- Voice isn’t dying – but it is changing
Some resellers are concerned that voice is a dying communication method, especially among younger people. And it’s certainly true that the way people perceive voice is changing: one recent study revealed that when asked to choose between their handset’s phone app and messaging app, 69.4% of respondents picked the messaging app.
But that doesn’t mean that voice will lose its place in the workplace. Instead, voice technology is changing and becoming more integrated with other mediums, like video calling, instant messaging, and multi-party collaboration tools. In line with this, the global market for Unified Communications is expected to increase rapidly, and global market intelligence firm IDC estimates that it ‘will be worth more than $22 billion by 2021’.
That’s where systems like Horizon Collaborate can be a highly appealing option for your customers, as it’s flexible enough to adapt as new technologies emerge.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is likely to drive innovation in voice
The relative simplicity of voice as a medium of communication is likely to be impacted by innovations in AI. Accordingly, businesses will be able to use voice in new ways, providing they have the right technology in place.
For example, AI is set to enhance VoIP in areas like Interactive Voice Response (IVR), which provides an agent with all the information they need about a caller – simply by the sound of their voice. As a channel reseller, you’ll need to stay up to date with such innovations.
- ISDN switch-off is still an important part of life for businesses
If there’s one thing anybody with a passing interest in voice does know, it’s that ISDN will be turned off in 2025. With so many articles about the impending switch off, it’s easy to imagine that ISDN has already died out. In fact, it’s still a key technology for many businesses who haven’t got around to updating their legacy infrastructure.
As such, ISDN remains significant for a lot of voice resellers. Over 90% of Gamma channel partners, for example, are still maintaining an ISDN base of customers. Meanwhile, 10% claim it makes up 50-70% of their margins – with over a quarter saying it constitutes 30-50%.
- But some resellers aren’t ready for the change
The ISDN switch off represents a big opportunity for channel sellers old and new. But it seems some aren’t taking advantage. Our research shows that almost one in five Gamma partners haven’t started migrating their existing ISDN base to hosted voice or SIP.
While all Gamma resellers plan to have started their migration by 2022 at the latest, this may well be too late. Channel resellers should be mindful that these customers could be in conversation with other sellers about updating this important infrastructure.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to build a new client base, stay in continual conversation with your target customers. You never know who might be open to making the switch if their current provider isn’t ready to help them update.
- Switching over could be easier than you (and your customers) think
When it comes to updating legacy infrastructures, many businesses have had some challenging experiences to say the least. It can be a slow, unwieldy and a costly process – particularly without the right in-house expertise.
But your customers might be pleasantly surprised by how easy the switch can be, especially if you’re selling in hosted voice as a replacement. After all, over 90% of Gamma voice partners have an ISDN base of companies with less than 100 users.
With this number of users, organisations can move rapidly to a hosted offering like Gamma Horizon. Not only is it at the forefront of hosted IP telephony, it’s incredibly simple to deploy with only a minimal capital outlay.
