If you asked what the single biggest advantage of SIP Trunking is, most people would probably tell you that it’s the savings it offers over traditional phone solutions. It’s true that this solution makes a lot of sense from a financial perspective. Phone systems and calls are essential to businesses, but no one wants to overpay for them. What this solution provides is a better option at a better price. It delivers superior rates for long distance and international calls by using IP networks as much as possible instead of the standard phone network. Though some calls may have to go onto the PSTN to complete, most calls can go most or all of the way via IP. Multiple offices that are connected to each other can even get free calls between offices. The convergence of voice and data on a single network offers another opportunity to save money.
As great as this advantage is, there is much more to this solution than saving money. SIP Trunking falls under the umbrella of IP communications, which means that it is considered a next generation phone system. What distinguishes such systems from the current generation is the vastly expanded capabilities. New features allow IP phones to exceed the scope of a traditional phone system. For instance, geographic location is no longer a limiting factor. Regardless of a business’ physical location, it is possible to set up local numbers in cities all around the world to provide a local presence to customers. This helps build the business-customer relationship without the cost of relocation or opening a new branch. This is just one small example of what this solution can do and new features can be added as they are developed to keep the technology fresh.
If you’re doing the calculations in your head, you’re probably expecting a downside to balance out the lower price and better features. The most obvious area to take a hit is quality. However, there is no downside to be found here. Quality is actually improved with SIP Trunking and HD voice service. On networks that handle both voice and data traffic, Quality of Service (QoS) is put in place to maintain call clarity by prioritizing voice. While limits can be placed on the number of simultaneous calls to ensure quality remains high, bandwidth can also be added to support a greater number of calls at once. Thus, a full overview reveals that this solution doesn’t have just one advantage, but rather several of them.
Nobody can say for sure what the future will bring. In the world of business phone systems, there have already been several leaps forward in the last few years and these will presumably continue. One of the technologies that are currently changing communications is SIP Trunking. A defining characteristic of the new technologies is their ability to reduce the expense of communications. For instance, by eliminating components such as PSTN gateways, BRIs, and PRIs, this technology reduces the cost of phone service for a business. Calls are made over the public Internet or another IP network, which results in lower rates for calls. For businesses that make a lot of long distance and international calls, this can be a game changer. Smaller local businesses can expand their coverage worldwide to gain access into new markets by getting local numbers for customers to call in major cities all over the globe. The convergence of voice and data offers the opportunity for another round of savings.
A second defining aspect of IP phone solutions is their ability to expand communications capabilities though the implementation of new features. Organizations which switch to SIP Trunking or another IP phone solution can enjoy such features as voice and video conferencing, emergency and directory calls, and a unified communications interface covering multiple channels, including email, fax, chat, and more. Be aware that not all features will be available with all solutions or from all service providers. This expanded functionality uses existing resources more effectively, but it may still be necessary to add additional capacity. Fortunately, adding more bandwidth for IP solutions is a simple matter and not as expensive or complicated as adding lines with older solutions. Bandwidth can be added as needed, which makes this solution truly scalable.
IP telephony and these new communications solutions are the future of business phone systems, but that doesn’t mean they are a long way off. The future is already here and many organizations have already adopted such technologies and are enjoying the benefits provided by them. From new features that change what a phone system can do to saving money across the board, these solutions are worth upgrading to. SIP Trunking is one example and presents an easy way for a business to take its phone system to the next level without spending a lot of money. This technology is definitely futuristic, but it’s already here and available in the present day to any business that is ready to take the next step.
There’s an old saying that two heads are better than one, but it is rarely true that two providers are better than one. Indeed, a chief advantage of SIP Trunking is that it eliminates the need to have voice and data services provided separately. Two heads may be better than one, but one is much simpler. With just one single service provider, the management and billing of telecommunications services is consolidated to make the task much easier and less time consuming. You also get the ease of only having to deal with one provider to troubleshoot issues and there’s no going back and forth between multiple companies all denying responsibility.
Another big benefit to combining voice and data services is the resulting savings. The first area where savings can be achieved is in the installation phase. Since data networks are everywhere and used widely by businesses, this existing network can be used for voice without the expense of installing another network. Operational costs are also reduced as it is more cost efficient to have one network being used more effectively than running two separate networks. Voice is given priority on the network to make sure that the quality of calls does not degrade and data is fitted into the bandwidth that would otherwise go unused during less busy periods.
