The Pros and Cons of SIP Trunking
July 24, 2018
Category: Phone Systems
SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, is the standard communications protocol for voice and video across a data network. The SIP trunk replaces the need for traditional analog and T1 (PRI) based telephone network connections with termination provided over a company’s public or private Internet connection via their SIP provider.
SIP trunking is a virtual phone service utilizing a broadband access connection. It can offer flexibility and cost savings solutions to businesses of all size, whether you are a small business who is looking for VoIP or a mid-sized business looking for community, disaster recovery, or unlimited calling plans. As you can consider whether SIP trunking is right for your business, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the solution.
Pros
The pros of SIP trunking include:
- It can be cheaper than a traditional full hosted voice system on a monthly cost basis.
- You can limit how many simultaneous calls you can make at once (i.e. one or ten) to prevent overcrowding on the phone.
- In case your phone system breaks, you can forward one or multiple numbers to cell phones so incoming phone calls are still received and answered.
- If your organization has multiple locations, having one centralized system on a private network can be much more convenient.
Cons
Although SIP trunking offers many positives, it also comes with a few drawbacks:
- The SIP trunk is provided by phone system provider, and the phone system is by phone provider. If something goes wrong and an issue needs to be resolved, there’s a lot of finger pointing between these two providers.
- Some phone system vendors charge maintenance fees monthly, which could lead to higher spending.
- The initial upfront costs of buying and implementing the SIP trunk can be higher than other solutions because you have to buy all of the phone equipment up front.
- Because SIP trunking centralizes all of your information, it means it’s easier for a hacker to obtain it in the event of a data breach.
Final Thoughts
In the end, every business is different: some may benefit from SIP trunking while others should use a different solution. If you are interested in learning more about SIP trunking or any of our other communications systems, contact us today.
