Plain Old Telephone Service, or POTS, is the traditional way we used to make phone calls. It's a landline service that transmits voice calls using analog signals over copper wires. Being the dominant phone service for over a century, from the late 1800s until the late 20th century, the introduction of digital technologies like ISDN, cellular networks and VoIP has caused a decline in POTS usage.
This puts businesses in a tough spot because phone companies are retiring their old copper wires. This is a problem for businesses that rely on these lines for crucial equipment like fire alarms, elevators, security systems and factory controls. Even before the complete shutdown, phone companies are raising prices to push businesses toward newer options.
We recently saw the likes of 3Phase replace legacy POTS for reliable elevator communication, and the product they went with was Ooma AirDial.
Ooma uses cloud technology to provide communication tools for businesses and homes. Businesses get features like messaging, virtual receptionists and video conferencing, along with regular phone service. This cloud-based system lets businesses move away from traditional phone lines and keeps their important systems running smoothly. Ooma also offers home phone service with high-quality voice calls, advanced features and the ability to connect with mobile devices.
As for Ooma AirDial, it delivers turnkey replacement for POTS lines through an analog-to-digital phone service that is built specifically for compatibility with business equipment and life-safety devices and is designed with regulatory compliance in mind. Ooma AirDial provides hardware, software, wireless connectivity and remote management – all from a single vendor.
Now, Ooma AirDial is available in Canada. This comes at a time when POTS is being phased out in all Canadian provinces. Two of the more dominant providers of POTS service in Canada – Bell Canada and TELUS (News - Alert) – also announced plans for copper network decommissioning.
“Ever since we launched Ooma AirDial in the U.S., we’ve been eager to make AirDial available north of the border,” said Thad White, Vice President of Product Management at Ooma. “We’re happy to make that possible and to also meet the requests from many of our U.S. customers who have asked for AirDial at their locations in Canada.”
Ooma's been offering phone service in Canada through the cloud since 2005. They have a Canadian office in Vancouver that focuses on software, product development, helping customers and exploring new ideas.
Edited by
Alex Passett
