More businesses than ever are turning to next generation solutions such as SIP Trunks and hosted telephony.

We have covered in many of our blogs that ISDN is a dying technology. Indeed, BT intend to switch their ISDN network off entirely in 2025 and the general consensus is the technology will be as good as gone within five years. But this traditional system is still being used by many businesses.

ISDN is a communications network that relies heavily on physical infrastructure, specifically copper wiring. It came to prominence because it provided the opportunity to transmit voice and data over the same lines. However, because of its reliance on physical infrastructure to manage calls and additional functionality via a PBX (or multiple), this takes up space within business premises and requires resource to administer and maintain. Similarly, it is hard to add and remove new lines to an ISDN network because it requires the physical addition and removal.

So what’s the alternative?

There are two future-ready solutions storming the market right now. SIP trunking and hosted telephony.

SIP Trunks connect a business’s PBX to the provider’s national network via broadband, Ethernet or a private circuit.

Hosted telephony is a complete business phone system, delivered over the internet and provided by a host and/or telephony company.

Which ISDN alternative is best for you?

SIP Trunks

SIP Trunks is

 a ready-made replacement for ISDN. It was born from a growing need for reliable, flexible and scalable communications technology. SIP Trunks enables growing businesses to manage communications effectively in line with demand.

Here are some of SIP Trunks main benefits:

• Cost – One SIP Trunks channel can cost approximately 50% of the ISDN equivalent, plus you can benefit from free internal calls.
• Scalability – Additional SIP Trunks can be added in less than a minute meaning you can scale up and down as you need to easily.
• Disaster recovery – SIP Trunks has built-in business continuity letting you reroute calls to an alternative location quickly and easily.
• Compatible with Skype for Business – Our SIP Trunks are integration tested and approved to interoperate with Microsoft® Lync / Skype for Business, allowing you to directly connect to the platform to make external calls.

Hosted Telephony

Hosted telephony is a complete communications service that provides a range of fixed and mobile telephony capabilities via an easy-to-use web portal. It allows you to manage your calls whilst enabling your employees to maximise their productivity.

The key benefits are:

• Cost – Minimal capital outlay due to no onsite hardware and extremely competitive on-net rates over a business grade network.
• Greater control – Take complete control of your phone system with an extensive range of call handling and management features, all operated through an easy-to-use web interface. Ideal for home workers or multiple sites.
• Improving customer service – Enhance the service you
can provide to your customers at all times with dynamic call handling, pre-recorded messages and seamless transfers at the touch of a button.
• Reliable and secure – We provide full support including training, number porting, provisioning and 24/7 UK-based assistance giving you complete peace of mind.

Both SIP Trunks and hosted telephony offer huge advantages that will drive efficiencies and flexibility into your business. Which one is best for you will often depend on the size of your business and your specific needs. Speak to one of our dedicated account managers today on 0333 200 1528 and we will work with you to find the perfect solution for your business.