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