| Does your thriving business still operate on numerous | | | | Larger facilities will have default forwarding at the |
| analog lines in addition to your Voice PRI? Do the | | | | carrier switch level to forward their calls on their PRI in |
| monthly charges seem to add up month after month | | | | case of interruption to another facility or to another |
| after month, and you wonder why you even still have | | | | number if the circuit is down. (That feature is often |
| them? Did you know you can get rid of nearly all of | | | | called Truck Group call forwarding.) The number that |
| your old analog line technology when implementing a | | | | you forward your PRI calls to will typically need to |
| Voice PRI, and eliminate those excess costs? | | | | have staff available to answer the rerouted calls, or a |
| All too often, companies continue to operate on | | | | voicemail attached to catch incoming messages. You |
| archaic telecom products when they have not been | | | | do NOT need numerous outgoing analog line banks |
| properly advised on the latest and greatest products in | | | | "just in case" because nearly every one of your |
| the marketplace. Although analog POTS (Plain Old | | | | employees on staff carries a cell phone. The major |
| Telephone Service) lines are traditionally among the | | | | concern of years past used to be about safety and |
| most reliable voice circuits available, the cost of having | | | | being isolated from communications access. "If my PRI |
| too many justifies a better solution immediately. | | | | goes down, and I have no analog lines, I won't be able |
| POTS lines run anywhere from around $25 a month | | | | to make a call!" That is simply no longer the case. |
| for a bare bones service line to over $50 a month | | | | However, make sure that if you do have line failure, |
| depending on local serving area, calling package, | | | | your calls are routed as desired so you do not miss |
| features and provider. If you are using analog lines for | | | | calls during your service interruption. |
| your local calling service, it may be in your best interest | | | | On occasion T-1's CAN lose connectivity, but it is most |
| to seriously consider other alternatives. | | | | often from line cuts on the local loop. If that happens, |
| With your business telephone system or PBX, you can | | | | since your PRI runs on the same copper wires as your |
| insert an analog line card to convert your digital station | | | | pots lines, they are likely going to cut and out of |
| ports (which you typically have available) into analog | | | | service as well. So why pay extra for them? |
| ports specifically for analog devices. Examples of | | | | In case of power failure, battery backup can provide |
| analog devices include the following: | | | | temporary power service for your PRI carrier piece of |
| - Cordless telephones | | | | equipment and phone system, just as you might use |
| - Conference room speaker phones | | | | for your computers. Areas with dirty electricity and |
| - Fax machines | | | | transient voltage problems should consider a backup |
| - Modems (Yes, there are still some out there!) The | | | | analog line or two, as the power runs through those |
| investment in a typical 4 port analog card is only a | | | | lines, and they can still provide connectivity in case of |
| couple hundred dollars, so the payback is well worth | | | | electrical failure. That is a recommendation based |
| the investment if you can eliminate high monthly | | | | strictly on the area in which you operate, and you will |
| recurring expenses. By leveraging the power of your | | | | already know if you electricity issues in your area. One |
| PRI circuit, you can eliminate all of your excess analog | | | | thing to keep in mind: If you hook up those backups to |
| line costs to save hundreds of dollars in unnecessary | | | | your telephone system and the electricity is out, the |
| expenses per month. Very few large companies | | | | phone lines will only work if your phone system is still |
| operate ANY analog lines except as required by law | | | | powered. If your backup power does not last, your |
| for elevators, burglar alarms, fire alarms, or backups. | | | | phone lines will not work unless they are set up to |
| They have consistently found that the reliability and | | | | operate outside of the switch. |
| capabilities of their PRI circuits make analog lines an | | | | In years past, older business telephone systems or |
| unneeded expense. Are there situations where I should | | | | data technology also would often require a modem for |
| consider keeping analog lines? | | | | remote access to service, troubleshoot, etc, but that |
| Yes. Let's take a look at first things first though. What | | | | method is now arcane and outdated. Any newer |
| do you have and why? | | | | technology would be assigned a static IP address on |
| It's not uncommon to run across companies with | | | | the LAN (Local area network) behind a firewall and be |
| dozens of analog lines that are no longer in use if they | | | | accessible over your High speed internet connection |
| have not been audited in recent years. The costs of | | | | by your vendor of choice. You should no longer need |
| unused lines may be costing you hundreds each month | | | | analog lines for these services. |
| if you are unaware of their use. You should know | | | | Take inventory of all analog lines in your facility, and |
| EXACTLY how many analog lines your facility needs, | | | | convert as many as possible to your PRI via analog |
| and EXACTLY what they are for. Otherwise, you | | | | card technology. Remember that some services like |
| ARE wasting your money. Old lines that are left intact | | | | elevators, burglar alarms and fire alarms must be run |
| and forgotten about are often for old fax lines or | | | | over analog lines, and cannot be converted. Although |
| modems. | | | | they will actually work over the PRI in most cases, you |
| The idea of backup analog lines in case of PRI failure | | | | put your facility at risk for regular false alarms during |
| is also reason that is consistently used by your local | | | | carrier line testing and severe liability in case of |
| telephone company to "save" their POTS line revenue | | | | emergency. In addition, if the electricity is out at your |
| stream. "What if your PRI goes down?" is one of their | | | | facility, and your battery backup is depleted, your |
| favorite questions. Are you telling me your 99.99% | | | | facility is wide open for theft and fire without proper |
| guaranteed uptime isn't any good? Of course outages | | | | authority notification. As always, work with your |
| can happen, so just make sure you have a plan in | | | | telecommunications professional to conduct a thorough |
| place in case of service failure. | | | | facility audit before converting or disconnecting lines. |