Expert explains SIP VoIP solution benefits

Many small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) could significantly lower their costs by investing in a Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) VoIP solution, according to an expert.

Susan J Campbell, a contributing editor on TMCnet, believes that because telecom technologies are advancing, they are becoming more affordable for SMBs, which no longer need to rely on legacy systems.

The main benefit of a SIP VoIP solution is that it can be "extremely cheap", even as little as a fraction of a penny per minute.

And the technology can provide extra functionality to SMBs' phone systems, meaning they can have the sophistication of larger companies.

"As more companies are understanding SIP and tuning to this technology, the average cost to make a call is dropping," wrote Ms Campbell.

"Not only does SIP offer the ability to make a cheaper call, the new SIP-enabled phone systems offer much more flexibility and robust features than ever before, which levels the playing field between big and small companies."

According to a recent survey by solutions provider Interactive Intelligence, 87 per cent of businesses are aiming to invest in Unified Communications, with VoIP and SIP driving the trend.