Which communication lines does your company use?
Analogue, ISDN, SIP? It was recently reported that the rental price for analogue lines has increased. However, although not many businesses continue to use analogue lines, with many having switched to Integrated Digital Networks (ISDN) or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), there will be some that have a legacy of analogue lines installed that were implemented years ago for various reasons such as connecting fax machines and fire alarms.
Over the years, it may have become difficult to keep on top of what lines are being used (if at all) and for what purpose. It is therefore wise to review which lines are active as you may find that you're paying for something which is essentially redundant.
Whether you decide to move to ISDN or SIP, there are deals to be had, so it is worth shopping around, especially if the recent price hike affects you. Many telecom providers offer additional benefits, including an increase in cost efficiencies, through cheaper installation and on-going rental costs and minutes.
ISDN has been in use for many years and has a reputation for being very highly reliable, although it is becoming ever more out-dated. We often find that organisations that move from ISDN to SIP see a larger return on investment (ROI), both in the short and long-term. Furthermore, with SIP, users can benefit from some good features that are currently being offered free of charge by some carriers, such as Fraud Monitoring and Failover; the former alerting you to any sudden hike in call traffic and latter automatically re-directing calls in the event of a network line failure.
When researching what communication strategy is best for your business, it is important to remember that each organisation is different and you should give careful consideration when choosing which solution to embrace. And if in any doubt, you should seek advice from a trusted communications partner.
If you are unsure which trunk lines your business currently has and actually uses, or if you would like more information on how ANT can help you make the most out of your communication infrastructure, please contact us on 01494 833123.
