Sure, IP's been the cool kid in town for some time now. But POTS isn't going away.

Craig Galbraith, Editorial Director

June 3, 2021

2 Min Read
Telephone poles and lines
Shutterstock

IP might be the cool kid in town, but legacy telecom isn’t dead. Channel player Granite Telecommunications is buying OBSM, a POTS (plain old telephone service) replacement device manufacturer. OBSM does business in the industry under the name Epik.

Granite, which supplies myriad communications products and services to businesses and government agencies with multiple locations, touts the purchase for “enabling seamless solutions.” Specifically, customers who rely on TDM landlines will get more simplicity, consistency, reliability and savings. The news is most applicable to customers with alarms, elevators and point-of-sale systems running on legacy telecom technology.

Granite says there’s a demand for reliable, low-cost alternatives for these types of specialty lines. Incumbent carriers seemingly are reducing support for TDM networks almost every day.

Keep up with the latest channel-impacting mergers and acquisitions in our M&A roundup.

Rob Hale is Granite’s president and CEO. He’s also co-owner of the NBA’s Boston Celtics.

Hale-Rob_Granite.jpg

Granite’s Rob Hale

“Businesses are looking for an easy, cost-effective, single-source POTS replacement to improve reliability, enable consistency across geographies and capture savings,” said Hale. “By combining Granite’s one-stop network installation, service and support with Epik’s patented technology, we can offer customers a technologically robust solution with turnkey implementation and complete management.”

Wireless POTS Pioneer

Epik claims to be one of the first to launch a wireless POTS offer. Steve Olsen is president of Epik.

“We’re excited to become part of the Granite team and see real customer value in combining our breakthrough, patented Epik technology with Granite’s proven leadership in delivery of TDM alternatives, execution of complex installations and excellence in customer service,” said Olsen.

Granite says the Epik acquisition boosts its lineup of POTS alternative services in a number of ways. Those include reliable analog access with broadband redundancy, dual SIMs and 24-hour battery backup; an efficient design and installation process; real-time monitoring for continued performance, management and support; predictable monthly charges; and single-point-of-contact and customized billing.

Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Craig Galbraith or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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About the Author(s)

Craig Galbraith

Editorial Director, Channel Futures

Craig Galbraith is the editorial director for Channel Futures, joining the team in 2008. Before that, he spent more than 11 years as an anchor, reporter and managing editor in television newsrooms in North Dakota and Washington state. Craig is a proud Husky, having graduated from the University of Washington. He makes his home in the Phoenix area.

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