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SIP Trunks are the New Business VoIP Solution
First off, what the heck is a SIP trunk anway? (click on the link to see the SIP entry in our VoIP Dictionary ). SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol and, in simple terms (we don't want to confuse you so soon in the conversation!), has emerged as the industry signaling standard for transmitting real time communications, including VoIP, over IP networks. SIP is also an "open" standard, which means its "DNA blueprint" is available to all service providers allowing them to build their hardware and software infrastructure according to the SIP standard. This is important because it allows various IP PBX manufacturers equipment to operate seamlessly (in theory, anyway) with any SIP trunk service providers circuits. Sidebar: Since the SIP marketplace and its major players is still so new, many second-tier (read non-brand name)vendors equipment still has never been tested on certain SIP carriers networks before, so don't be surprised if interoperability with some products isn't as perfect a panacea as some SIP providers claim. SIP Trunks, the New Voice and Data T1s All in One!  Historically, most small businesses, at least ones for which a high speed DSL Internet connect and a handful of analog phone lines from the local telco are not enough, have to choose a voice T1 (23 voice channels + 1 data channel) from the local phone company to connect to their PBX phone system and a data/Internet T1 (1.544 Mbps bandwidth) from another CLEC or ISP to connect to their Internet router. This often means more hassle, multiple service providers, multiple bills, multiple customer service calls, higher combined costs, and limited flexibility (many offices don't need all 23 voice lines, and end up over-paying for unused services because they may only require 15, 18, 21 lines, for example). It hasn't been until the last five years or so that certain telecommunications service providers have started to make available SIP trunks, which are defined as IP circuits that dynamically allocate bandwidth for both voice calls and data/Internet connectivity over the same connection. In other words, one circuit, and one service provider, delivers all of a small business' communication needs. For less than $500 per month on average (less than the average cost of a T1 in certain markets), commonly bundled SIP trunk features include: - Unlimited local calling - Blocks of long distance minutes - Toll free numbers - DID numbers (direct inward dialing) - T1 (1.544 Mbps) level Internet/data bandwidth - Web hosting - Firewall security - Conference Calling - Calling Card - Voicemail - Caller ID
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