SIP Trunking

In the realm of telecommunications, SIP trunking has become one of the most talked about and fastest moving elements of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) due to the large number of benefits it offers. SIP trunking is provides a cutting-edge working environment by acting as a platform for delivering unified communications, offers centralization of lines into a business, cost-efficient calling as well as fast failover/recovery.

Unfortunately however, enterprise customers, service providers and manufacturers are beginning to learn that it is not the easiest service to implement. For starters, in regards to implementation, SIP trunks must be as clean as existing analog and digital installations. Many discover issues after hasty installations that lack careful thought for continuing service management and quality of service. Simply setting up the system, connecting the SIP trunks, and testing for dial tone is not enough. It is imperative to get the correct documentation for configuration of the PBX and session border controller/edge device in order to get SIP trunks to register and work. Moreover, without planning, testing, and monitoring the installation, you risk your SIP trunks dropping and reconnecting simultaneously, dropped calls, and poor quality. This leads to angry customers looking for answers, and their frustrations are increased when they find their service provider and installation companies failing to take ownership for the problem and instead they blame each other.

As a customer, it is important to know that there are ways to overcome these headaches prior to installation. Ask for recommendations. Do some research; look at case studies from the manufacturers and service providers – ask them about their support team, experience with installations, their solutions to any problems that have arisen, Service Level Agreements, conforming to network standards and interoperability testing. The more experience and knowledge they have, the better your chances are of finding the best provider and solution for your unique needs.

When you decide upon your solution and provider, it is important to test both in various scenarios subsequent to installation. Test your new SIP trunks in multiple call situations, such as conferencing, call transfers, etc. Test your provider’s support team at different hours of different days (for example, if you call on a Friday at 5:00pm) to gauge their knowledge level and response time.

Don’t just take my word for it – for more information on SIP trunking and how it can benefit your business give one of our professional account managers a call today!