Over the past decade, both commercial and residential areas have been transforming the ways in which they communicate. For example, did you know that 80% of residential homes have moved away from landline telephone connections? People have been quick to adapt to new innovations in technology in terms of how they communicate at home, but not everyone has been as quick when it comes to businesses. Many organizations still operate through copper phone lines, even though more efficient and capable technologies exist. Communication is the most important thing that a business can do, and by not updating the ways in which they communicate, they can fall behind and end up facing communication issues in the long run.

As businesses are increasingly looking to IT departments to improve productivity and control costs, they are recognizing the many advantages of utilizing high-capacity wireless links to replace fiber or aging copper-based leased lines, both in terms of cost and network performance. Put simply, companies can (and should) use wireless links to provide fiber-like performance at a significant savings in costs as compared to copper leased lines.

While your company doesn't have to worry about your copper lines being dug up out of the ground today, those who continue to stay on copper will eventually fall out of the majority when it comes to communication. As with any new innovation or technology, those who lag behind tend to find adapting more challenging once they inevitably make the transition. When it comes to wireless network solutions, and the benefits that they offer, companies should plan on making the transition sooner rather than later. These benefits of a wireless network solution include:

Versatility
Scalability
Rapid Deployment
Easy Expansion
Proven Cost Savings

While the benefits of leaving copper lines behind and upgrading to a wireless network solution are great by themselves, going wireless also offers various application as well, showing that this transition fits well with any company. These applications include:

Using a wireless network to eliminate recurring telecom leased-line costs
Extending fiber networks with wireless extensions
Deploying a wireless backup network to ensure business continuity

The key to successfully moving away from copper phones actually begins with simply starting the conversation and consideration right away. Again, while you may not need to make the technology update today or even tomorrow, your company will need to transition eventually, and sooner is always better than later.

Here are the three steps you need to take when considering moving away from copper phone lines:

Review your business and prioritize

This is a very important first-step in this process that you should do before anything else. Take stock of your contracts for existing services and begin identifying areas that could be ready for a technology update. Take a look at how long these services have been in place, the costs that they are incurring, and any other factors that may signal it is ready to upgrade (difficult to use/encountering steady issues is a common signal). Once you have a solid view on which areas of your business may need new innovations, prioritize them. When you create this hierarchy, chances are your copper lines will be at the top, as communicating is the most important thing your company does.

Create a strategy

This can be as simple as a "napkin idea." If you aren't familiar with the phrase, think of it as having an idea or plan that you outline on a napkin at a restaurant. This may not be the final, most refined version of your plan (the one that you outline out with your entire organization), but it is a step towards that. This step basically helps you get your ideas on paper and shows that your company is serious about moving away from copper. Once you complete the third step, this strategy will be fine-tuned and adhered to.

Find a trusted partner

This is where your company finds a trusted communications partner to help you through this transition. Choose a partner who improves operations by getting information to those who need it when they need it, and who can help you through each step of this technological transition.

With a technologal innovation like this that directly impacts the ways in which your company communicates, it is never too early to start preparing.