On top of all this, SIP Trunking also reduces call rates across all categories, including local, long distance, toll-free, and international. Companies which take full advantage of this technology to upgrade from their older TDM solutions can see savings of fifty percent or higher. Furthermore, this technology offers porting of existing phone numbers and the ability to work with existing phone systems and Internet connections. Enterprises that consist of multiple offices can get reduced cost or even free calls among locations. Quality service that uses existing legacy equipment doesn’t have to be expensive.
Since some businesses already have IP PBXs or other key systems in place, it makes sense to take advantage of them. This solution can use existing equipment to further reduce the cost of communications without extra hardware charges. The convergence of voice and data on a single network offers an additional avenue of savings, while also reducing the complexity of implementing and managing the solution. When you bring all these things together into one combined form, it doesn’t take two heads to see that SIP Trunking is a valuable addition to any business.
So, we’re almost two weeks into the new year and things are finally starting to settle down into a routine once again. As we all return to work, let’s ease into things with a quick primer on SIP Trunking. In the past, businesses generally relied on TDM trunks for their communications needs. However, this solution has many issues, not least of which is that it’s fairly rigid. It’s not easy to make changes, at least not without investing a lot of time and money into doing so. For instance, to expand capacity, you have to add new physical phone lines. Not only is this not easy to do, but you can only get them in blocks of 24. So if you only want ten more lines, you either have to pay for more than you need or go without. That’s far from an ideal situation.
Contrast that with the newer technology of SIP Trunking. This new solution adds capacity not by physical lines, but by adding bandwidth. This is much cheaper and quicker to do and you are not forced to buy in large blocks. You can add as much as you need, whenever you need it. Some providers even offer burst options to provide an instant increase in bandwidth to respond to an unexpected increase in call volume. This sort of on the fly response just isn’t possible with older solutions.
Another thing that this solution can do that TDM options cannot is to combine services on one trunk. Since IP solutions treat everything as data, voice, data, and video can all operate together. In contrast, TDM solutions require that a separate trunk be installed to handle each type of traffic individually. Naturally, this costs more and is an inefficient way of handling the varied modern traffic. It’s hard to say exactly how much a business can save by switching to a modern solution as there are so many factors and areas where saving takes place, but it’s certainly possible to save as a much as 50% of what you are currently playing for TDM service.
This is a brief sketch of some of the many benefits offered by the new communications technology of today. The TDM trunks that companies used to use for connecting their PBX systems are now being replaced by newer, more flexible, and more affordable options such as SIP Trunking. If you haven’t already made the switch over to SIP and VoIP, then I highly suggest that you make it a priority in 2014.
New technology is inevitably preceded by and launched to massive hype, but it doesn’t always live up to it. Many times we are promised the moon only to fall short before we’ve even escaped the atmosphere. However, SIP Trunking is truly a big leap forward for humankind in terms of communications. That is a big claim and so it is only proper that some evidence be given in support of it. This technology is capable of many great feats, including increased flexibility to provide support for remote and mobile employees and geographic independence to offer a local presence in dozens of international cities. Whatever praise is given to this solution, it is justly deserved as it goes far beyond expectations.
A big part of what makes this technology so great is that it reduces the complexity of managing services. Traditionally, with conventional telephone service, an organization had to juggle two or more services, each with its own provider. However, the ability to put voice and data on one network with IP solutions simplifies things considerably. There’s only one service provider in such a setup, which means one bill and one point of contact. SIP Trunking also offers consistent pricing from month to month so that there are no unexpected budget-wrecking surprises. The simplicity and budget-balancing mean that small businesses as well as large enterprises can take advantage of this solution. It’s a rare product that can reduce both costs and complexity, while also delivering the advances of a next generation communications solution.
So we’ve established that this solution is affordable, but just what kind of savings can a business expect to see? There will naturally be some variation depending on the circumstances, but an organization could see savings of fifty percent from what it previously paid for traditional telephone service. That’s a substantial amount and likely to play an important role in the decision of selecting a new phone system. These savings are made possible by the previously mentioned convergence of voice and data, as well as the removal of certain components of traditional phone systems, such as Basic Rate Interfaces, Primary Rate Interfaces, and PSTN gateways. Along with the elimination of costly elements, the time and expense of conducting maintenance and administration is also reduced.
With every new development comes a battle between the hype and the reality. It’s all too common to get your hopes up only to be disappointed by the final product. That’s not the case with SIP Trunking, which can indeed meet all of your star-filled dreams with its next generation capabilities and take you all the way to the moon and beyond.
