What is SIP? Put simply, SIP is another way to connect you to the world. In the past you ordered PSTN (Analogue lines) from BT. You could order a multi Aux line giving you access to a couple of lines on the same number. Then came ISDN technology, offering a faster, clearer and more flexible option to standard analogue lines. You could have more with less infrastructure. ISDN gave you up to 30 channels (lines) to a single box in the comms room, whereas with PSTN you needed a box per line.
Now we have SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or a channel over a data link. This is the next step
to ISDN. ISDN used an older technology to push your call as a digital signal over a copper or fibre line; SIP changes the voice signal into an IP signal and sends the call as packets. In fact this is what the new BT 21CN network is based on, it is a fully IP environment and SIP will be running through the new data network.
Avaya have embraced this new technology, and have integrated it to IP Office and Communications Manager. Most companies that have IP Office or CM installed and using IP phones will already have all the hardware needed to connect to the new SIP network. All we need to do is add a couple of SIP licenses and connect the SIP service to the system, and away we go.
The power and advantages of SIP:
- Provides free calls between IP sites and lower cost calls to other destinations making it seriously cheaper than traditional lines and minutes
- Flexible numbering, e.g. work from a London or a Glasgow number regardless of your physical location
- Number portability which allows you to relocate your office and keep you existing number
- Number flexibility that supports disaster recovery plans at a fraction of existing ISDN costs
- Ease of system expansion, an additional number of SIP channels can be added to a site at the fraction of the cost and time that deploying ISDN would entail
- Site resilience, by adding a SIP trunk connection at your site and retaining ISDN , the availability of the voice service at the site can be enhanced without the need for major infrastructure to the site
SIP gives you all the above and more. You as the customer get access to a portal that allows YOU to control and monitor the lines, calls and the details, but not only this, via the SIP portal you the customer will be able to set a spend limit on the account and when the spend hits this limit, you are alerted by text or email, giving you notice of potential fraud on your system or lines, instead of waiting till the bill comes in at the end of the month.
Do you need more lines for a campaign, not a problem, just ask us and we up your number of channels instantly, then you will see them on the portal, where you can monitor the usage and the hit rate allowing you to see if you are missing calls, what campaigns are bringing the most success or are lines being wasted?
SIP is the next step in lines and minutes, and going forward the savings, flexibility, ease of use and disaster recovery built in will make SIP the best choice. SIP is the way in which Exchange are going, are you? We would love to hear your questions on SIP, please share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.
Trackbacks