What Is SIP Trunking? Features & Benefits Small Businesses Need

SIP trunking gives small business owners a way to slash their communication costs without having to invest in expensive hardware. All you need to get started is a high-speed internet connection and a device to access the technology. Small businesses often rely on their existing PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones to use their SIP system. With the right platform provider, you’ll only pay for the SIP trunking features you need. You can add or eliminate the number of active users on your account in a fully automated, self-service environment.

SIP trunking isn’t a novel concept. The technology has been a vital component of seamless connectivity for decades. Although conversations about the virtues of SIP trunking were once relatively uncommon, our collective embrace of cloud-hosted communication has flipped the script and brought SIP trunking center stage. As a small business owner, it’s worth investigating what SIP trunking is, how it works, and why many companies find SIP trunk features so impactful.

Why the Demand for SIP Trunking Features Has Steadily Increased

Many small business owners were initially pleased with the results of investing in video conferencing platforms, text messaging services, and remote file-sharing software. However, this satisfaction only lasted when they considered the technology a temporary workaround. 

Today, many are struggling under the weight of paying for legacy phone service in addition to digital solutions they still need to stay competitive. Not only are their expenses getting out of hand, but the obstacles created using incompatible technologies are hampering workplace efficiency and overall productivity. SIP trunking solves these problems.

With a stable internet connection, SIP trunking facilitates the simultaneous transmission of multiple media types by bridging the disconnect between analog voice communication and digital technologies. 

Connecting existing systems and modern technologies helps small business owners slash their communication costs and optimize efficiency by reducing or eliminating their reliance on the aging legacy hardware connecting their private branch exchange (PBX) to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). In other words, they’re using SIP trunking features to create a cost-effective, scalable, unified solution.

Technology Overview: Exploring What SIP Trunking Is and How It Works

Session initiation protocol (SIP) is a signaling mechanism used worldwide for real-time communication transmitted over the internet. Developed in 1996 and standardized in 1999, the protocol initiates, maintains, and terminates virtual connections between digital devices by providing the building blocks (primitives) needed to implement multiple communication services. Even online gaming wouldn’t be the same without it.

SIP trunking relies on channels, or SIP trunks, to form virtual pathways that transport digital packets. Businesses can communicate using any combination of compressed voice, video, and data signals between two or more connected devices. Since the pathways created are virtual rather than physical, small business owners have several ways to utilize the many SIP trunking features and benefits to their advantage.

An Internet Connection and Softphone App

Small businesses and startups operating without a dedicated phone system can make and receive calls over the Internet without purchasing costly hardware. Instead, they can install a softphone app on their PCs, smartphones, and devices. With the right software, incoming calls can be directed by virtual auto attendants, placed on hold, transferred between colleagues, forwarded to voicemail, and more.

An Internet Connection and Legacy Phone System

The best SIP trunk platforms are compatible with all major IP PBX, IP Gateways, and open-source PBX projects. As a small business owner, you can take advantage of the cost-effective nature of SIP trunking by connecting your legacy phone system to the internet with a voice over internet (VoIP) gateway or analog-to-telephone adaptors (ATAs). An adapter can handle up to 24 analog ports.  

An Internet Connection and Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a powerful communication and collaboration platform designed to work seamlessly with other Microsoft applications, including One Drive, Outlook Calendars, and Microsoft To Do. Integrating SIP trunks into the platform takes Teams’ voice capabilities to the next level by enabling an impressive number of enterprise voice features and the ability to connect with landlines and cellphones.

Features & Benefits: Why SIP Trunking Is the Solution Small Businesses Need

Small business owners paying for legacy phone service rely on a complex physical “trunk” of cables and copper wire to connect incoming and outbound calls. Each circuit assigned to the business simultaneously supports 23 calls and a single data channel. As their need for connectivity increases with business growth, they’ll have to pay a technician to install additional circuits while absorbing the cost of repairing or replacing loose connections, aging wires, and outdated hardware.

A monthly invoice reflects charges for lines no longer in use and services you seldom need. With SIP trunking, you pay only for the services you need when you need them and can add (or remove) end users from your account from a self-service control panel. In addition to providing the flexibility and scalability required to further reduce your expenses, there are several other SIP trunking features and benefits that make your decision to modernize even more impactful.

More Efficient Collaboration

A single SIP trunking session can contain any combination of digital media. Plus, your employees are logging into a cost-effective business communication solution that allows them to connect with anyone on their contact list individually or in group sessions through a real-time network that’s always available. Efficiency improves because there’s no time lost to logging in and out of multiple applications.

Predictable Monthly Charges

With legacy phone service, you don’t know how much you’ll pay until the end of each billing cycle because long-distance fees and directory assistance surcharges are separate expenses. With SIP trunking, budgeting for communication is easier because most calls made to the US48 and Canada are included in your service. You can review all Call Data Records (CDRs) in real time.

Widespread DID Coverage

Direct Inward Dialing (DID) gives your small business a local presence in a specific market without having an office in that vicinity. Most DID numbers can be provisioned in minutes, and the feature ensures rapid connections and communication efficiency. Some SIP trunking service providers also offer Nomadic e911 capabilities to DID numbers assigned to USPS-verified addresses.  

A Comprehensive List of Add-On Features

With a modern platform, you choose the best combination of SIP trunking features for your business. With the right provider, you’ll have the option of selecting any add-on features you need to support your company, including an international calling plan, business texting, fax-to-email, and fax DID. With a dedicated fax DID, you’re assured optimal deliverability rates and a portal view of all faxes sent and received.  

Service Reliability and Disaster Recovery

SIP trunking requires a power supply and internet service. Top-tier SIP trunking providers leverage the geo-redundancy built into their network to ensure uninterrupted connectivity (99.99% uptime or better) during internet outages, power outages, and gateway failures. Potential threats are detected in milliseconds, and “standby” services take over as needed. If your primary connection fails for any reason, incoming calls are quickly routed to an alternative number.

Discover How Your Small Business Can Benefit from the Features of SIP Trunking

SIP trunking helps small business owners save time and money by providing a cost-effective way to streamline communication. As a SIP trunking subscriber, you don’t need costly hardware to benefit from SIP trunking features. Your team has everything needed for efficient communication and collaboration from a user-friendly interface. Discover the advantages of using SIP trunking to make and receive calls over the internet by finding the right platform.

At SIP.US, we provide SIP trunking service for IP-PBX systems and analog/digital gateways. We offer a Tier 1 network, consistently provide exemplary service, and protect your business with an automated system that detects and deters suspicious activity. Get started today to experience the benefits of SIP trunking through a free, no-obligation trial from a platform that integrates seamlessly with your legacy system.