SIP Trunking: What It Is and Why You Should Use It

A growing number of businesses choose VoIP telephony over POTS (plain old telephone service) because of its cost-effectiveness and scalability.

Although the VoIP vertical is still maturing in the U.S., it’s exceeded growth projections by 50% for the last two years in a row. Analysts forecast that the deployment of SIP trunk solutions that manage VoIP calls will continue to outpace all other IT deployment types throughout 2020.

Businessman using SIP trunking system

A growing number of business leaders recognize the benefit using SIP trunking to complement other internet-based tools. By deploying SIP trunking for your telephony needs, you can take advantage of a broad range of innovative services and software.

SIP Trunking: The Basics

A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunk replaces the Public Switched Telephony Network (PSTN) used for traditional phone service. The SIP trunk serves as the foundation for commercial-grade voice communication over internet protocol (VoIP).

Using VoIP service routed through a SIP trunk line, you can manage all your organizational communication effectively. Just as with a traditional phone system, you’ll use a private branch exchange (PBX) system to manage telephony traffic.

The two protocols, POTS and VoIP, work seamlessly together. With a VoIP system, your business can send and receive calls, whether the calls originate or terminate with landlines or internet-based services.

SIP trunking eliminates the need for technicians to install massive bundles of physical wires to deliver phone service. Also, it eradicates the need for separate lines for each company phone number and your internet service.

With SIP trunking, your route all video, data and voice communication through a single line. Then, you’ll direct your calls using a VoIP gateway.

Resultantly, it costs considerably less to deploy and maintain SIP service equipment. SIP trunking also enables you to protect your communications with enterprise-level encryption.

What SIP Trunking Can Do for Your Business

VoIP technology saves businesses money upfront and over time. SIP trunking service quality parallels that of traditional phone lines without bulky equipment or ongoing, expensive maintenance costs.

SIP trunking eliminates the need for a great deal of hardware compared to traditional telephony service. Today, SIP trunking replaces bulky components, and VoIP service providers are taking over the deployment of Private Branch Exchange (PBX) services.

Today, VoIP service providers do the heavy lifting when it comes to technical support for telephony service. Vendor supported technology saves organizations time and money.

Furthermore, SIP trunking eliminates hefty long-distance charges. Resultantly, long-distance calls made over SIP trunks costs much less than those made over traditional phone lines. When using SIP trunking, all calls are local. By using local area codes with your VoIP system, you’ll save money and build trust with your customers.

Finally, as your business grows, sip trunking eliminates the need to buy new equipment to support higher call volume. Instead, you can simply contact your VoIP service provider and purchase a larger subscription plan.

Businesswoman using VoIP and SIP trunking

Determining Your Telephony Needs

Choosing the right SIP plan is all about bandwidth. VoIP providers offer subscription packages for everything from businesses that receive occasional calls to high-volume call centers and everything in between. VoIP vendors can also provide you with the right combination of add-ons to make sure that your organization has all the communications tools needed for optimal productivity.

As a business owner, your primary responsibility when deploying VoIP technology is ensuring that your internet service plan has enough bandwidth to handle your needs. Also, you’ll need to make sure that your equipment has enough features to support employee workflows.

Sometimes, distinguishing your bandwidth and equipment needs isn’t always straightforward. Resultantly, it’s vital that you partner with an experienced VoIP provider that can walk you through the process.

As more businesses recognize the benefits of choosing VoIP over traditional phone lines, the use of internet-based telephony will continue to skyrocket.

SIP trunking is a natural complement to many of today’s cloud-based applications. By taking advantage of VoIP technology, you can prepare your business for sustainable growth.