Just eight percent of businesses in the UK are ready for the 2025 PSTN switch off according to a new report from BT, Cisco and Gamma.
According to the “Light at the end of the channel” whitepaper, over half of businesses (52 per cent) are aware of the switch off but are yet to act, a figure that rises to 56 per cent for businesses with over 51 employees.
All of the business leaders that were surveyed said that their customers were aware of the switch off. However, the report found that smaller businesses with 10 to 50 employees are generally more prepared for the change in 2025, with nine per cent ready and 44 per cent preparing strategies.
The larger businesses with over 51 employees appear to be slower to respond, with 36 per cent saying they were preparing strategies and 7 per cent ready for the switch off. In the report, Justin Coombes, Head of Marketing at Gamma, contested the survey finding saying that the SME community needed to be educated more.
“Within the channel we’re all quite aware of changes coming in 2025, it’s been a key focus for many business strategies,” said Coombes.
“But there is a real challenge with end-customers, especially perhaps SMEs who may have no clue that there’ll no longer be a dial tone”
Preserving costs
The report reached its finding after surveying 100 senior decision makers from 100 different UK Telecom resellers and interviewing senior personnel from BT Wholesale, Cisco UK and Gamma group. Elsewhere, the report also found that 73 per cent of partner customers are prioritising costs over the digital transformation of their business.
This is especially the case for the smaller businesses, as over 80 per cent of partners said their customers with 10-50 employees are managing costs as a priority, compared to just over a quarter of businesses with over 51 employees.
Despite this, 96 per cent of end customers are pursuing a more strategic, long-term approach to their digital needs, with 82 per cent of partners saying that digital transformation strategies made businesses “significantly less vulnerable” to the economic effects of the pandemic.
As a result, Gavin Jones, Channel Sales Director at BT Wholesale, described a “huge” opportunity for
growth thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said “the rapid digital acceleration from the outset of the pandemic has started to settle but the constantly evolving environment means businesses must continue to evaluate how best to progress.
“We’re seeing a shift in the way channel partners and their customers are considering a long-term strategic approach to digital investments, including permanent changes in working practices for distributed teams of people.
“The research indicates a desire and need to handle complex technology via third parties which present a huge opportunity for channel growth and, more broadly, bodes well for the technology sector in Britain.”
