The dated Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), comprised of various types of analog lines, is quickly phasing out in favor of more modern and flexible SIP trunks. Many of these PSTN runs are composed of deteriorating copper lines, and are being replaced by the expansion of fiber to the home and business fiber broadband.
What is a SIP Trunk?
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking has increased by 62% from 2015 to 2018, concentrated primarily in North America. A SIP trunk is traditionally delivered by an internet service provider (ISP). These lines are usually not physical lines, but rather a service provided over the internet. Most SIP services are also delivered at better rates than PSTN providers.
Using the standard SIP protocol, one or more channels are connected to your PBX. Your PBX is configured to route DIDs and phone numbers. In many situations, your current office number can be ported to the SIP trunk. (A PBX is the private branch exchange; the computer and/or software that routes calls through your internet-based phone service)
What are the benefits of SIP Trunking?
- Lower monthly fees for lines and services
- Lower call charges by using IP telephony and software
- Mobility and flexibility: office calls available on your cell, visual voicemail and more!
- Access to newest communication tools for productivity and collaboration
- Virtual location instead of physical – phone service is not tied to your physical address
How do I get started?
Contact ITS. Our technicians start with helping you identify your ISP options and SIP trunk availability. We then discuss your office services, communication style, and employee needs to help you define your PBX needs. The PBX product that we use in our office, and recommend to our clients, is 3CX.
Within the discussion about your ISP options, we will discuss the amount of bandwidth available at your physical location. Modern firewalls are able to support multiple internet connections, and many businesses choose to purchase a primary and secondary internet connection. When paired with an intelligent firewall, cutover during an internet outage is automated and downtime in IP phone and office data services is typically unnoticed. Many modern firewalls also allow you to enforce QoS (Quality of Service) rules to your phone traffic across your network; this ensures that your phone calls are as crisp and clear as possible.
Why 3CX?
3CX is a 100% channel company, so all 3CX sales are routed through trained and certified partners, like ITS. The solution is engineered and installed by ITS, as well as the initial training.
Our office adoption of 3CX allowed us to substantially lower our monthly telco bills. The iOS app also provides instant connections to our offsite technicians through their internal phone extensions, and the presence tools allow us to see where technicians are physically located and whether they are available for a phone call or to be dispatched.
Some of our favorite features include:
- Integration with existing business apps
- Low-cost server requirements
- Easy to provision new phones/extensions
- Easy to change greetings and office hours/holiday hours
- Fault tolerance via easy backup
- Can coordinate with LDAP and Active Directory
- Can coordinate with CRM solutions
3CX has been a great solution for our office and our numerous 3CX installs. Contact ITS for a demo or free trial, or to get started on your IP phone project.