Much of the guidance from telecoms companies, including BT revolves around using the opportunity to change your existing phones sand other systems. But where existing systems need to be retained, they suggest using an analogue to digital converter. This will be suited to some nonessential equipment, but there is a catch when it comes to lift auto diallers. Unlike the existing PTSN system that operates using the network’s own electrical supply, the new Internet Protocol (IP) systems will own need to be individually powered when they enter a building, relying upon the user’s own 240V mains supply. The risk therefore ii that should be the building power ever fail, any IP system within the building might also fail, preventing telephone or auto dialler systems from operating, just when they might also be needed. BT were forced to pause their roll out the digital network earlier this year after storms disrupted power supplies, knocking out digital phone systems and affecting customer confidence in the changeover.

The best solution is for lift auto diallers if you have a guaranteed back up power supply for the building’s IP lines, is an analogue to digital converter. However, you will need to ensure that the entire system is backed up, including individual emergency supplies for the analogue to digital converter itself, as well as any servers that may be on the building network. this could be difficult if there is not one individual responsible for all parts of the network.

The second option is to fit a GSM unit. GSM systems use mobile technology to communicate, avoiding the need to go through the building’s landline network and therefore also avoiding the complications of any internal IP network. some modern auto diallers come GSM ready, even if connected to any internal IP network. Some modern auto diallers come GSM ready, even if connected to an existing landline, and the conversion from landline to mobile may as simple as adding of a SIM card. For those that don’t have the feature built in, the retrofitting of a GSM unit is still a simple process. Current GSM models will include an internal emergency backup battery to allow continued operation even in the event of a power failure. While older models would potentially be affected unstable signal strength, modern designs can feature roaming SIM cards that allow the equipment to use the strongest signal available, irrespective of the network provider.