POTS Transformation: Unlocking Savings and Digital Communications Potential

Ok, we are going to talk about something that is not sexy at all. It's an outdated technology but many organizations are still using these services (or may not know they are still using these services).

Or worse yet, do not know what they are paying for these services.

POTS, or Plain Old Telephone Service, has been around for over a century and has been the primary means of communication for businesses and households.

However, with the rise of digital communication, POTS has become outdated and inefficient. In this article, we will explore the transformation of POTS communications and why businesses must make the switch.

So what's all this talk about POTS replacement? Does this impact your company? If you have fax, elevator, alarm, or any other vital voice lines then the answer is YES!

Most customers don't know that the FCC deregulated the use of POTS lines which means that many buildings are no longer using these services and they are no longer needed. Customers are either receiving discontinuation notices are they are getting billed higher rates by as much as 500% or more! Many are just sick of paying for these services and paying for bad service.

What is POTS?

POTS, also known as analog phone service, is a traditional telephone service that uses copper wires to transmit voice signals. It was the standard form of communication for many years, but with the advent of digital technology, it has become outdated and limited in its capabilities.

The Limitations of POTS

POTS lines are limited in terms of bandwidth, which means they can only handle one call at a time. This can be a major issue for businesses that need to make multiple calls simultaneously.

Additionally, POTS lines are not equipped to handle data transmission, making it impossible to send emails, access the internet, or use other digital communication methods.

Another limitation of POTS is its lack of mobility. POTS lines are tied to a physical location, meaning that if a business moves, it will need to install new lines and incur additional costs.

Questions to ask related to POTS:

• How many phone lines do you currently use and what are you paying per line?
• Have you had issues with these lines and how easy is it to resolve them?
• Have you issued a notice that your analog lines will be discontinued or your rates will increase?
• How many locations are you hosting POTS lines?
• Are you using different vendors at these locations, or multiple vendors at one location?
• What does your redundancy and disaster recovery plan look like with your analog POTS lines?
• Are telephone lines included in your digital transformation strategy?

The Need for POTS Communications Transformation

With the rise of digital communication, POTS has become outdated and inefficient. Here are some reasons why businesses should consider transforming their POTS communications.

Cost Savings

With increases of up to 500% or more on existing POTS services, cost savings is a no-brainer.

One of the main reasons businesses are making the switch from POTS to digital communication is cost savings. POTS lines can be expensive, especially for businesses that need multiple lines.

By switching to digital communication or simply migrating to a POTS aggregator, businesses can save on line fees and long-distance charges anywhere from 30% and up.

Increased Efficiency

Digital communication offers a wide range of features and capabilities that POTS lines simply cannot match. With digital communication, businesses can make multiple calls simultaneously, access the internet, send emails, and use other digital tools to improve efficiency and productivity.

Mobility

Unlike POTS lines, digital communication is not tied to a physical location. This means that businesses can take their communication tools with them wherever they go. This is especially beneficial for businesses with remote or mobile employees.

Better Customer Experience

In today’s fast-paced world, customers expect quick and efficient communication from businesses. POTS lines can be slow and limited, leading to frustrated customers. By transforming to digital communication, businesses can provide a better customer experience by responding to inquiries and resolving issues on time.

How to Transform POTS Communications

Transforming POTS communications may seem like a daunting task, but with the right approach, it can be a smooth and seamless process. Here are some steps to follow when making the switch.

Assess Your Current Communication Needs

Before making any changes, it is important to assess your current communication needs. This includes the number of lines you need, the features and capabilities you require, and your budget. This will help you determine which digital communication tools are best suited for your business.

Choose the Right Provider

Many providers are offering digital communication tools, so it is important to do your research and choose the right one for your business. Look for a provider that offers the features and capabilities you need, has a good reputation, and offers competitive pricing.

Plan the Transition

Once you have chosen a provider, it is important to plan the transition carefully. This includes setting a timeline, informing employees and customers of the change, and ensuring that all necessary equipment and tools are in place before making the switch.

