What the Heck is SIP Trunking Anyways & Why Should I Care?

February 4th, 2016 by admin

When you’re a multi-site organization, struggling to unify your phone communications is normal. SIP trunks can make your phone system more reliable and collaborative through an IP-based network. By 2017, the IHS predicts that 62% of enterprises in North America will use SIP trunks to create more flexible, reliable and efficient phone systems. SIP (Session-Initiation Protocol) trunking uses the internet to connect your phone system to the PSTN (phone network). This eliminates the need for traditional telephone trunks and a local service provider. SIP unifies your communications by bringing access to features like telephony, instant messaging, video conferencing and presence. Virtually any PBX can use SIP trunks, simply by using an internet telephony service provider. ....

SIP trunking can move the needle in your organization in 3 major ways:

1. Cost-efficiency of using SIP Trunks

The basic concept of SIP trunks is to simplify your voice and data networks into one network, which naturally results in cost efficiency. Multi-site organizations can save up to 50% on their voice expenses due to the ability to make long-distance calls on local-call prices. Additionally, you save money from the flexibility of SIP trunks. You can scale your system in any number of lines, rather than in sets of 12 or 23 like in traditional PRIs, so that you only pay for the number of lines you actually need!

2. Customization of Calling

SIP trunking allows you to own phone numbers outside your local area no matter where you are physically located, which may strongly influence the productivity of your organization. Some research suggests that 57.5% more calls are answered when the calling phone has a local area code, making your phone communications more efficient and effective after the implementation of SIP trunks. Additionally, SIP trunking is popular for its excellent call forwarding functions. There's no need to worry when phones are unavailable since a customized back-up strategy ensures that calls are forwarded to the appropriate locations.

3. Fewer Dropped Calls

Sometimes technology fails. Having a backup site is vital to keeping your clients trust and maintaining satisfaction. If a local site is down, calls can be automatically directed to another site or our colocation facility so that you never miss important calls – even during unanticipated technology failures.

End Result: Greater trust in your phone system

A “virtual” phone system makes it easy to resolve malfunctions – problems in software are faster to find and fix, system checks are simple, and adding/removing lines is a breeze. SIP still remains an affordable, cost-efficient solution that stresses the theme of only paying for what your organization needs in a phone system. Simplicity saves you money while the ability to collaborate and unify your voice communications can take your organization's efficiency to a whole other level.

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SIP trunking in action for National Nurses United

National Nurses United is the U.S.’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses consisting of thousands of nurses in every state. Unifying their phone lines was crucial, not only to make it easier to reach members, but also to simplify internal communications. SIP trunks let their nurses communicate across the U.S. without worrying about the cost or call quality. Members do not have to worry about dialing long distance, since they can dial into a local phone number, regardless of where the nurse is located. In such a large and dispersed organization, voice communications can get complicated unbelievably quickly, but SIP trunks created a streamlined and affordable structure that is easy to maintain. ... ... SIP trunks are useful to almost any organization looking to manage their call flow, improve the dependability of their voice systems and optimize their voice spending. If you’re part of a multi-site organization, easing into unified communications can eliminate several pain-staking problems you may experience while using a traditional phone system. ProTelesis has helped hundreds of organizations assess and improve their unique telecommunications issues. Our experts will design a custom solution to your communication system that will make a material difference in your organization. Give us a call at 888-340-9835 to receive more detail on how SIP works and how it can simplify your IT and generate enhanced productivity. white space