Session Initiation Protocol commonly known as SIP is not a new communication technology but it’s considered a great replacement to the conventional public switched telephone network, which heavily relies on physical connectivity for making calls. On the other hand, SIP uses a packet-switched network that converts voice signals into digital packets and conveys them over a network to the receiving end. SIP trunking service is effective business network solutions for small and medium-sized organizations that are looking to cut down on cost, improve customer service and experience and still enjoy quality communication.
In addition to voice calls, SIP trunks also manage multimedia communications such as video conferencing, Facebook Messenger and Skype chats, and other SIP trunking services.
Benefits of SIP trunking as Your Business Phone System
This business phone system is cost-effective and offers several other benefits like scalability, call routing, centralized network, and disaster recovery.
Flexible call rates
Whether you’re calling or receiving local or long-distance calls, SIP trunking service provides unlimited call rates, which could potentially save you up to 50% on the total cost of calls. A SIP trunk is designed to treat all inbound and outbound connections as local calls and carry them over a network —nothing like international calls.
The SIP trunk carries the digital packets to the provider’s termination point where the local exchange occurs. This is where the call is transferred to a local public switched telephone network. Other SIP trunking services such as telephone number mapping can allow your business to use a single number for all calls in and around the world. Best of all, you can be assigned a local number based on your location, eliminating the need for multiple numbers.
Centralized Deployment
Unlike the analog telephone networks, SIP trunking is an IP-based system that is able to bring all these voices and data under a centralized network. This network has is made up of several multimedia resources that allow you to enjoy multiple digital streaming capabilities.
Having a centralized network also eliminates the need for PSTN gateway, giving the SIP trunk a direct connection to your preferred ITSP, also known as internet telephony service provider. This means that no infrastructure is required for setting up the system hence no maintenance or hardware costs, as well as subscription fees.
Scalability
The elimination of physical infrastructure and subscription fees make it easy and flexible to scale up bandwidth at relatively low rates with an unlimited number of channels. No setup and maintenance costs while it takes less time to add new channels into the network.
Disaster Recovery SIP Trunking
To ensure operational continuity and that no interruption happens in your business phone systems, SIP trunking services have proved to be more resilient and reliable in a disaster. A disaster could be anything from a natural disaster such as earthquakes to network failure and hardware malfunction. This service ensures that you are still connected and able to make calls by providing solutions such as call routing and geographical redundancy, which reroutes data to other call centers. SIP trunking allows you to also develop a disaster management plan and a backup option should a disaster strike.
What you should really consider when choosing a SIP service provider is the number of channels your business needs. This will help you with the pricing and avoid being duped in the process. SIP trunk will typically comprise an unlimited number of channels so you only need one for your business needs regardless of the frequency of the incoming and outgoing calls.
However, every system has it’s a weakness that could expose a business to internet fraud. Which is why you need to consider having security measure installed within your system, including things like VLAN —for protecting your broadcast domains and significantly reducing broadcast traffic. VLAN also helps to limit any routing commands and enforce securing policies.