2025 is a big year for everyone. It is, of course, when the old copper-based phone network will be switched off. By December of that year, everyone, businesses included, will need to have IP-based phone services. But while that’s still a couple of years away, it’s not a good idea to put off the upgrade, and there are, in fact, several benefits to doing it now.
In this blog, we look at some of the key reasons why you shouldn’t wait to go digital.
While some people are incredibly organised and like to get important tasks done as soon as possible, many of us leave things until the last minute. By one estimate, around 20% of adults tend to procrastinate.
That could be a problem as we approach 2025. If too many businesses put off upgrading to IP-based phone services, there could be a rush later on as they all try to get it done at the same time. That could lead to delays and potential disruption.
Moving to IP-based phone services is fast and easy, but that doesn’t mean your customers have to do it all at once, across their entire business. In fact, they could just upgrade particular users or certain premises first, and then do more later.
This flexibility not only gives them time to properly test out new solutions; it can also help them minimise disruption and spread out any costs that come from upgrading to digital lines.
Because IP-based phone services use the cloud, your customers can make and take calls from anywhere using the same number, on a range of devices. That means it’s much easier to embrace remote working. No matter where they are, their customers will be able to reach them, using the same number they always use.
This is a big plus point, because many experts predict businesses will continue to use hybrid working, where people spend some of their time working in the office and some of their time working remotely.
As well as enabling remote and hybrid working, IP-based phone services mean your customers can keep their business going if disaster strikes. That’s because they can access your service from anywhere.
If their internet connection went down, for example, they could use 4G or 5G on their phone to make calls via a mobile app. And if their office was completely inaccessible, they could work remotely and still access their usual phone line.
There are many great digital phone tariffs, and usually calls are cheaper than with traditional lines – particularly with international calls. These are savings that could be available to your customer’s business right now, so it makes sense to take them as soon as possible. By putting off the upgrade, they’re needlessly missing out.
They might even be able to save more by getting a digital phone line that’s bundled with broadband. Having one supplier for both will also simplify their billing.
Being able to work flexibly from anywhere in the world can give your customer’s business an advantage over the competition. As well as enabling them to stay operational in difficult circumstances, remote working can be used as a way to attract and retain staff.
For many people, the ability to work flexibly is a major priority. In fact, many prefer hybrid working over other job perks, including significant pay rises. By upgrading your customer’s phones to IP-based phone services, they can make hybrid working easier and attract more staff.
The whole telecoms industry has known about the 2025 switch-off for several years already. Many businesses have already made the leap to digital phone lines. So although digital lines are relatively new compared to traditional lines, they’ve been around long enough to have proven their worth.
For businesses like your customers, the switch to IP-based phone services is fast, easy and trouble-free. If there are any problems in upgrading their line, they can be dealt with quickly too.
We offer a range of IP-based phone services for businesses. Whether your customers need one line or hundreds, we have a solution for them. And we also help you with connectivity, with a choice of high-speed broadband services, more than capable of handling digital phone calls, video calling, file sharing and more.
If you’d like to talk to us about upgrading your customer’s phone lines, please reach out to your Partner Business Manager or email us at hello@onecompartners.co.uk.