A big attraction of SIP Trunking is the ability to save money and one way in which this can be achieved is through the convergence of voice and data on a single line. In the past, the only option for businesses was to have two separate networks to handle voice and data traffic. However, new advancements in IP technology mean that this is no longer the case. Voice can be converted to a digital signal and share a data network. What this means is that an existing data network is simply used more efficiently rather than requiring a second network to be installed for voice. To ensure that this shared setup doesn’t cause a drop in the quality of voice calls, Quality of Service (QoS) is used. This is a means of packet tagging in which voice packets are tagged in order to make sure they are given priority over data. This prevents voice quality from degrading by making sure it has the resources when it needs them to avoid lag and delays. Data is okay taking second place as delays are not noticeable in the same way that they are with voice. By using one network, businesses can save a lot of money.
If this sounds interesting, the first step to getting set up with SIP Trunking is finding an Internet Telephony Service Provider or ITSP. The provider will help get everything in place to make Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP calls using the Internet or other IP network, which will result in savings over using the Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN. For traditional calls using Time Division Multiplexing or TDM, the PSTN is the circuit-switching network on which they rely. However, IP telephony is gradually replacing this with packet-switching. The future of the PSTN is unclear; it may never disappear completely, but it is certainly becoming less important than it used to be.
It is important for businesses to make the transition to IP as the market moves away from older solutions. Aside from the necessity of getting away from outdated legacy systems, organizations also benefit from the lower cost of newer options. With VoIP and a PBX or Private Branch Exchange, businesses can also enjoy many new features and find further savings on communications. Affordable service and consistent quality contribute to the attraction of SIP Trunking and make it one of the primary options for voice communications today.
Savings are great, no argument on that front from me, but they are not the beginning and end of phone services. Enterprises should also look for a SIP Trunking provider with a large footprint to deliver end-to-end support and a selection of IP-based features that fit closely with the organization’s goals. IP telephony is a huge step forward in what business phone systems are capable of and the best representation of this is in the various features it offers. Such features include auto attendant as a way to automate the handling of front desk traffic, thereby decreasing the workload on employees and allowing them to be more productive without sacrificing professionalism, as well as the ability to set up conference calls with employees and customers all around the world. Functions such as these fit squarely into the enterprise operational sphere.
First things first; let’s go over how this solution works. While it is an advanced telecommunications solution, the basic operation of SIP Trunking can be easily understood without much technical knowledge. In a standard setup, businesses maintain separate networks for voice and data. However, when voice is converted to data as is the case here, it can run just fine over a data network. The amount of simultaneous calls that can be made on a data network is determined by bandwidth and so various ways of either assigning or dynamically allocating bandwidth are needed to prevent it from being stretched too thin and causing call quality to degrade. While enterprises can benefit from the reduced complexity of having one service provider for both voice and data, some organizations may want to maintain a separation or even provide their own broadband. Such options may be available, depending on the specific service provider.
A large enterprise will often have multiple offices and an IP communications solution has specific benefits in a multi-location scenario. Internal calls between offices within the same enterprise network usually receive reduced rates and are even offered free by many providers. It does not matter where the offices are located in relation to each other as IP solutions are geographically independent. Another benefit for a multi-location enterprise is to share network capacity between locations and thus resources are pooled for more efficient usage. Downtime at one location is made up for as that otherwise unused bandwidth is put to work at another office. For the enterprise looking beyond simple savings, SIP Trunking has many features that make it well suited to a large corporate environment.
There are a lot of service providers out there who offer SIP Trunking and, naturally, each one is going to promote itself as the best choice. How then can you tell which provider is really the one that will deliver you the service and results that you require? The reality is that not all service providers are created equal and it’s important that you do your research before simply signing up with them on blind faith. Some of the things that you will want to look for in a provider are an extensive network and service that has been fully tested in various conditions. Customer support and assistance is also an important area and can be the defining difference between otherwise similar providers. Of course, interoperability and compatibility are also important things to consider.
Now, SIP may be a standard, but don’t count on it being implemented in a standard way across providers. If you have existing devices or hardware, it’s important that it be tested for compatibility with a provider’s network to ensure that it works and that all features are supported. Doing so can prevent problems further down the line at a point where it may be too late to easily back out. Of course, for maximum simplicity, a fully managed hosted solution can be used in which the provider delivers everything, including plug and play phones.
