Make SIP Trunking Part of a Disaster Recovery Plan

08/22/2013 15:25

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.