to focus on business outcomes rather than individual solutions. “The best opportunities come from asking business-focused questions rather than product-focused ones,” explained Tim Hanley, senior vice president of channel at MetTel. “Advisors should focus on understanding how customers use their voice services today, the challenges they’re facing, and where they want their technology to be in the future.” Hanley noted that many businesses still depend on legacy voice services for critical applications such as fire alarms, elevators, security systems and point-of-sale devices. Some customers may be ready to move to the cloud, while others require a phased approach using fiber, broadband, wireless, managed voice or POTS replacement solutions. “The key is understanding each customer’s business requirements and recommending the solution that best fits their goals,” Hanley said. Starting the Conversation For many organizations, voice has operated quietly in the background for years without receiving much attention. Lumen’s pivot gives technology advisors a natural reason to revisit those environments. “Seeing the shift with AI and network infrastructure, technology advisors can help customers assess risk, improve their overall resiliency, consolidate vendors, reduce operational cost and determine what voice solution aligns with their business goals,” explained Michael Beder, director of client development at Granite Channels. “It could be a traditional solution, SIP, UCaaS or a hybrid approach. Either way, voice will be a part of it.” Beder is encouraging partners to be proactive about starting voice discussions. Waiting until renewal will limit options and lead to rushed decisions. “Customers need to understand their voice options well before contract expirations happen,” Beder said. “Advisors should help their clients by understanding their overall existing environment. They need to identify everything that is critical, understand how important compliance is and evaluate any potential gaps or failures in the network. Getting in early and being proactive will give them time and flexibility and help make better strategic decisions.” The conversation doesn’t have to stop with voice. As Beder explained, a strategic voice discussion can uncover much larger opportunities. “When companies are evaluating their voice solution, they usually uncover other significant opportunities like modernizing their contact centers, improving their overall continuity and enhancing their overall network performance,” Beder continued. “What starts as a voice conversation can quickly become a complete project transformation.” Voice modernization also can open the door to conversations around cybersecurity and operational resilience. As customers migrate from isolated legacy voice environments to connected platforms, they should also assess how those changes impact the organization’s broader security posture. “Voice platforms are often tightly integrated with identity management, Microsoft 365, contact centers, emergency services and businesscritical workflows,” CyberSweep founder and CEO Robert Flores wrote in a LinkedIn post on Lumen’s voice exit. “A poorly planned migration can introduce security gaps, service disruptions, compliance issues and new attack surfaces.” To reduce migration risks, Flores recommends configuration validation, identity and access reviews, vendor risk assessments and security testing. o UCAAS OUTLOOK • 2025-2027 How do you forecast your UCaaS Spending to change in the coming year? 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 52.1% 44.4% 2% 1.5% 2025 64.9% 31.1% 2.3% 1.8% 2026 65.4% 26.6% 3.8% 4.3% 2027 Increase Stay the same Decrease Unsure Source: Metrigy CONVERSATION STARTER • VOICE STRATEGY Key Discovery Questions for Voice Modernization Granite recommends using the following questions to start conversations around voice modernization. 01 What does your current voice environment look like? 02 Do you have a POTS replacement strategy? 03 How business critical is your voice environment? 04 What applications depend on voice today? 05 How do you support your life safety lines, alarms, and elevators? 06 Walk me through what happens when a call comes in. What would you change? 07 What happens if your company can’t receive a call today? 08 How do you manage and support your voice network? 09 How satisfied are you with your current support? 10 When was the last time you updated your voice solution? 42 CHANNELVISION | SUMMER 2026
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTg4Njc=