Communication is one of the most powerful tools any business can leverage. If you doubt that statement, consider what the internet has done for innumerable startups: many have gone from obscurity to viral levels virtually overnight. How? Because they connected with other people and made an impression.
Traditionally, business communications involved a box to check, a phone line to order, and a hefty expenditure for Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems so customers had a way to reach the business. As technology evolved, it expanded to include even more expensive hardware, such as computers and servers, along with well-paid staff to manage and maintain them. Any change, whether moving offices or upgrading hardware, required assistance and added to the cost and complexity. Surprisingly, some long-established companies still operate on that model.
While some companies are still getting by with the old standard, most are jumping ahead to communications involving SIP Trunking and unified communications (UC) that expand how their business functions. What once was a mismatched jumble of disparate software, hardware, and processes that had accumulated over time is now a fully integrated, cloud-hosted solution that offers all the advantages of communications technology with a personal element that enables a deeper connection regardless of physical location.
The Expansive Power of SIP Trunking
SIP trunking is a fundamental technology that enables business owners to craft the ideal communications solution for today's companies. It expands the reach of a business, particularly when combined with unified communications, regardless of physical location, product, service, or industry. It solves numerous problems while adding communication benefits that previously weren't available with traditional communications systems.
Cost Savings
Traditional PBX systems are costly, but today's cloud-based solutions encompass SIP trunking and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). With the right provider, businesses can save up to 60% on the costs of newer versus older technology. Superior providers require no setup fees or contracts, have transparent pricing, and provide numerous options to customize services and enhance value.
Scalability and Flexibility
One of the most significant marks against plain old telephone systems (POTS) was the difficulty, or impossibility in some cases, of scaling to meet business needs. If the company grew, it required ordering additional physical phone lines, paying for them, and waiting until the phone company could send someone to install them. It potentially added another plan in addition to the existing one or significantly increased the monthly fees by putting the business on a more expensive plan. It was a time-consuming and unwieldy process.
Conversely, a company that needed to scale back was essentially stuck with the services it already had. For instance, if the business was seasonal and sold Christmas ornaments, decorations, or supplies, it was responsible for paying all year to support two to three months of increased business. With an established and respected SIP trunking provider, you have full flexibility to scale your services up or down as needed—virtually instantaneously—with no additional hardware, staff, change fees, or penalties.
Unified Communications
UC lets businesses operate optimally from anywhere at any time by integrating all their software into one seamless platform. It eliminates conflicts that can arise between disparate systems or software, removes the burden of training on multiple platforms, and makes it easy for staff to use whether they are on the road, in the office, at home, or at a client site. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a cloud-hosted service that offers the additional benefit of never having to worry about patching or updating the software again. That is all taken care of by the provider.
Geographic Flexibility
Modern technology makes physical location practically irrelevant. Not only do you have the freedom to hire the best talent from anywhere in the world without relocating them, but they (and you) aren't tied to any specific geography as long as internet service is available. Want to move your office to another town or state? That's as easy as accessing your dashboard.
Business Continuity
Accidents, natural disasters, and crime are unfortunate facts of life. No matter what happens, you need the reassurance that you can notify, respond to, and service your customers adequately. When you have the right SIP trunking provider, you gain the peace of mind of a Tier-1 redundant network for the ultimate failover capabilities.
In addition, superior toll fraud monitoring and detection protect your business from bad actors who try to use your phone systems to generate fraudulent long-distance or international calls. Realtime call fraud protection immediately detects and kills unauthorized calls in progress, shuts off international calling on your trunk, and alerts you of suspicious activity.
Advanced Features
When you take the time to research business communications systems providers, you'll notice that the best choice for your business gives you not only a wide range of useful functions and security features included in your monthly services, but they’ll also give you the option to add or remove features as your needs evolve. Your best option will offer fast integrations with a wide array of systems, provide nomadic e911 so that emergency services can find you, and include a free, no-obligation trial period. Other services to look for are:
- Business texting that leverages integrated web, iOS and Android apps, and full-featured Messaging APIs for existing workflows.
- Fax services (still used by many medical, real estate, legal, and governmental offices) that let you send documents from a web portal.
- Fax-to-email and email-to-fax service from your email address with full visibility to sent and received history.
Learn More About What SIP Trunking Can Do for Your Business
SIP.US helps businesses bridge communication gaps, optimize costs, improve collaboration, and enhance customer service by implementing SIP trunking. Get started by learning more about a robust and scalable solution that aligns with the evolving needs of modern businesses and enables them to stay competitive in a digital world.
