With the dramatic increase in the use of Voice over IP technology among businesses, SIP trunking has become a better option for business phone systems compared to traditional Integrated T1 lines. A SIP trunk refers to a service provided by an Internet telephony service provider, or ITSP, that allows business to use VoIP outside of the network using the Internet connection.
SIP trunks are a modern version of T1 voice channels. Before the popularity of SIP trunking, businesses bought Integrated T1’s from a telecommunication provider and connected the voice channels to a legacy PBX., or private branch exchange. These exchanges are more commonly known as telephone switches or business phone systems. Business owners can now purchase a SIP trunk through an ITSP and then connect the SIP trunk to VoIP or IP PBX.
Many business owners are currently using T1 voice channels and wondering whether SIP trunking is right for their business. SIP trunking is affordable, secure and offers a variety of features that make this technology ideal for business use. SIP trunking is competitive with integrated T1 and in many cases exceeds the features of integrated T1’s. All of these benefits help businesses operate as efficiently as possible through SIP technology. Some features of SIP trunks include: unlimited extensions, unlimited voicemail boxes, integrated overhead paging, Caller ID customization, troubleshooting and disaster recovery options, on demand conferencing, access to enhanced 911 services, directory assistance, directory listing and reduced costs. SIP trunks make an excellent platform for a variety of personalized applications and media services that can be customized to fit the needs of any business.
Not only is SIP trunking more affordable than T1 voice channels, but SIP trunking is also more secure. When SIP standards are properly implemented, eavesdroppers or wiretappers have little luck because Secure Real-time Transport Protocol, or SRTP, is used to encrypt the calls. Traditional T1 lines can be easily tapped by simply attaching a hand-held device to a line. This type of security breach would require an individual to be near the tapped line. One of the concerns that developed with the expansion of VoIP was the idea that people no longer had to be in the same location as the line in order to eavesdrop. These fears turned out to be unfounded because when the security standards of SIP are properly implemented, it is almost impossible to breach that security.
Ultimately, SIP trunk technology provides affordable services, more advanced features than T1 and better security. SIP trunking is a great option for businesses to replace outdated T1 lines and make their offices more efficient and more advanced.