Though there is some research to be done, don’t let this scare you away. SIP Trunking is an incredible technology and you and your business will certainly benefit from the move to IP telephony. It is head and shoulders above older TDM solutions. As long as you do your homework and select a competent provider, there is nothing to worry about. As always, it’s good to enter into the search with a clear idea of what you need. Do you want support for multiple offices, distributed employees, or a SMB? You will need to consider how many simultaneous calls you require and make sure you have the necessary bandwidth to support them.
The good news is that you aren’t in this alone. Aside from the near-infinite resources available on the Internet, most providers will be happy to work with you to find a service that suits your needs. From finding the right codec to voice and data convergence, there are many aspects of SIP Trunking that require a little technical explanation to understand how they fit into the larger communications plan of your business.
After 2012 saw several natural disasters which interrupted business operations, to put it lightly, it is essential that companies have a viable disaster recovery plan in place. Many organizations did not have plans or, if they did, then those plans proved to be ineffective and they found themselves cut off from customers and unable to operate. In such situations, the key thing is to maintain communications. SIP Trunking technology offers many benefits that make it a good fit for a business continuity plan and it can help businesses survive disasters and quickly get back on their feet. This, along with the promises of cost savings and added features, make this technology a recommended option for all businesses.
Business communications are undergoing a transition from traditional phone systems to advanced IP-based systems using VoIP. These systems are far more sophisticated and use advances in technology to reduce the cost of communications while also providing additional tools to increase productivity. The number of companies deploying such systems is rapidly increasing as part of general trends toward mobility, the cloud, and VoIP.
Many enterprises are choosing to implement SIP Trunking as it provides several advantages not found elsewhere. Aside from reducing the telecommunication expenses that businesses are typically saddled with, it also improves communication both internally and with customers, thereby boosting productivity and reducing frustration. These things are widely known; most reports on this technology will trumpet its ability to save a company money and expand operations. Of course, both these things are great and not to be undervalued. However, they do not tell the full story.
What many people do not realize is that this technology can be effectively used to maintain business continuity in a disaster scenario. The enhanced flexibility of the technology gives a business several ways to respond to an emergency. For example, support for plug-and-play phones means that phone sets can be relocated to an alternate location without a loss of service. Even if the phone sets are themselves unavailable, calls can be forwarded to cell phones or other numbers to allow communication with customers. Automatic rerouting ensures communications remain operational in a crisis when they are needed most.
Essentially, SIP Trunking frees a business from relying on physical equipment in a physical location. This helps a business quickly right itself in a disaster. In an age where even a few minutes of downtime can mean a crucial loss of sales, being down for days due to a natural disaster can mean the end of a business. Thankfully, this technology can help protect against such an occurrence.
What is SIP Trunking? This may be the question facing you and your business. If not, you are likely facing a similar question, such why do I need it or how do I deploy it? To first define what it is, this technology provides a direct connection between your business and an Internet telephone service provider in order to allow you to use VoIP without the need for an expensive PSTN gateway. This setup allows your business to easily install and maintain a connection through which to get the substantial savings of VoIP calls.
While saving money is a big part of the equation, it’s not the only part. This technology also adds additional functionally to an organization, such as the ability to hold virtual conferences using multimedia, combine contact methods such as email and instant messaging, and enjoy other IP-based features. Basic phone service features such as emergency 911 calls and directory assistance are also included as part and parcel of the service. As the technology continues to advance, more features are being added. The virtual nature of the system makes it easy to upgrade and add new features as they are rolled out.
The many benefits of SIP Trunking have made it a topic of much discussion on the subject of unified communications. The technology can be used to simplify your organization’s communications, while also expanding them in terms of capabilities. A true unified communications system can unite multiple contact methods and communication devices together into a single network. Of course, the biggest benefit, at least initially, for many businesses is the cost savings. These savings are significant and begin immediately. Since you connect directly to the provider without using the PSTN, you eliminate the need for gateways, BRIs, and PRIs, along with their associated expenses. Costs can be further reduced by using a hosted PBX.
Long distance calls typically cost less with SIP, while the ability to combine voice and data on one network eliminates redundancy and improves efficiency. With SIP Trunking you can buy bandwidth in increments as you need it, rather than being stuck buying blocks of 24 or 32 lines that leave you with more than you need. An extensive list of features rounds off a list of the basic benefits of this technology. Hopefully, you now know what this technology is and why you need it for your business. To begin the deployment process, contact a provider and start enjoying the benefits of this solution today.