Companies wanting to adopt VoIP have two main choices: hosted VoIP and SIP Trunking. There are many great reasons why they should choose SIP Trunking. Many people have only a limited understanding of SIP Trunks though. What are they exactly? In some ways it is easy to think of them as comparable to old PRI lines, except that SIP is delivered over the internet rather than copper wires. How should you go about implement SIP though? Here are some simple steps you should take ahead of time to deploy SIP Trunks.
SIP Trunking Deployment
Not only do you have to select a provider to deploy your SIP Trunks, but you also have to evaluate your existing infrastructure. While it’s a simple process in theory, every business is different and you have to take into account different variables such as average bandwidth, peak traffic, and your existing equipment. Here’s exactly what you need to take into account when you deploy SIP Trunks:
Your Existing Network
Since you are bringing voice calling to your data network, you need to ascertain if your current internet can handle the additional traffic. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and you will need to upgrade your capacity to facilitate voice traffic.
Your Equipment and Hardware
You also need to consider your equipment, such as your current PBX system and phones. Do they need to be upgraded to be compatible with SIP? Not always. For example, you can often add SIP if you are currently using non-IP or digital PBX systems. This is a great option because it leverages your existing infrastructure.
Who You Want as a Provider
When choosing a provider, you need to take into account more than just their price. You should also consider their technical and customer support, industry experience, and customer testimonials. While cost is important, choosing an inferior provider will do nothing but cause you headaches.
If you have any questions regarding SIP Trunking, please contact Intuity today at (800) 811-1086. Please feel free to also follow us on Twitter.