SIP Trunking

Dear Metro,

Can you explain SIP trunking? I have having trouble grasping the concept and seeing the value for my business.

Sandra S.

Dear Sandra,

Technology have evolved to a highly complex state--and that is why there are IT and voice services companies ready and able to make your business run more smoothly, and let you get back to what you do best!

However, it is important before you incorporate these new technologies into your business that you understand the basics and what the ROI is for you. SIP trunking is one of those things that can be very valuable to a business.

So, to your question: What is SIP trunking? SIP stand for Session Initiation Protocol which is a signalling protocol used for establishing sessions within an IP network. A session could simply be a two-way telephone call or it could be a huge multi-media conference session in several locations. Having the ability to establish these sessions means that a collection of very useful services become possible for the business.

Now, SIP Trunking is the use of voice over IP (VoIP) to connect a private branch exchange (PBX) to the Internet. Essentially, this means that the Internet replaces the conventional telephone trunk, (a trunk is a line or link that can carry many signals at once in a communications system) allowing a business to communicate with both fixed and mobile telephone subscribers around the world. This facilitates the connection and easy access to clients, vendors, partners, etc.

For you to be able to take advantage of SIP trunking, your business must have a PBX (private branch exchange) that connects to all internal end-users, an Internet telephony service provider (ITSP) and a gateway that serves as the interface between the PBX and the ITSP.

One of the most useful benefits of SIP trunking is its ability to combine data, voice and video in a single line, eliminating the need for separate physical media for each mode. This saves money and increases the reliability of your communication systems.

For more information on SIP Trunking and how it can help your business, call a CNSG SIP expert at 1.866.738.1662.

Metro
The IT Guy