Keep your Existing Number
Have you ever had the hassle of having to change your phone number when you move office?
You’ll know, it is not just the number, it is the letterheads, the business-cards, the update of websites, the calls to existing suppliers and customers, the costly re-directions on the old circuit, the list can go on and on. Eventually your new numbers will be bedded in, and your customers, suppliers, staff will be familiar with these new business numbers. However to get to this point what damage has been done to the business? How many missed calls? How much has been spent re-directing calls from the old telephone numbers?
Wouldn’t it be so much easier (and cheaper) if you could just keep your existing numbers?
Well the solution is now at hand.
With the use of VoIP technology single numbers or blocks of numbers can be transferred between telecoms providers enabling customers to move their physical geographic location whilst keeping their existing numbers. This enables the company to maintain continuity and avoid expensive call diversion charges during an office move.
If you are a customer of any of the following companies: BT, Virgin, Thus, Kingston, Gradwell, Inclarity and Cable and Wireless, it is now possible to transfer any of your existing numbers away from the named suppliers onto our IP platform and hence “Keep your Existing Number”.
The whole process of transferring your number will be managed by your chosen VoIP provider (the company you are transferring the numbers to). They will require you to fill out a form and authorise the transfer of the numbers from your current telecoms supplier. The process should be problem free so long as the correct details and information (postcodes, addresses, etc) are given. Most companies offering this service should be regulated by Ofcom, although it is worth doing your own checks.
As long as the correct details are given to your chosen provider you do not have to worry about disruption of service. The process of transferring numbers takes from 7 to 27 working days depending on who you choose to move and the type of line the number is current sitting on. The table below offers an approximate guide in term of lead times for number transferring.
- Single Line
- 7 working days
- Single Lines with greater than 10 Lines
porting at same installation / time - 17 working days
- PBX 10 lines or less
- 10 working days
- PBX 11 lines or greater (or a Centrex site)
- 20 working days
- Simple DDI
- 20 working days
- Complex DDI (or a multisite full/partial VPN)
- 25 working days
- ISDN 10 lines or less
- 10 working days
- ISDN 11 lines or greater
- 20 working days
Costs
The process of moving numbers is not hugely expensive; generally prices vary from supplier to supplier. A single number on a single PSTN line might cost between £10 - £20 to move whereas a complicated ISDN30 with numerous number ranges might cost anywhere in the region of £250 to £450. It is worth remembering that these costs can be offset against future savings on line rental and call charges.
Additional benefits of moving numbers
Disaster recovery has been a buzz word for over a decade now. Once your numbers have been moved onto a VoIP platform you are effectively putting in a system that, should the worst happen, will enable your business telecoms to be up and running by simply making one phone call to your telecoms company.
Conclusion
The market for “keeping your existing number” is a burgeoning one, and looks set to grow. As more and more companies utilise the internet as a backbone for their business it would appear to make logical sense that this will also encompass the process of “keeping your existing number”.
It is also worth remembering that like domain names, telephone numbers are an important feature of a business. If the possibility of keeping that telephone number or numbers is available, surely we should all try and grab it with both hands.