FEATURE : COMMUNICATION

UK businesses are urged to get prepared in advance for the switchoff of Integrated Services Digital Networks and monitor where and how their systems could be affected .

Andy Fung , Communications Solutions Architect at Espria , said : “ ISDN is no longer suitable for the current digital age . Even at the time the standard was released , newer networking systems with far greater speeds were already available , meaning it saw relatively little uptake in the wider market . The legacy infrastructure is now too expensive to maintain , relative to its usage , and the technology itself is not suitable for the massive demands required of modern communications and networking systems .

“ Already , large parts of the UK can no longer receive new ISDN or PSTN provisions . Changes are coming and your area may already be affected – Mildenhall and Salisbury were switched off last year as part of the test roll-out . Businesses have a duty to themselves to ensure they do not lose access to vital communications tools , and that means looking into exactly what systems are at risk of disrupted Business Continuity . The switch off not only effects your telecommunications but could also disrupt your alarm systems , PDQ and EPOS machines , lifts and more , interrupting more than just your business communications .”

This switch-off of legacy communications infrastructure ( copper wired ) is necessary to support the transition away from analogue technology into the digital era .

BT announced the 2025 switch off for all ISDN and PSTN services in 2015 and are now no longer processing orders for both lines . According to Espria , UK businesses need to properly understand the impact that this can have , particularly for often overlooked services such as lifts , alarms , broadband , PDQs and EPOS devices , as well as phones .

While many businesses are likely to make the jump from ISDN to VoIP automatically , understanding the business benefits of the technology should be a key factor .

• Cost-efficiency – VoIP is a cheaper and faster alternative when compared to ISDN . For businesses looking to maximise communications investments , VoIP is already well ahead of legacy systems .

• Cloud network – VoIP provides incredible cloud networking speeds and enhanced security ,

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