How New SIP Trunks Extend Old Phone Systems

Got an old phone system you can't afford to replace just yet?

How can you take advantage of VoIP savings when upgrading your existing phone system appears to be such a complicated and expensive task?

I've run into many cases where a business has an existing PBX or Key System that they don't want to replace or perhaps they are not ready to upgrade. Changing voice or data network services can often be a challenge. Most people just want these types of things to be functional and to WORK. They want to place and receive calls reliably. They want their Internet to be fast and UP. Who doesn't? However with a knowledgeable telecom consultant, the transition from legacy, to latest-and-greatest can be much easier to deal with.

Carriers can now provide SIP trunking and Internet access over a single T1 with minimal expense. By replacing an existing Voice T1/PRI (or Integrated Access T1 ~aka~ dynamic/flex T1/PRI) with an entirely SIP enabled voice system, the total average monthly spend can be greatly reduced. Businesses can also have remote users added to the new system, as well as 'out of rate center' users because the technology is VoIP- portability of phone numbers becomes far more accessible. This feature also helps reduce internal communication costs while providing one bill across the entire enterprise.

In some cases it makes sense to have SIP trunking as a business continuity plan. If you must retain your existing TDM based phone system, SIP provides an inexpensive fail-safe option. Technologies now exist that allow you to have redundant SIP network access over traditional wireline Internet and in tandem with 4G wireless broadband. With it's failover/failback capability, the SIP connection automatically switches to a secondary wireless connection when your primary service is interrupted. Once service is restored, the connection will automatically failback to the primary connection- keeping your business online with minimal interruption.

In summary of two main solutions:

1. Individual/stand-alone SIP trunks over your existing bandwidth (aka "BYOB" Bring Your Own Bandwidth). This is the preferred option if you have a dedicated IT person or staff, and want to provide your own management from equipment to network, etc.

2. Or the carrier-managed option, which is more of a complete turn-key solution including everything needed to get up and running: SIP Trunks, IP phones, IAD (Integrated Access Device), QoS (Quality of Service) management, and of course Internet bandwidth.

With SIP trunking, you can continue to use your existing phone system, while taking the first step to achieving future unification of all your voice and data systems across all your business locations.

Choosing the Best SIP Trunking Provider

If you want SIP Trunking in place in your company for many of its benefits, you need to hire the services of an SIP provider. If you already have a PBX system installed, you might want to know that SIP trunking allows more efficient and cheaper use of your PBX. However, with the demand of this methodology, there are now a number of SIP providers all claiming to provide the best services possible. How do you look for the SIP provider to hire? Here are some practical tips you can follow:

1. Look for an SIP Trunking provider within a considerable distance from your company. When it comes to services like this, distance may make a difference especially in terms of accessibility. SIP providers within considerable distance should be able to respond to you should there be any problems.

2. Look for a provider that has significant experience. Experience in SIP is also important when choosing the right provider. This methodology can considerably be complicated especially when more complex telecommunication systems are involved. It is then imperative to choose one that have enough experience to handle your needs, no matter how complicated it can become.

3. Check for reviews, recommendations and ratings. If you know a company other than yours that has just recently installed an SIP system, ask them if they can recommend their SIP provider to you. Moreover, if you have an existing PBX or VoIP provider and you are quite happy with their services, you can ask them if they can offer you SIP Trunking as well. If they don't offer this technology yet, you can ask them for recommendations instead. It is important that you deal with a reputable company that is well-esteemed and recommended by people in the business.

4. The SIP Trunking provider must provide service that suits your company's budget. It will make sense if you only choose services that best suits your company's needs and budget. However, you must consider that SIP trunking is an investment that offers significant returns. Oftentimes in SIP services, cheap doesn't always mean best. This goes without saying that you must assess the quality of their services against their charges and rates. What you need is a company that offers value for the money you pay them.

Above all, make sure to use your intuition when choosing a good SIP provider. Do not simply rely on appealing offers that seem too difficult to resist.

This VoIP technology belongs to a group of breakthrough communication technologies available today to companies large and small. Companies like yours must take advantage of this technology that allows efficient communication lines within the company and with your clients even from the other side of the world. Choose your SIP Trunking provider well and enjoy the benefits that these telecommunications solutions can provide and more.