Telecom & Technology Consulting
“Plain old telephone service” might seem like a timeworn phrase spoken by your grandmother from the Midwest. But it’s actually a legitimate term telecom companies use to describe, well, plain old telephone service. They even have nifty acronym for it – POTS.
“Old” is the operative word here, as the traditional landline is going away like an object in the rear-view mirror. POTS revenue is declining, maintenance costs are rising, and customer service is almost non-existent.
The basic POTS infrastructure is now obsolete, with equipment and the expertise to set it up disappearing.
Thing is, telecom companies keep selling POTS to businesses. And guess who pays more and more to keep this unreliable system up and running? You, the business customer.
Businesses can now get better service in a more cost-effective manner with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The benefits of VoIP include:
– Much lower costs associated with all telecom services
– Sophisticated features and flexibility
– Much more bandwidth along with consistent connectivity
– Minimum requirements for extra equipment
Large organizations require dozens of lines for dozens of employees, making it foolish to remain using POTS. Even worse, you pay much more than necessary for services like voicemail, caller ID, call transfer and conference calling, each which has an inflated, individual price tag.
Another key advantage: VoIP integrates with most CRM solutions, providing a quicker method for taking advantage of analytics and other business metrics.
There’s no question that POTS is going six feet under. Even the mighty AT&T and other big carriers will become all-IP very soon.
While your carrier may have specific recommendations for replacing POTS, some of the most popular choices are:
– Cellular
– Carrier or private fiber
– IP Based DSL or Cable
– Private wireless networks or Power Line Carrier (PLC)
Whatever you choose, it’s time for your company to say goodbye to POTS. You’ll end up reducing costs while getting 21st century service.
