What Happens to Your PABX System When It's Hit by Load Shedding?
2022-10-17 20:00:20
In 2007, South Africans became well acquainted with the country's energy crisis. Not long after the announcement by the state-owned power company, Eskom announced its plan for load shedding.
While many private citizens sprung into action, seeking alternative power solutions, others believed the energy crisis would be short-lived.
Over a decade later, sadly, there's still no light at the end of the tunnel. But one constant remains - questions. Such as, "What Happens to Your PABX System When Confronted with Load Shedding?".
With private automatic branch exchange (PABX) being the frontline for many companies, it's essential that they keep working, even when the surrounding area is in a load shedding period.
So, let's answer the question.
What Happens to Your PABX During Load Shedding?
With the best PABX system installed in your business, you can streamline communication internally and externally by directing all calls through the system.
As business telco solutions go, a PABX, like one of the systems we install, is designed to be secure through advanced failover, security features, monitoring, and various reporting capabilities.
Additionally, PABXs can be coupled with communication apps to open an entirely new world. All these functions mean that, unlike a simple phone line, it requires a power source to run the central server.
And whether you're using an entry-level Daisy S20 VoIP PBX or the S300 VoIP PBX, neither have backup power. This lack of backup power means that while they are very energy efficient when in operation, they will also cease to function in the absence of power during load-shedding, which is a problem for businesses.
But, these separate units have built-in solutions to ensure that data is never lost. That said, if your PABX shuts down, it cuts off arguably your connection to the outside world, and potential clients, often deterred by a pre-recorded message saying the number is not in process, are lost.
Furthermore, load shedding has forced South Africans to adopt cell phones as their primary method of communication. According to a study by Pew Research in 2018, 46.9 million smartphone contracts were in use, with the report stating that this high number can be attributed to the fact that many will have multiple contracts.
Also, dumbphones still have a massive presence in the market, meaning South Africa can still phone your business, even during load-shedding.
As we mentioned, load shedding has been a problem for businesses locally for more than a decade. And it's a problem that's not going away until Eskom can build a reliable power station. Therefore, load shedding might be a problem for another decade.
So, what are the solutions for your PABX?
Solutions For PABX During Load Shedding
When considering telco solutions for your local companies, power concerns are essential to address.
Currently, Daisy Business Solutions provides solar, generators, UPS/Backup, and energy-efficient lighting solutions for businesses.
We've all heard the statistics on what load shedding costs South Africans per hour, but precisely what is the Rand value per hour?
According to chief economist Isaah Mhlanga, the planned blackout wiped out more than R4 billion daily from the local GDP during stage six load shedding. With stages seven and eight at their disposal, this will only worsen.
And as a business owner, it is time to make a plan. Because, to be honest, the government hasn't got an actionable plan to remedy the situation.
Also, the time has come for businesses to take the wheel and plan solutions for themselves. Especially since between this load shedding, there has also been a global recession, a chronic lockdown and skyrocketing petrol prices.
You may be left asking what the solutions are you should be investigating.
UPS - Backups
A common term that most South Africans now know, but what is a UPS? It stands for 'uninterruptible power supply", which, in other countries, is there to ensure servers don't crash when the power is lost. Thus the reason most store-bought UPSs have an alarm.
At Daisy Business Solutions, we design, develop, and compile solar-system-compatible UPS solutions to ensure our client's offices are unaffected by load shedding.
Lithium-ion batteries are the more durable option and switch on within less than 20 milliseconds while ensuring no surge damage, three-phase and split operations support, and remote monitoring and control.
To power an average-sized business operating a PABX, you will need a UPS system that can run for several hours. With load shedding slots lasting up to four hours, our 3kVA is the perfect solution, and it won't just power the PABX but also other electronic devices around the office.
What other solutions can owners invest in to ensure their PABX doesn't fail?
Generators
According to Trading Economics, petrol prices have skyrocketed to above the minimum wage per hour mark, which is R23.19 an hour. In essence, this means running a generator is going to be expensive.
Luckily, Daisy provides tailored turn-key power solutions for emergencies that accommodate your needs.
Working in the alternative power industry since 2011, we have robust solutions for all business requirements.
If you need a generator that runs efficiently, we have a massive selection to choose from, including:
- FAW
- SCANIA
- Perkins
- LOVOL
- Cummins
- And Volvo Penta.
We also install backup lighting systems and replace old lights with more efficient ones.
But now, who's responsibility is it to address this reality?
Who's At Fault When Load Shedding Hits?
For most South Africans, the answer is simply Eskom and the government. After all, in December 1998, they had officially reported that Eskom stated it would run out of power reserves in 2007. So, they knew it was an issue; by now, so should every South African know that load shedding is happening and will likely continue.
If you're not yet prepared, now is the time to change that.
By calling us today, you can eliminate these concerns, reduce costs and prepare for the future.
Don't Let Your PABX Fail - Call Us
If you want a solution for your PABX system, there's no one better than the company that set up the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
And we offer a free consultation and site visit, along with a quote.