Train Employees

Digital communication tools may be new to some employees, so it is important to provide training and support to ensure a smooth transition. This will help employees understand how to use the new tools and make the most of their capabilities.

Monitor and Adjust

After the transition, it is important to monitor the new communication system and make adjustments as needed. This will help ensure that everything is running smoothly and that any issues are addressed promptly.

Real-World Examples of POTS Communications Transformation

Many businesses have already made the switch from POTS to digital communication and have seen significant improvements in their communication capabilities. Here are some real-world examples of successful POTS communications transformation.

A Small Business Goes Digital

A small business with five employees was struggling with its POTS lines. They were limited in terms of bandwidth and were unable to make multiple calls simultaneously. They also had to pay high line rental fees and long-distance charges. After transforming to digital communication, they were able to make multiple calls at once, access the internet, and send emails, all while saving thousands of dollars in monthly costs.

A Large Corporation Improves Efficiency

A large corporation with multiple offices and remote employees was using POTS lines for communication. This led to slow and inefficient communication, especially when trying to reach employees in different locations. After transforming to digital communication, they were able to make calls, send emails, and access the internet from any location, improving efficiency and productivity.

Who Can Help with POTS Communications Transformation?

Transforming POTS communications can be a complex process, and businesses may need assistance to ensure a smooth transition. Here are some professionals who can help with the transformation.

Trusted Advisor

Trusted Advisors can help businesses assess their current communication needs and choose the right digital communication tools for their business. They can also assist with planning and implementing the transition.

POTS Aggregator

POTS aggregators can help with the technical aspects of the transformation, such as migrating over to them, in the beginning, to help make an immediate impact on costs. From there they can establish a phased approach for migrating over to a digital platform. They can also provide training and support to employees on new systems.

Takeaways

POTS communications have become outdated and inefficient in today’s digital world. Not to mention they raise costs for organizations.

By migrating to a POTS aggregator and eventually transforming to digital communication, businesses can save on costs, improve efficiency, and provide a better customer experience.

With careful planning and the right support, businesses can make a smooth transition and reap the benefits of digital communication.

To learn more about how POTS transformation can help your organization and to see if there are options available, take our free discovery analysis.

Technology Updates from our partner Avant Communications

Security

• eSentire – The eSentire SOC consists of 150 analysts: 50% tier 1, 30% tier 2, 20% tier 3. They continue to invest in automation and AI to increase detection and improve the customer experience. 
• Ontinue – Ontinue is 100% focused on Microsoft (365, Sentinel, Teams, Defender) for MXDR. Leveraging AI, reactive & and proactive support, and four top-tier SOCs, they achieve high customer retention and MSFT awards.
• Simeio – Simeio is 100% focused on identity. They provide pro and managed services for all the top products in access management, PAM, identity governance & administration, and risk intelligence.
• Trustwave – Trustwave is a key security provider for Microsoft customers, winning numerous partner awards. They offer complimentary workshops, paid advisory services, and ongoing managed security for MSFT 365 Defender, Sentinel SIEM, and Defender for Cloud. 

