SIP Trunk is the latest revolution in the area of business communications. However, what are SIP services, how do they work, what can we expect from them?
We are going to explain some of the aspects to take into account about this service, we will examine what is a SIP Trunk or SIP Trunking, its advantages, its functionalities…
What is a SIP Trunk?
SIP is the way in which telephone calls are made over IP (VoIP). It is an application layer protocol for real-time audio and/or video sessions between two points. In short, it is a technology that originates, maintains, modifies and terminates call sessions over the internet.
Basically, SIP trunks are a virtual version of analogue telephone lines. They are used by virtual switchboards (PBX) in which a VoIP provider connects one or more channels to it, which allows us to make calls, whether local, international… through the internet. SIP trunks use a packet-switched network in which voice calls are split into digital packets and sent over the network to their final destination.
Each trunk supports SIP channels. We define channel as an incoming or outgoing call. A SIP Trunk can have a fixed or unlimited number of channels, so a company only needs one trunk, no matter how many calls its employees make. The end user of the SIP Trunk can purchase exactly the number of SIP channels they need and can increase or decrease the number at any time, saving money by not having to maintain a larger number of channels if they are not needed.
What are the advantages of SIP Trunking?
The biggest advantage of using SIP trunking is that it is cost effective and practical. Secondly, SIP channels are deployed based on actual service usage. This is especially important for any type of company, from start-ups to multinationals as it evolves and grows with the company.
It is also flexible and easy to scale. It allows an unlimited number of SIP channels per trunk, requires no installation or physical configuration, so we can eliminate the cost of maintenance and hardware. We can even have new trunks or channels up and running in a matter of minutes.
In terms of cost, companies will gain the advantages of cloud functionality. Trunks have disaster recovery and alternate routing scenarios available in the event of an outage.
By using IP telephony, excellent call quality can be achieved with a reliable Internet connection and the right telecom operator. In most cases, the quality of SIP calls will be better than traditional calls since we have the possibility to apply and update codecs and adjust the bandwidth to ensure voice quality at all times.
In addition, SIP trunks remove location-based restrictions on telecommunications, which means that users can acquire any number, regardless of their location. In addition, SIP trunks are not tied to a location, meaning that businesses can move their offices without having to change phone numbers.