone systems. Other factors, like the greater availability of high-speed internet and the inflated demand for more flexible and collaborative working arrangements, have made IP telephony more attractive.
At the same time as the decline in ISDN connections and therefore market size, there has been a considerable rise in ISDN substitutional IP telephony products such as SIP Trunking and Hosted VoIP solutions. The recent announcement by BT that PSTN is to be withdrawn by 2025 will further generate migration from traditional ISDN2/30 towards these new substitute VoIP products.
The increased desire for flexibility and team collaboration at work is the main course of the ISDN decline. New internet-based telephony systems come with a number of advanced features as standard.
Internet systems like VoIP and SIP trunking can:
- Shift offices, multiple offices and keep the same geographic number
- Advanced call routing to multiple destinations or to mobile devices
- Reduce call costs
- Video conference aids
- Team collaboration with call presence and internal messaging
Forward-thinking businesses are not waiting to update their phones. They have already discovered the power of internet telephony and the benefits that they can have on their business.
Replacing your ISDN system
As better broadband becomes more widely available, at lower prices, the case for migrating to an internet-based alternative to ISDN has become more compelling. Now no longer a ‘new’ technology, Internet Protocol communication services like VoIP and SIP trunking are coming to be seen as safe replacements by the vast majority of the IT community.
AvecTelecom offers a full ISDN replacement service designed to find the right solution for your business. As part of this service, we strive to get to know your business, as well as the scale of your communications.
We offer three different ISDN replacement products which are suitable for businesses of different sizes:
Business Hosted VoIP
A cheap and easy to deploy virtual telephone system. This product is perfect for small to medium sized businesses which don’t currently have a physical onsite phone system.
Enterprise Hosted Collaboration
Advanced solutions which offer full system telephony integration and team collaboration with internal messaging, call presence and Cisco Jabber which brings a huge degree of flexibility for its users. Ideal for all types of businesses.
SIP trunks
A SIP trunk is basically a digital port placed over your existing telephone system to give it a greater degree of flexibility. This VoIP replacement is suitable for any businesses with ISDN or the old landline PBX phone systems. All you need is an internet connection and a fixed or wireless local computer network. You do not necessarily need extra network cables installing, as most VoIP phones have a PC connection, so you can simply plug in your VoIP phones directly into your computer terminals, making upgrading to VoIP very easy indeed, plus we help you every step of the way.
For more information please contact customer service on +448081176736 or email us.