The world of telephony and communications is changing.

Rather than relying on standard public switched telephone networks (PTSN), companies are increasingly turning to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) as the best method for accessing reliable and effective calls.

VoIP and SIP trunking allows organisations a more extensive range of options for communication, eliminating various costs, and improving the kind of quality audio and video a business can access.

The question is, what is SIP trunking, and what does it mean to your business?

What is SIP trunking?

A SIP trunk is a digital version of a traditional analogue phoneline. It eliminates the need for a physical connection to a phone company, allowing providers to connect multiple channels to the same PBX infrastructure.

SIP trunking means that companies can extend their VoIP operations beyond the typical organisational firewall while bypassing the need for PSTN-IP gateways. Although this technology is used most often for voice calls, it’s also capable of carrying other data packages, like instant messages, user presence information, emergency calls, and real-time communication services.

The underlying technology in SIP trunking is the Session Initiation Protocol. This application layer protocol establishes real-time sessions of video or audio between two endpoints. The “trunk” in SIP trunking comes from circuit-switched telecommunications, and it refers to a dedicated physical line that keeps your switching equipment connected.

What are the benefits of SIP telephony?

Now that we’ve got the SIP trunking definition out of the way, let’s take a look at why so many companies are investing in this new tech.

SIP trunks connect your company directly to the Public Telephone Network through an internet protocol or broadband link. This replaces the standard ISDN solution and helps you tap into the varied benefits of VoIP telephony.

The most significant benefits of SIP-telephony include:

• Cost savings: A traditional phone service subjects your organisation to various charges for international calls. SIP trunking provides more reliable pricing at a lower level, even if you’re connecting with people around the world. One study found that average companies switching to SIP trunking saved up to 50% each month on their bills.
• Global mobility: SIP can scale according to your needs, with numbers that reach across the globe. This means that businesses can use this technology to grow at a pace that suits them, even if their workers are connecting to trunks from remote locations around the world.
• Unified communications: Once your business comes to terms with the SIP trunking basics like IP technology and instant connectivity, it’s easy to start exploring Unified Communications too. SIP can act as a valuable gateway into unified communications, unlocking the benefits of an IP-based suite that includes instant messaging, mobility, flexible collaboration apps, and cloud-based productivity tools.
• Reduced physical infrastructure to manage: With a conventional phone service, expanding an organisation’s phone service is often challenging. You’ll often have to wait a long time for a local telecommunications company to install new phone lines. Individuals who work from home may also need additional corporate devices. With SIP, your organisation can add phone lines by connecting handsets to any data connection. You can even implement BYOD policies where workers use their own devices.
• Reliability: While conventional telephone services can quickly be interrupted by weather events and other problems, SIP trunking is a more reliable and consistent technology. With the right vendor and disaster recovery strategies in place, you can make sure that you always have a dependable way to connect with colleagues and customers via SIP trunking. Some vendors even offer things like mobile failover as a redundancy measure, which means that you can use other phones for communications if your desk phones fail.

Should you invest in SIP trunking?

As the world continues to evolve with new modes of communication and collaboration, solutions like VoIP and SIP trunking can be an excellent way to take your business to the next level. Though there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for finding the best communication plan, SIP trunking is an option that appeals to many modern businesses of all sizes.

When you have the support of the right communications team, you’ll also be able to rest assured that you’re getting the highest possible quality of voice connections. Contact Nice Network today to find out more about your SIP trunking options.