How businesses can take the next step in their SIP trunking journey

All businesses are the same, but also different. They face broadly similar challenges – reduce costs, increase profitability, win more customers, manage growth in increasingly uncertain market conditions – but the solutions to those challenges will differ depending on the size, location, industry and objectives of the individual business.

Similarly, while digital transformation is something all businesses must address, how they do it will vary. A retailer will use technology to get closer to its customers in a very different way to a university, for example.

What they all have in common is the need to communicate well. So how do businesses identify which technology on the market is best suited to their individual needs?

SIP Trunking is a tool…

And like any tool, it has a variety of applications. SIP trunking can provide flexibility, scalability and resilience. Some businesses will use SIP solely for voice communications, others will use it in a wider voice and data context. It can be used for business continuity planning, enabling real-time collaborative applications, or to support either hosted or cloud-based telephony solutions. Businesses can utilise SIP trunking in different ways, and providers’ offerings will be different too.

As such, the range of benefits each business expects from SIP will differ. For some, the real draw will be the replacement of traditional ISDN and inherent inflexibility of voice infrastructure across multiple sites. SIP allows much greater flexibility and control over functionality for administrators.

For others, the in-built resiliency features offering business continuity as standard will be appealing. In many cases, simply being able to reduce costs per channel, rationalise lines and make additional savings on ongoing call charges will offer a driver for change.

What’s more, when delivered over Broadband or Gamma Ethernet, SIP trunking can provide a high-quality voice and data service from just one connection, making for significant cost savings and giving access to the cloud-based platforms that form the backbone of any digital transformation strategy. With most businesses now consuming critical applications in the cloud, truly powerful connectivity is essential.Not all SIP is the same

Just as no two businesses have the exact same requirements, SIP trunking is not a unified technology. Different suppliers will provide contrasting solutions geared towards unique business needs, including the applications they offer that operate on top of SIP (i.e. cloud-based numbering services, or inbound call control).

So, businesses need to do a bit of homework before looking for suppliers. Consider the size of your organisation, your growth aspirations, your challenges and opportunities, how you work currently – your existing infrastructure, your customer experience and disaster recovery provision – and how you would like that to change in the future.

Doing this means that you’ll have a concrete idea of your requirements when you go looking for suppliers. And it will be much easier to find someone that has everything you need. Crucially, it also means you can avoid suppliers or solutions that offer things you don’t need. A great potential provider will work hard to understand your organisation and suggest something that aligns perfectly with your goals.

No matter what kind of organisation you are a part of, there is a SIP solution that will help you grow your business, reduce costs and pursue your digital transformation strategy. The next step on your SIP journey is to find the right one for you.

For more advice on how SIP trunking could elevate your digital transformation projects, download our eGuide