The current economic climate means that ‘future-proofing’ has undoubtedly been a phrase featured on many LinkedIn feeds, in business meetings and in the media. 

Essentially, it’s all about anticipating the future and maintaining a competitive edge. To do so, organisations must retain talent and put digital transformation first. 

In our recent survey, over a third (37%) of business leaders and IT managers agreed future-proofing the organisation was a top strategic goal. 35% of business leaders and 42% of IT managers also cite digital transformation as one of their top three priorities.

Regardless, both groups are yet to fully embrace the multiple benefits of moving their communications to the cloud or a digital voice solution, also known as IP (Internet Protocol) technology. 

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) has fallen out of kilter with evolving communications and the demand for instant access – organisations require faster, more resilient infrastructure to accommodate this. After having delivered UK telecommunications for decades, the PSTN, including the ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is being switched off in 2025, with some areas starting from April 2023. 

This move to a fully digital network will be a game-changer for organisations, delivering improved reliability, greater flexibility, more simplicity and faster connectivity. However, the clock is ticking. 

To make the switch, C-suite and IT managers must come together. Moving communications to the cloud is a large-scale, time-intensive project and as it stands, there is an overwhelming sense of complacency as well as friction between teams: 

• Worryingly, nearly 60% of business leaders and more than 70% of all IT staff surveyed assume the switch is easy.
• On average just 6% of organisations have started their migration.
• 57% of IT heads feel that the IT team is aligned with wider business goals, but only 47% of business leaders surveyed agree with them.

Clearly, there is a huge opportunity for collaboration. Organisations that make the move sooner will take full advantage of the opportunities unlocked with IP technology early, including streamlining and improving operations.

As well as improving efficiency and operations, future-proofing an organisation means retaining talent and maintaining a happy workforce. Hybrid working is here to stay but, in many cases, it has yet to reach its full potential – particularly when it comes to company culture. You only need to read the press to see business leaders and employees talking about the impact it has on team cohesiveness, relationships and innovation. 

When it comes to building relationships, perceived proximity is just as important as physical. With smart IP solutions and unified communication tools such as video, chat and calling, organisations won’t be bound by space and time or disrupted by lost connections. 

What’s more, attracting the next generation of the workforce is key. Digital natives expect the consistency, speed and flexibility that comes with IP solutions. Beyond this, up to 58% of employees say they want their company to be more environmentally responsible. 

IP technology can streamline business processes and supply chains, reducing both energy use and costs and ensuring a more sustainable future. The reliability provided by modern networks requires less maintenance and fewer engineer callouts, resulting in lower unnecessary CO₂ emissions.

Interestingly, in our recent research 30% of organisations said that prioritising budget for other emerging technologies such as AI was a barrier to switching to IP solutions. It’s positive to see the potential of enticing technologies has been realised, but this will be a short-term fix if adopted on top of outdated legacy systems.

Creating a competitive organisation that makes the most out of new technology solutions is very much dependent on successfully moving to a digital phone network.