As copper lines are retiring at an accelerating pace, forward-looking enterprises are upgrading to reliable alternatives. These solutions include cellular connections that support fire alarms, elevators, point-of-sale terminals, and more.
Identify Your Needs
Most enterprises have already begun to ditch traditional landlines in favour of POTS line replacement options, for example, VoIP services that are cheaper, more remote-friendly, and scalable. However, many companies still use POTS lines for emergency lines like alarm systems and elevator pull phones that dial 911 if they go unanswered. Unfortunately, these old analogue lines are becoming harder and harder to maintain with rising maintenance costs. Plus, they don’t integrate easily with digital communication platforms and can cause serious problems when they fail. Moreover, because they are physically connected to your network, you don’t get the visibility and remote management features that digital platforms do. This makes it difficult to spot when there’s a problem with your POTS lines until you’re actively trying to use them. When that happens, your business can experience significant disruptions from a lack of critical services. For example, if your phone system goes down, your sales team won’t be able to hit their daily call quotas, and clients who need authorization letters to sign contracts will be frustrated when they can’t send or receive faxes. This recipe for disaster can be avoided by replacing your POTS lines with a more stable and modern connectivity solution.
Evaluate Your Internet Connection
Whether you’re using VoIP phone services or need an internet connection for your business, the speed of your network is crucial. Run a bandwidth speed test to get an accurate picture of how much speed you have available and if your network can handle the demands of your team’s daily work, like conference calls or exporting large data files. Many businesses have moved to cloud-based unified communications platforms for their phone systems but have kept copper wire lines in place for devices that can’t easily be converted to digital, such as elevators and alarm systems. In these cases, a backup line is required that will work during power outages or other network issues. Cellular lines are an excellent alternative to traditional landlines because they provide a backup power source that works during these scenarios. If you plan to retire your POTS lines, working with a comprehensive solution vendor is critical. From a VoIP speed test to installation and support, an experienced provider can help you sort through the best hardware options based on your needs.
Find a VoIP Provider
A business VoIP system uses a private internet connection to transmit phone traffic. This allows for a lower monthly cost and access to advanced features unavailable with traditional landline phones. As a result, many building owners and managers are considering upgrading to this advanced system to take advantage of its advantages. Ultimately, it’s essential to consider what is best for your specific needs. For example, some businesses want to replace POTS lines for their elevator systems. This means they want to find a provider that can offer a reliable VoIP solution for their elevator phones. The good news is that there are several providers out there who can help. They can provide a reliable alternative to POTS lines compatible with fire and safety systems. In addition, they can offer several features that help to streamline operations and increase productivity. For example, some PBX platforms feature analytics to help identify areas for improvement. Others can be managed and updated remotely without needing a tech support team. This kind of scalability makes it easier to manage the system as your organization grows or shrinks. So, if you’re transitioning to a new phone system, consider moving to a cloud-based VoIP platform that can help make your business more productive.
Make the Switch
A common concern is that VoIP requires a robust internet connection, which shouldn’t be a problem for most businesses. The same infrastructure that powers data centres for your business’s website and other online operations can also power VoIP telephony. In addition to evaluating your broadband connectivity, this is the time to assess any hardware that relies on POTS lines—such as fax machines or cellular boosters. It would be best to consider upgrading these devices to VoIP-compatible versions before switching. This will help your organization reduce the number of systems that could be affected by a sudden loss of service and will save on maintenance costs. Finally, plan for the transition and prepare your staff. This includes running a training program and helping them understand how the new system works. For example, some employees may need to learn new software before switching if your VoIP solution provides CRM and call analytics. Although it might feel like an inconvenient change, switching to VoIP for POTS line replacement is the best way forward for your organization. It will help you save money, provide a better call experience, and stay ahead of the competition by offering your customers modern, reliable communications solutions. Changing over now eliminates the hassle of managing multiple copper wire POTS lines across all locations.
