What is SIP Trunking?
First of all, SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. SIP trunking is a method of sending voice and other unified communications services over the internet. It works with an IP-enabled PBX (Private Branch eXchange). SIP trunking replaces traditional telephone lines.
SIP trunks are basically virtual phone lines that enable users to make and receive phone calls over the internet to anyone in the world with a phone number. SIP trunks utilize a packet switch network, in which voice calls are broken down into digital packets and sent across a network to the final destination.
Before SIP became a popular and reliable method of transmitting voice signals, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) carried all telephone calls. The PSTN is the network that has those copper phone lines we traditionally associate with the “telephone.” The PSTN is a circuit-switched network, which requires a physical connection between two points to complete a call.
Each SIP trunk supports SIP channels. A SIP channel is equivalent to one incoming or outgoing call. The number of channels required depends on how many calls your business will make at any one time.
Why Choose SIP?
There are many benefits of SIP for your business. One of the most important is the reduced communications costs.
In many cases, unlimited local and long-distance calls to most of North America are bundled in with the monthly fee for each SIP channel. What’s more, top SIP providers allow you to provision channels on-demand, meaning you get and pay for only the number of channels you need now and can quickly grow at any time.
Additional benefits include built-in business continuity features, network consolidation, and unified communication features like video, presence, application integration, and instant messaging.
What is Virtual Fax?
Virtual faxing uses the Internet to send and receive faxes. It works exactly like email; the only difference is you enter a fax number in the “To:” field instead of an email address. It’s that simple. Scan and fax hard copies, fax attachments from your PC, and receive fax right into your favorite email inbox. Eliminate the costs of fax machine hardware/maintenance, dedicated phone lines, ink, paper, etc. Let us help you transition away from your legacy fax machine while maintaining that fax number and service in which business still needs.