A Guide on SIP Service Providers

Businesses worldwide lose billions of dollars due to internet outages.

The downtime results in loss of productivity and revenue. These problems then trickle down to the customers and the public.

But did you know that you can avoid this issue and more by switching to SIP trunking?

The demand for SIP is growing in an aggressive manner. Many are choosing SIP solutions to improve communication lines with their customers. This also improves communications in-company.

But there’s more to SIP than offering seamless contact with people. SIP service providers offer more efficient and cheaper solutions for your business.

Here’s what you need to know before you take the plunge to SIP.

How a SIP Phone Service Benefits Your Company

Think of a dress that fits you nicely. It may have been perfect, but after a few months, you find that it doesn’t fit you anymore.

This is the problem with analog lines. Once you buy a service, you’re stuck with it until you drop it. It’s not scalable, which means it doesn’t adapt to changes in your business’ needs.

SIP service providers let you buy a dress that grows with you. When you need more channels for only a certain period of time, you can scale up on demand. And when you don’t need them anymore, you can scale down as you please.

Switching to SIP also means you don’t have to worry about network outages anymore. The SIP can reroute incoming calls to another location without effort. This allows your business to outsource to international locations as well.

But for all these, you’re still saving a lot. Calls are low cost, and SIP trunking enables you to communicate with international locations with ease.

The initial costs are negligible and your monthly bill reduces to internet fees.

Why is SIP Better Than PSTN?

PSTN is dying. The public switched telephone network is a collection of circuit-switched telephone networks. These enable telecommunication services, but why is it dying?

The reason why SIP is better than PSTN boils down to cost. The equipment maintenance is becoming difficult and too expensive.

In fact, many carriers are ending their PSTN contracts in 2018. At the moment, they are testing new systems that will replace traditional phone lines.

SIP trunking is the future of communications. IP-based systems are easier and cheaper to maintain. Plus, businesses and the public will benefit from more flexible communication lines.

As more companies drop PSTN, it’s not that far-fetched to say that IP-based phone lines will replace telecommunications in only a few years.

What to Look for in SIP Service Providers

When you start taking and making calls over the internet, you want the system to be secure and reliable.

SIP servers are safe in general, but providers can offer extra protection as needed. Aside from the standard package, review other options like IP filtering, restricted access options, outgoing call restrictions, suspicious activity alerts, and more.

Consider the costs as well. Some providers charge unnecessarily high set-up fees. While others may surprise you with expensive monthly bills.

But don’t go for the cheapest offer. You may not want to entrust your phone service to companies that cut costs.

On the last note, you want a SIP provider with fantastic customer support. Assess how they talk with a customer and what communication channels they offer. Can you reach them by phone or email without difficulty?

This is important, as you want to talk to someone reliable while you’re setting up the system. You should also be able to talk to someone when you’re experiencing hiccups in their service.

You also want a transparent company. This means no hidden fees; they should be upfront regarding the initial and monthly costs.

This also means that they’ll only offer you what your business needs. You might not need other features such as CDRs and redundancy. If they try to push such features on you, that’s a red flag.

The best way to gauge a provider and its service is to have a trial period. Reliable ones should offer you an opportunity to test their service, so look out for those who don’t.

What Costs Should You Expect to Pay?

SIP service providers, as you would expect, charge a set-up fee. This can range from $250 to $500.

If you’re looking for lower start-up costs, search for a provider that doesn’t charge a set-up fee. However, expect to pay higher monthly fees.

The initial costs may also include a VoIP Gateway that connects your PBX to the cloud. But this is only true if your business has a legacy PBX. For those who have an IP-enabled PBX, your business won’t need any new equipment.

Also, expect to pay around $20 per number if you want to retain your existing business number. This allows you to enjoy no confused customers and no repeat marketing.

Then there’s the monthly fee, which includes calling and bandwidth costs. Depending on your provider and contract, you might have to pay for a fixed cost or per consumption.

A metered plan allows you to pay depending on your usage. SIP service providers will charge you by the minute of both incoming and outgoing calls.

A channelized plan charges a set monthly fee for a set number of minutes. These “unlimited” plans often have other perks, such as free international calls.

SIP providers route calls over the internet, and this is where bandwidth comes into play. Depending on your business’ needs, you may need to pay for additional bandwidth. Ask your internet provider to help you assess how much more you need.

Choose Only the Best SIP Service Providers

Your customers and employees deserve seamless and reliable communication options. And your business deserves scalability and flexibility for it to function without worry.

We provide the best SIP solutions for your company. We personalize our service according to your business’ needs.

Want to take the next step in your business? Contact us now and let’s discuss how we can improve your communication lines.