As if businesses haven’t experienced enough disruption over the last 12 months, there are more big changes ahead. BT’s decision to upgrade the UK’s exchanges means that all 28 million PSTN circuits that are currently used by businesses and homes will be switched off by the end of 2025.
While that may seem like that isn’t something to be too concerned about just yet, it is already affecting some exchanges. In Salisbury for example, the stop/sell on PSTN in the exchange happened last December, so your customers really can’t afford to wait until 2025 to make their plans for the future.
“If you think about the high street, you have butchers, hairdressers, florists and others that all have a phone line and rely on voice for their businesses. They will all need to be prepared and have a VoIP application in place prior to the switch off – or risk losing access to their voice services,” said Paul Taylor, Sales & Marketing Director at Voiceflex.
Taylor believes this is a great opportunity for channel partners to get in front of their customers and discuss the need to switch over to Single Order Generic Ethernet Access (SoGEA). SoGEA is the new approach to connect the internet without a copper phone line. It delivers a single order version of Fibre broadband. It is a standalone, data only app, so it doesn’t allow a connection to a traditional phone line.
“Voiceflex’s SoGEA Voice platform is built from the ground up to deliver the voice requirements of a business’ basic needs such as making and receiving calls, through to call recording and messages delivered to Facebook, WhatsApp or mobile. It is essentially a direct replacement for PSTN, but with a 21st Century twist. It will be critical for those with a small office, workplace or for those that work from home”
The opportunity beyond the switch
The last year has certainly changed the way we work, and many expect that working from home in some form or another is here to stay for many. It is likely that with this the need will come for separate business and personal voice and data services.
When companies are looking for a partner to help them with the switch to SoGEA, they will be thinking ahead and want someone who can support them with voice and data services in a hybrid office and home working environment.
Additionally, it is an opportunity to provide them with solutions to secure this new work environment, from firewalls to VPNs. So, while the switch-off of PSTN is the catalyst for these conversations, the opportunity for partners goes far beyond that.
“With any forced change comes opportunity, and the sooner the channel start approaching their customers about SoGEA, the better,” said Taylor.
“As a channel partner – and trusted adviser – you should be sitting down now with your customers to advise them on how best to navigate the situation. Because if you aren’t having that conversation with them now, I can guarantee that someone else will be”
Speak to Voiceflex today.
