How SIP Trunking Helps Companies Benefit From VoIP
With more companies opting to use VoIP as their means to make calls, they needed the means to transition their phone system into a more VoIP based communications. The answer to that has been Session Initiation Protocol or SIP.
With this cloud-hosted technology, companies are able to replace traditional telephone trunks that connect their phone system with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). And since SIP is also an IETF standard for multimedia initiations, it has also become the means to deliver video over the Internet as well. This paves the way for more features like video conferencing through your own phone system.
With SIP trunking, you are getting a VoIP-enabled cloud-hosted phone system that has the following benefits:
Flexibility and mobility
SIP trunking takes advantage of the Internet. Because it is hosted over the Internet, location is no longer a limitation. Companies are now able to access their own cloud-hosted phone system from anywhere in the world and make and receive VoIP calls as long as they have stable Internet connection. This is important as the modern working environment is moving towards a more flexible workforce that telecommutes and is constantly mobile.
Scalability
The technology also allows you to have a phone system that adjusts to your business needs. It makes it easier for you to add or remove phone numbers-toll free numbers or local numbers at any city in the US – or add or delete extensions depending on the growth of the company.
Virtual presence
VoIP and SIP are able to allow companies to establish presence in different locations without the need to be physically present there. For example, you can get a local number that people in the community can call even if you do not have a physical location in there.
Reduced call costs
SIP trunking allows for flat rates for both local and long distance calls that greatly reduce actual calling costs. Lastly, by being able to implement a phone system with extensions, users within the system can easily call and communicate with each other with no additional costs.
Unified communications
SIP allows for the transmission of different communication tools such as voice, data, and video. This allows SIP trunking providers like BroadconnectUSA to combine different communication tools like fax, voice, and others into one phone system. This allows them to provide companies of all sizes a streamlined cloud-hosted phone system that combines different advanced communication features.
Now that you know the benefits of SIP trunking for an effective VoIP-enabled business communications system, you want to know if your own company network can adopt the technology. While the only real requirement for VoIP and SIP trunking is an Internet connection, you want to make the most of it by adapting good practices that allows you to make the most out of the technology.
So before talking to the next SIP trunking provider, check your company first for:
Stable Internet connection
If you do not have a reliable Internet connection, any VoIP related communication tool will not be satisfying. You need business level Internet connection that is stable and high broadband speed. Recommended options are DSL and fiber optics. There are also speed testers online that you can use to measure your own Internet speed.
QoS routers and switches
Choosing the right routers and switches is also important in ensuring clear VoIP calls. QoS stands for quality of service and these routers and switches ensures that the network prioritizes the transmission of voice data over other types of transmission like downloading or streaming.
A robust network
The effectiveness of cloud hosted phone systems depends largely on the ability of the company’s own network to facilitate it. If the company has an old and outdated network infrastructure, then it can be the cause of phone service disruption. A good SIP trunking provider can be very good but still ineffective if the network it will run through is not able to adapt. So before signing up, make sure that your network can handle the data transmission required by this type of phone service.
SIP ready phones
While most VoIP services can be accessed through the desktop or mobile device, a lot of companies still prefer to have IP phones. A lot of providers give companies the option to buy or lease phones from them that are SIP ready and are already configured for the phone system. Some companies, on the other hand, may already have their own IP phones, which they want to use on their new service. If that is also the case with your company, you have to first check if it is a SIP enabled phone as there are other services that uses a different protocol. You also have to check if that specific IP phone model is supported by your new provider and how it can be configured to the phone system.
Once you have those areas checked, you can now fully enjoy the benefits of a VoIP-enabled phone system for your company.
By Glenn Blake
