This is the final installation of 12 blogs on the subject of SIP Trunks. Subscribe in the box to the right to receive an email notification for each one in the series.
Click here to read the previous blog in this series.
Like most things in life, what appears to be simple on the surface is, in fact, complicated underneath. Yes, there is a lot of technology involved in SIP Trunking, but that’s no different than any other current technology. Your provider’s job is to create a smooth transition.
Why Choosing the Right SIP Trunk Supplier is Important
Only the exceedingly brave or very knowledgeable customer should tackle a SIP Trunk conversion without professional assistance. A quality SIP Trunk provider can make the conversion process seem simple and deliver a quality implementation with little or no negative impact upon your business.
The Challenges of National SIP Trunk Providers
You can search the Internet and find dozens of SIP Trunk providers in the U.S., but use caution when making your selection, as there are many providers who appear to be U.S.-based, but in fact are foreign companies using SIP Trunks to have U.S.-based phone numbers.
Many of these organizations appear to be much larger and more sophisticated than they are. Since the industry is relatively new, there is not a lot of background information available, so due diligence can be challenging. Use wisdom with your selection and look beyond the spiffy website and shiny marketing materials to the customer service and knowledge of the product.
To add to the multitude of choices, every voice and data carrier in our great land presents themselves as SIP Trunk providers, however, SIP Trunking is just one service among the hundreds they offer. Frequently, their marketing and sales materials exceed their capabilities of delivering a quality service. They also require you to use their data circuits, which may not be in your best interest, or if you have any existing data circuit contract, impossible.
Why a Local SIP Trunk Provider is a Better Choice
Selecting a local SIP provider with a good reputation means that you aren’t risking everything on an unknown entity. If the provider has been in the telecommunications business for a long time, you can bet they aren’t selling a sub-standard product to their loyal customers. They can’t afford the hit to their reputation.
Local providers can also provide a complete turnkey solution, including recommendations and implementation of the best data circuit(s), working directly with your IT resources, and they can be on your premise when necessary.
They will typically not be the lowest price vendor – for that you need to choose a web-based provider. But what a local provider will deliver is a quality service of cloud-ready, VoIP 21st century data network at a fair price.
Thank you for taking the time to read this document to learn more about SIP Trunking. If you have any feedback or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.