SIP trunking 'offers numerous benefits'

Many businesses could stand to benefit from opting for SIP trunks as their primary telecommunications solution, it has been stated.

The VoIP technology replaces a traditional telephone system and ISDN30 infrastructure - which enables businesses to make many simultaneous calls - with internet-based tools that deliver connectivity via broadband.

Businesses that adopt these solutions will find they have several positive factors that could make them useful for enterprise use, one expert explained.

Greg Eaton, head of product and IT at Arrow Communications, said one of the key benefits of SIP trunking technology is more flexible numbering, which can be hugely beneficial to companies wishing to appear that that are calling locally.

"If you have got a telemarketing or a call centre making calls on your behalf, you might want to make it actually look like the call is coming from your local depot rather than a central location where someone might not recognise," he suggested as one use for this.

Another plus point is making it easier when a business moves to a new office. If they are using traditional telephony services, they will lose all of their inbound numbers if they relocate to a new exchange area.

This could result in a great deal of hassle, as they will have to update contact details on items such as business cards, as well as inform customers of the new numbers.

However, Mr Eaton explained that by using SIP channels, a firm can keep all of its existing numbers, which will save time and effort that could be better spent elsewhere.

It also offers other advantages such as disaster recovery, which could be useful to larger firms operating from multiple sites.

Mr Eaton stated if one location has to shut down for any reasons, calls can still be routed to another site via the VoIP network and therefore continue operating.

The expert concluded that SIP trunking is a "cost effective replacement" for traditional phone services that can help make it easier to keep an enterprise running smoothly.

Recently, Telappliant's business sales manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Tom Dobson explained the flexibility businesses can gain from VoIP solutions is increasingly appealing to companies, which is driving demand for the technology.