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Pro Tips for Selecting a Top-notch SIP Trunk Service
Updated: March 11, 2024
Today, every other business is modernizing its communication infrastructure. For instance, companies are turning to SIP trunking, which eliminates physical phone lines by enhancing virtual extensions. This service allows businesses to reach their clients and prospects through virtual dialing, which reduces costs and improves scalability. To that effect, many providers have jumped into the pool, stuffing their portfolios with technical detail.
Even as many companies swear by this service, it is easy to get lost in the promised “goodies.” This article, however, seeks to disseminate all the jargon and explain what matters most when getting such services. You can, therefore, have a short, precise, and hassle-free selection process.
Before considering the factors, you want to know how SIP trunking works and how a good service should help your business scale.
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Understanding SIP Trunking
Session initiation protocol (SIP) works at the application level to initiate, control, and terminate real-time calls and messaging. Therefore, SIP trunking connects a company’s telephony infrastructure and the public phone network. This connection comes through the internet, enabled by the SIP standard.
For instance, if you have an analog phone network, you will need a virtual extension to communicate with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). SIP trunking is a virtual connection that allows communication between a private branch exchange (PBX) and the PSTN. SIP trunking facilitates Voice over Internet Protocol, voice and video calls, instant messaging, multimedia conferencing, etc.
SIP trunking is an upgrade from an analog trunk that uses copper wires (ISDN circuits) running from the telephone company to the business. Hence, SIP trunking now eliminates on-premise ISDN circuits. As much as Primary Rate Interfaces were used in place of ISDN circuits, they provided limited scalability by allowing only 23 concurrent calls.
However, using an internet communications protocol, SIP derails analog voice technology. As such, it sits well with modern businesses by offering more flexibility and scalability. Companies also have fewer maintenance costs because of eliminating on-premise ISDN circuits and, consequently, their technical assessment.
What Matters Most When Choosing a SIP Trunking Provider?
1. Assessment of business communication needs
A SIP trunk comes with a set of channels, each of which can support an incoming and outgoing call simultaneously. You want to evaluate your business infrastructure and establish the concurrent calls you need. You will be in a good position to choose a provider of your choice.
A well-managed provider will help you estimate your call volume needs so you can choose the correct number of channels. With a SIP trunk, you can scale the number of channels up, unlike on-premise PRI services. You also want to work with an IT team to audit your communications equipment. Check whether you can easily integrate the available equipment, or you’ll have to get new ones.
2. Reliability and service uptime
How reliable is the network your provider connects you to? For maximum uptime, you’re bound to need tier-1 carriers. This eliminates future costs when routing calls to a different network. Ensure the network has redundant carriers per your region of operation. This way, your calls can be rerouted even during a disaster, an outage, or other issues.
3. Scalability for future growth
SIP trunking services enable SIP-based communication, including video and audio calls, real-time messaging, etc. It's a good thing you won’t need to conduct a complete overhaul as your communication needs change. Consider how scalable those channels are to minimize future costs when your call demands fluctuate. SIP is inherently elastic, but how much it can stretch will determine your choice of service provider. A good service provider should conveniently add or reduce connections as needed.
4. Network infrastructure and compatibility
Will your provider’s SIP trunking platform work with your existing communications setup, or will it need an overhaul? Is it easy to upgrade your systems when integrating with SIP trunking services? You want to avoid services that need intensive hardware upgrades to work with SIP trunking services. Otherwise, you would require extended downtime, effort, and money to resume business communication.
You want services compatible with all open-source PBX projects, IP PBX systems, and IP gateways.
5. Security measures and compliance
The least you want after upgrading to SIP trunking is to have your calls intercepted. This happens when the provider fails to protect your network. You want complete control over the accessibility of your SIP trunks, which come with IP authentication and encryption. An ideal partner will provide reliable Transport Layer Security (TLS) and a Real-Time transport protocol.
As such, you’ll easily abide by industry security requirements concerning safeguarding sensitive communication.
6. Quality of Service (QOS) assurance
You have every reason to avoid services that don’t prioritize high-quality communications. For instance, if your provider uses least-cost routing, you’ll have substandard voice quality and an expensive subscription. So, look to work with quality-oriented services such as tier-1 voice carriers. Your partner should provide at least one point of presence (PoP) per region to achieve call clarity and avoid latency.
7. Cost structure and pricing plans
If you’re upgrading from traditional telephone services, SIP trunking comes with a significant financial reprieve. You’ll have fewer maintenance costs because you’ll no longer need on-premise ISDN circuits. You’ll also spare the fees you’d make on technical visits and assessments of equipment supporting traditional communication.
On a different note, expensive doesn’t mean high quality when choosing a SIP provider. Instead, focus on the services you need and how the provider charges. A good provider will be transparent with the pricing structure right from the onset and not have any hidden costs. Also, look for the pay-as-you-go plan to avoid paying for services you won’t use.
8. Support and Service Level Agreements (SLA)
Will your provider come in during emergencies? Do they have an established policy to solve issues promptly as they arise? Right from the beginning, your provider should walk you through choosing the proper channels and explain their services precisely and clearly. Also, they will listen to your needs and provide the most consistent services.
Seek a full-fledged understanding of a provider’s contractual terms. This will reveal their cancellation policies and how far their services stretch.
9. Global reach and international connectivity
Does your provider facilitate both outbound and inbound calls? To have such services, a provider will empower you to expand your VoIP without seeking out new local carriers. As such, your services can be accessed globally with the help of local numbers across different countries. This helps reduce the call's distance, hence retaining the call quality.
Businesses can establish codes for their local clients in their regions of operation. Alternatively, virtual mobile number services (direct inward dialing) and toll-free or national numbers can be used.
10. Number portability and flexibility
If you keep changing your business numbers, you’ll keep losing clients. So, a provider will facilitate number portability by ensuring you don’t have to change it whenever you need to shift SIP services. Since the market keeps fluctuating, SIP trunking services should accommodate your communication changes. As such, your provider should facilitate adding and removing channels and features at little to no cost.
11. Reviews and testimonials
Research what businesses say about the provider you’re eyeing. Look into their views about the provider’s quality of service, service level agreements, and issue resolution promptness. How is the provider’s support system designed in case of emergencies? You also want to ensure they employ a reliable communication network that is less susceptible to breaches.
12. Disaster recovery and redundancy
An ideal provider will ensure your calls can be routed even during disasters, power outages, and network failures. Their services should demonstrate vigilance for unforeseen disruptions to reduce downtime.
13. Interoperability with PBX systems
Your prospective provider should facilitate interoperability with your existing infrastructure. To establish seamless connectivity between SIP and your existing infrastructure, your provider should use IP-PBXs and soft switches. Interoperability with PBX systems will save you from buying new technology systems or intensive, expensive upgrades.
14. Future-proofing
You want futuristic SIP trunking services in a constantly changing communications era. So, ensure that your SIP services accommodate future communication trends and support emerging technology.
With this, you can remain hawk-eyed for any communication trends, make upgrades, and keep your business ahead. Besides, such upgrades will cost way less than complete equipment replacements.
Conclusion
So far, we hope this guide will help you narrow down your search for SIP trunking services. If you’re just starting, price is an important aspect to consider. Hence, you want to determine what your business needs most to thrive and sideline it for later. Besides, there’s no one best service provider because needs tend to differ from one company to another. So, the first step should be assessing these needs and choosing accordingly.
While you may want to avoid overspending, an investment will only be worthwhile if it helps scale your business. So, take into consideration the above aspects. Ask all the necessary questions. You can also read our reviews, explore our blog posts, and use our comparison tool to find the best provider for your business.