Businesses are facing increasing pressure to upgrade their traditional telephone system to a hosted, VoIP solution.

Manufacturers have been phasing out their telephone systems hardware for years, meaning you can no longer buy new parts, spares or telephones directly from them.

There are many reasons why organisations continue to operate telecom systems hardware, long after the discontinuation of their equipment by the manufacturer.

Traditional telephone systems have proven themselves reliable, having been around for a long time. In an unreliable economy, organisations are often hesitant to change. Many prefer instead to pay for telephone system maintenance to keep their current business communications running for as long as possible. As the saying goes, ‘if it isn’t broken, why fix it?’ and the advantages of using a system that is reliable and secure often goes above making a complete change.

A VoIP system based in the cloud might well negate the need for hardware, saving both space and money for a business that’s just setting up, but is it always a cheaper and more viable option?

Quality VoIP relies heavily on broadband connection and a reputable VoIP service provider. If the broadband connection goes down, so does your phone line and without a good connection, the quality of your calls can suffer.

Bandwidth is also important. VoIP utilises the internet to transmit voice and this is often shared with server connection, data downloading/uploading, email and video communications etc. The larger the bandwidth ‘range’, the more data that can be transmitted at any one time. This is an important factor in both the speed of connection and the quality.

You need to access power for VoIP, in order to plug in a router and any VoIP hardware, such as IP telephones. In the event of a power cut, or internet downtime, you will be without a phone line as well and no means of communicating with your customers.

Anyone living or working in a rural area with poor or reduced broadband speed can easily feel disillusioned with VoIP. When it comes to reliability, they are loathe to part with their system working on the traditional PSTN telephone lines.

We understand that a new telephone system is not always the best solution and would never push a business down that route if it wasn’t right for them.

MF Communications has been supplying remanufactured legacy telecoms equipment for over 15 years. We specialise in business phones, telephone systems and hardware made by major manufacturers, including Siemens, Unify, Ericsson, Aastra, Avaya, Mitel, Alcatel-Lucent and Nortel.

If a business operates a telephone system now considered ‘legacy’ i.e. no longer produced by the manufacturer, this does not mean that they should change to something new. Older telephone systems, replaced by manufacturers for newer models and then discontinued altogether, can still be kept running to the highest of standards.

Fully remanufacturing and restoring the hardware to as-new condition, MF Communications provides high quality, manufacturer guaranteed telephones, systems and all associated hardware to companies still operating legacy telephone systems.

Providing regular telephone system maintenance to help extend the life of your current system is a major part of what we do.

You are not safe from security threats just because you operate a VoIP system. Threats from phreaking, vishing and viruses/malware still exist and you are particularly at risk due to use of softphones and software.

To help reduce the risk of security threats, MF Communications can assist you with upgrading your system, either through hardware or software updates. We have extensive knowledge of the risks of phreaking and cyber security threats and can help protect you regardless of the type of system you use.

If you are unsure, talk to us first. Our experienced engineers are on hand to guide you through all your concerns and advise on the right communications solutions for you organisation. When you are ready to upgrade, we can help you make the right decision. We offer a full suite of business telecoms solutions, covering all your communications needs both now and into the future.