You might always seek ways to cut costs and reprioritise spending as a business owner. With all the services you are entrusted with managing (trade services, delivery services, payroll services, etc.), it is understandable that you lack knowledge of each industry. And it is not possible to have knowledge of everything, for obvious reasons we are not “Google”. There are people who are benefitting from SIP trunks to save money. If you too are looking for something of that similar budget friendly arrangement, you can look for various packages from Spectra.
Below is an overview of SIP trunking and how it works.
What is a SIP trunk?
Session Initiation Protocol, or SIP, is a way to make Voice over IP (VoIP) calls. It is an application layer protocol for establishing real-time audio and/or video sessions between two endpoints (phones). Simply put, SIP is a technology that creates, modifies, and terminates sessions with one or more parties over her IP network, whether a two-way conversation or a multi-party conference call. Is.
How does SIP trunking work?
A SIP trunk represents an analog phone line at a virtual level. SIP providers can use SIP trunks to connect 1, 2, or 20 channels to your PBX so you can make local, long-distance, and international calls over the Internet. If you have a local PBX in your office, you can connect to your SIP trunk provider and make outbound calls on your existing system with unlimited simultaneous calls.
What is a SIP Provider?
The term “SIP provider” comes from “SIP trunking”, a service that allows a company to connect its in-house IP PBX system to its PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). When evaluating a SIP provider, you should:
- See if you can add and remove the SIP trunks based on scalability and growing needs.
- Find out what a failover system can do in the event of a power or network failure at your site.
- Check to see if your provider offers number porting for existing phone numbers you may already have.
Benefits of SIP Trunking:
SIP trunking offers many benefits to businesses of all sizes. The advantages of SIP trunking are:
- Reliability
- Saving measures
- Scalability
- Reduced maintenance costs
- Ability to use your existing phone system
Spectra can help you meet SIP trunk requirements through its managed network services.
You might wonder how managed network services are related to SIP trunk.
There are various ways if you desire to connect to the Internet, each of which affects voice traffic. SIP trunks can leverage existing WAN services or dedicated WAN connections or even the public internet. So it is essential to understand how your choice of WAN technology can affect SIP trunk functionality. We’ll understand more in detail in a bit. But first let us introduce you to managed network services.
What are managed network services?
The simple agenda of outsourcing is to be operated remotely, monitored and maintained by a managed service provider (MSP). Managed network services include networking applications, services, and functions that organisations or enterprises outsource. Managed network services range from basic network access & transport services like traditional leased WAN and LAN lines to newer software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) connections & virtual network services. Beyond network access and transport services, the wide variety of managed services includes WAN optimisation, unified messaging, network administration, managed security firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs).
Managed service providers range in size from small niche service providers to large traditional national and global telecommunications providers. MSPs host managed enterprise network services in their own data centres and facilities, where they can also host virtual network functions. MSPs typically offer managed network services to their customers with service level agreements (SLAs). An SLA is a contractual agreement that specifies the performance and quality metrics by which managed services are provided.
Benefits of Managed Network Services
MSPs can handle corporate network issues such as integration, troubleshooting, technical support, and policy settings. Due to limited in-house IT capacity and staff, small businesses often contract with MSPs and see managed network services as a way to gain IT and network expertise without adding staff. Managed network services are also viable for companies interested in trying out new technologies but do not trust the risks and complexities involved.
Managed network services also free up your organisation’s existing IT staff to focus on other tasks. This allows MSPs to monitor required services and troubleshoot as needed, improving operational efficiency. Because MSPs take a proactive approach to network management, they may be able to prevent IT issues from disrupting business operations. A large company, organisation, or government agency contracts an MSP when faced with budgetary pressures or hiring constraints to supplement its IT staff in-house.
The pricing model for managed network services
Organisations typically sign a one-year or multi-year contract with their MSP for managed network services. Pricing formulas can be complex based on the type of service, speed, interface, region, number of locations, and amount of managed support provided.
Once the service details are established, the benefit for enterprise customers is the ability to budget fixed monthly costs. Managed services also allow organisations to shift these costs from the capital expenditure budget (used to maintain and purchase new equipment) to the operating expenditure budget.
For MSPs, offering managed network services provides customers with a predictable monthly revenue stream. Solid recurring revenue value has led many traditional service providers to incorporate managed services into their operations. The WAN technology used for Internet connectivity affects the functionality of SIP trunks. Out of LAN, MAN and WAN, WAN is most suitable for SIP trunking. There are several WAN technologies to choose from. The most common are MPLS, Metro Ethernet, LTE, and SD-WAN.
Various WAN technologies are available to connect the business to the rest of the world. Each offers different features, such as QoS, queuing, prioritisation, and reliability required for SIP trunks and voice applications. Understanding how each choice affects voice traffic is essential in determining the best WAN technology.
Spectra is one of the most reliable managed network service providers that can meet your business needs at competitive market offers. Book your session today and reach new heights!