VoIP bloggerIn today’s blog post, we welcome again our guest blogger, Brett Harney, to continue his discussion from his last guest post with us: A Buying Guide for Small Business: VoIP vs. Hosted VoIP.  Brett is a principal at Corporate Technologies Group in Hudson, Ohio, and today he is sharing with us 3 Challenges in SIP Trunking Implementations:

“There are many business reasons that SIP Trunking should be considered for improved efficiencies, and offers significant cost savings and application performance enhancements for companies.  For more information on SIP Trunking and it’s benefits, visit our blog post from last month: Back to Basics: What is SIP Trunking?

However, while SIP trunking offers many advantages to business customers, it’s also not a sure thing, and you should not blindly enter into this new venture without first understanding what challenges you may face. Here 3 common issues with SIP trunking, and possible solutions:

    1. Faxing: SIP still does not work well for faxing despite some providers’ claims. To get around this many customers keep a POTS line for their fax line and alarm monitoring systems.
    2. Security: Because SIP is running over the data network on an open channel, it is vulnerable to hackers, which wasn’t an issue with legacy dedicated circuits. Anti-intrusion measures must be implemented at the service provider and LAN level.
    3. Interoperability: Despite following the SIP standard, not all SIP trunking services are the same. Implementation of the SIP standard can vary, so interoperability with vendor gear is not always assured. Look for SIP trunking providers that have pre-certified interoperability with the major IP PBX suppliers.

Bottom line is that SIP trunking can be a great way to gain significant cost savings and greatly expanded capabilities.  However, there are some concerns that you may need to overcome, which may lead you toward a Hosted VoIP solution, or other alternatives.  If you have any questions regarding the implementation of a VoIP solution for your business, contact me at CTG to discuss your unique needs.

Contact Great Lakes Computer today to be introduced to Brett at CTG today.

3 Challenges in SIP Trunking Implementations: