Windstream Enterprise has unveiled a new VoIP service aimed at replacing plain old telephone service (POTS) for critical safety voice applications.

Digital Voice Lines (DVL) with Cellular Failover supports critical services such as fire alarms, security alarms and POS terminals. It also supports automatic meter reading for gas, water and electric meters, temperature and water sensors, and more.

This VoIP service is available alongside SD-WAN from Windstream Enterprise.

Windstream’s Cindy Boyer

Cindy Boyer is senior consultant for UCaaS and voice at Windstream Enterprise.

“Partners are facing business customers that want to upgrade from outdated technology and are clamoring for solutions to the rising cost of POTS and their lack of flexibility,” she said. “DVL by Windstream Enterprise gives our valued partners an IP-based solution for resolving these customer challenges.”

High Demand for VoIP Service

From small retail stores to larger corporate environments, most businesses have some POTS lines, Boyer said. They may be used in elevators, in support of alarm lines, or simply for regular voice calls.

“DVLs are a low-cost alternative that can replace POTS used for those applications,” she said. “There is high demand for an IP-based alternative because traditional voice lines are becoming less reliable and less cost-effective. Additionally, many service providers are proactively retiring copper, which means that many customers are being forced to transition off POTS. But many companies are loathe to decommission old investments. Windstream Enterprise can help customers upgrade to VoIP while still leveraging existing analog phones and devices to maximize previous infrastructure investments.”

To date, Windstream Enterprise offers three DVL tiers based on a customer’s needs:

Eliminates Multi-Vendor Environment

“From quote to billing, our customers can expect to have a knowledgeable resource leading them through each step of the process,” Boyer said. “DVL from Windstream Enterprise eliminates the hassle of a multi-vendor environment by allowing customers to work with a single provider for all voice services across all locations, resulting in simplified management and billing. Partners will have one network provider to work with.”

Mike Flannery is Windstream Enterprise‘s chief marketing officer

“This solution is a response to the industry’s collective increase in rates and, in some markets, the decommissioning of copper lines entirely,” he said. “There’s never been a greater need for a newer technology to replace old, outdated POTs.”