Ooma makes it easy to build your case for POTS replacement

POTS, also known as Plain Old Telephone Service, is becoming obsolete. Thanks to deregulation, costs are rising and quality is dropping. Even worse, many carriers are trying to decommission their networks, leading to even higher costs for the leftovers. All of this makes it harder to run a business that relies on POTS lines for essential equipment such as fire alarms, elevator emergency phones, building entry systems and more.

There is a solution though. A POTS replacement service, like Ooma AirDial®, can help you avoid those headaches. Essentially, it allows you to modernize connections for your critical legacy devices so you won’t have to rip out and replace them. It can also save up to 60% on your monthly costs while future-proofing your business infrastructure. You can even maintain compliance standards like ASME, NFPA, UL and other important regulations.

You can also get white-glove installation to make the conversion process even simpler. Headaches be gone.

But we understand you need to build a business case. You want the documentation, and Ooma’s Business Case Builder can help with that.

Building a business case step-by-step

1. Inventory your lines and devices. List all current POTS lines and the devices connected to them, like elevator phones, fire alarm panels, gate/door entry systems, emergency phones, fax lines, point-of-sale terminals and more. Don’t worry, the Business Case Builder will remind you of common use cases.
2. Enter basic business info. Fill in the form with your basic business information. Your name, your phone number and email address, your industry and how many locations you have.
3. Describe your current POTS setup. This is what the inventory is for. Simply check the boxes for all the devices you currently have and select an implementation timeline. The timeline is up to your own business needs but decide whether it’s a change you need quickly or if it’s more a long-term project.
4. Your business case document is ready! Simply scroll down to look at your projected annual savings, your current annual expense vs projected annual expense and more. You can download the PDF to share or keep and contact help if you have more questions.

Common business case questions

When you’re building a business case for any kind of change, it’s best to be prepared. Here are some common questions we’ve heard about POTS line replacement that can help you build a better business case.

Is Ooma AirDial life-safety compliant?

Yes it is! It was built with safety guidelines in mind, including UL 864 and 62368-1, NFPA 72, ASME A17.1, PCI, HIPAA, the New York City Fire Department and California Fire Marshal in mind.

Is installation disruptive?

Not at all! You could install it yourself if you like getting your hands dirty, but Ooma also offers white-glove installation service that takes care of everything.

Is it reliable?

Ooma AirDial is MFVN-compliant, which means your internet traffic never touches the public internet. It also has a battery backup that’ll keep things running in the event of a power failure. AirDial’s MultiPath technology can route all traffic over both LTE and wired Ethernet, so if one path goes down it can easily switch traffic to the other to make sure you always have a seamless connection.

What are the tech specs?

Check out the full Ooma AirDial technical specifications here.

Tips for communicating your business case recommendation

Now that you’ve got all your information, you’ve got to present it. Data and visuals are often a good way to share information, and the business case document generated by Ooma’s business case builder will help. The cost savings are displayed big and feature color, drawing the eye.

If you need to do a larger presentation, you can also consider a slideshow. Try to avoid small type and stick to the big points you want to get across visually. You can always fill in the details by explaining them.

Your goal is to let them know that your case already aligns with your business goal, and that the change isn’t as difficult or scary as they might fear. Business leaders often just want to make sure things go as smoothly as possible and operations aren’t disrupted.

Build your own business case

Now you’re ready. You can build your own personalized business case and show people why a POTS line solution is better for your business. And if you don’t have to present this to anyone, the document can help you get a clearer picture of your own business.