Many businesses are considering moving from their expensive analog lines to SIP Trunking. For nearly all companies, this is a smart decision. Nevertheless, it can prove confusing at first to understand the technology and what is required from you when making the change. When making any large changes, you need to plan accordingly. With SIP Trunks, you don’t have to buy a large number of lines that you don’t need. Instead, you can purchase as little as one SIP Trunk if that is all your business requires. Here is how to determine how many your business needs:
Usage Report
Your first step should be to contact your current provider and get a usage report. While these can be a little unreliable if they are based on analog use, they are still a useful place to begin. A usage report can help you understand how many calls you are taking and making over a typical month.
Another helpful way to determine this is by calculating the number of employees you have and using the 3:1 model. You use this model because it is unlikely that every employee will be on the phone all at the same time. The number of SIP Trunks you need also depends on the nature of your business. For larger companies, the 3:1 ratio may not prove accurate. It is a good idea to converse with your SIP provider, as they can help you make the right choice.
Bandwidth Requirements
As you use the internet to make SIP calls, you also need to determine the proper amount of bandwidth you need. Sometimes, it can be challenging to settle on the right amount. You need to consider compression technology, network protocols, and packet overhead. Since this may sound confusing, it is recommended that you work closely with your provider to ascertain your needs. This is extremely important, because if you don’t have enough bandwidth, you will experience technical issues.
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.