CCaaS / UCaaS

• Observe.ai – Observe.ai offers several contact center overlay technologies that augment the underlying contact center platform. Their offerings include real-time AI-powered assistants to help human agents retrieve timely information, as well as post-interaction analytics to help organizations improve their quality of service. 
• Uniphore – Uniphore offers several contact center overlay technologies that augment the underlying contact center platform. Their offerings include virtual agents wielding natural language processing and understanding technologies to facilitate automated self-service, as well as post-interaction analytics to help organizations improve their quality of service.
• LiveVox – LiveVox has several contact center overlay technologies that augment the underlying contact center platform. Their offerings include virtual agents wielding natural language processing and understanding technologies to facilitate automated self-service, as well as post-interaction analytics to help organizations improve their quality of service.
• SimpleVOIP – SimpleVOIP is a UCaaS/CCaaS vendor whose specialty is in servicing restaurant and retail companies with 10+ branch locations. They are a US-based organization with data centers in Chicago, Newark, and San Jose (CA). They also offer POTS line replacement solutions.
• Net2Phone – Net2Phone now offers their own proprietary CCaaS solution called uContact. It is digitally enabled, including email/chat/SMS/WhatsApp/Instagram/Facebook channels, is priced on a concurrent agent basis (vs. named user licensing), and offers AI-powered post-interaction analytics for agent coaching and sentiment analysis.
• Zoom – A recent acquisition by Zoom, Workvivo is an Employee Experience (EX) solution meant to keep internal culture and morale high. It encompasses internal communications, a digital workplace (intranet), and engagement tools. Available standalone, you can think of it as a social network for work.  

Cloud : Colocation

• CoreSite – CoreSite has data centers in new markets: Atlanta and Orlando. They’re seeing a colocation surge due to AI use cases and high-performance computers. And they continue to expand their Open Cloud Exchange with vRouter and Virtual Edge to enable multi-cloud access.
• DataBank – DataBank offers four primary services: Colocation, Bare Metal (coming soon), IaaS (self-service or managed), and DRaaS. Differentiators include compliance (they can support FedRAMP for government customers), flexibility to shift contract spending, and their data center presence (70 facilities in 30 edge markets). 
• Equinix – Equinix is the #1 provider of multi-cloud on-ramps, globally, with nearly 250 data centers in 52 metros on five continents, providing access to AWS, Azure, Google, Oracle, IBM, Alibaba, and more. 
• Evolve IP – As IT budgets decrease, Evolve still sees investment in Security and Customer Experience, which fits directly into their product set: Desktop as a Service & Office 365, and Communications, Collaboration, & Contact Center. Virtual desktops (even with GPUs), Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams are all great fits.  
• Flexential – Flexential’s pro services encompass Architecture & Transformation, Cloud Optimization, DevOps, CyberSecurity, Compliance, and DR. Their new “Plan, Test, Ready” bundle makes it easy for midsize clients to consume DRaaS. 
• TierPoint – TierPoint has expanded their managed services for AWS and Azure, including compensation on Azure spend and free cost optimization workshops. They’re also offering high-density colo, up to 85 kW/rack, in select markets. This is more and more common with customers running AI workloads. 
• Ubistor – UbiStor has brought on Druva as another backup and DR technology. This solution is entirely cloud-based, provides broad protection of various workloads, and eradicates workloads across backups.
• UpCurve Cloud – Upcurve, the Google SMB Partner of the Year, is 100% focused on Google Workspace. They provide migration services, training, security, support, and client management.
• Zenlayer – Zenlayer offers CDN, cloud networking, and bare metal all over the world. They specialize in hard-to-reach locations, like the Middle East, South America, India, Africa, and China. Of their 300 POPs, more than 70 offer bare metal cloud.

Connectivity: SASE

• CATO Networks – Cato continues to refine their all-in-one SASE solution, encompassing use cases like SD-WAN, SSE, FWaaS, and remote users (ZTNA). They continue to add functionality, like granular CASB, Remote Browser Isolation, and SaaS API security.
• Netskope – We can offer Netskope SASE via Halo Global. Netskope is a Gartner MQ leader for Security Service Edge (SSE), inclusive of SWG, CASB, ZTNA, RBI, and Cloud Firewall. They also offer SD-WAN via their acquisition of Infiot in August 2022. 
• vMOX – vMOX, which is primarily focused on mobility services, is now offering managed services around SD-WAN for restaurant and retail locations using two or more wireless internet circuits.
• ZTNA – Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) can be a standalone technology or a feature of SSE/SASE that provides secure remote access to a company’s applications and resources by verifying the user’s identity and context before granting access to only the specific resources that user needs.

Next Week's Issue: Improving CyberSecurity Resilience with the CyberSecurity Matrix

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