SIP Trunking vs. Traditional Phone Systems: Making the Right Choice for Your Business

Session-initiated protocol (SIP) trunking is one of the most exciting developments in telecommunications in recent years. It allows businesses to switch from traditional phone systems to voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) systems and take full advantage of the cost-savings and efficiency of modern networks.  

Voice trunking for business offers some significant benefits that most businesses will find desirable. Of course, traditional phone systems are still used in certain applications because they also offer certain benefits. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of SIP trunks and see how they might apply to your business.  

As always, if you have questions about SIP trunking or any other digital communication questions, our team is only a phone call away. Please get in touch if you would like to learn more about how to improve your business phone system!

What is SIP Trunking? 

SIP trunking is a voice solution that utilizes the internet to provide a variety of features for businesses that own their IP PBX system. It’s a replacement for an ISDN line. Traditional phone systems use ISDN lines to connect a PBX to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). SIP trunks are a virtual version of those physical lines, connecting your PBX to your VoIP provider and the PSTN.  

If you are using traditional phone lines right now, you have voice and data service coming into your building. If you switch to SIP, you will eliminate voice service and just use data. Instead of using physical bundles of phone lines (trunks), you use virtual connections instead.

Is SIP Trunking or a Traditional Phone Line Better? 

The answer, as with most questions like this, is that it depends on your situation and your business needs. For most businesses, moving from traditional to virtual phone lines is the way to go. But there can be exceptions. 

Advantages of SIP Trunking 

• Lower costs over the long term. The costs to power your communication system will be cheaper, as will the costs of increasing or decreasing the size and scale of your network. Since most components are virtual, there is simply less power and less work involved to size the network up or down. Using SIP trunks can drop your phone bill by up to 50% as well, which can make a big impact. 

• Simplicity of using a single provider. It can be a hassle to maintain communications and accounts with multiple service providers. If you are using traditional phone lines now and have internet service, you are working with multiple providers. If you convert to full digital communication, you will only have to work with one provider. 

• Makes managing the network easier. Physical phone lines take expertise and manpower to manage. You can’t do it on your own. But with SIP trunks, you can manage everything from a single platform—including adding phone lines, removing phone lines, adding extensions and more 

• Scale up or down as needed. This is probably the most exciting feature for businesses that are focused on growth. Adding or removing phone lines and user capacity with traditional phone lines is expensive and requires an engineer. But with SIP trunks, anyone familiar with the platform can add or remove lines. This can also be extremely helpful for businesses that have seasonal increases in users. 

Disadvantages of SIP Trunking 

• Need to be able to trust the provider. If you have been using traditional phone lines for years with no problems, it can take a bit of trust to switch to another provider. We are certainly biased since we are proud of our excellent customer satisfaction scores and our long list of accolades. We know you can trust WOW! Business for your SIP trunk needs. But we can’t speak for all providers. 

• High-speed internet is required. SIP trunks are highly efficient, but they require a reliable network and adequate internet speeds to function properly. If you are using a DSL connection or are otherwise on a slower internet connection, adding extra usage to your limited network could create undesirable connection problems. Fortunately, if you have high-speed internet with WOW! Business, your network should be more than sufficient to handle voice trunking for business. 

• SIP compatibility is required. Not every system can immediately switch over to utilize SIP trunks. The system needs to be compatible with the technology or capable of being made compatible. Otherwise, you will need to invest in some new technology. Luckily, it’s a relatively minor investment when you consider the ongoing cost savings and efficiency improvements the upgrade will provide. 

 Is Using the Phone Through the Internet Less Secure? 

No, using the phone through the internet can be more secure than using a landline. That’s because quality providers like WOW! Business maintain strict security protocols and utilize encryption technology to protect all the data that travels over the network.  There are situations where internet phones can be less secure than landlines, such as if the provider uses no modern security protocols. But that’s not something that you have to worry about when you choose WOW! Business.

Questions About SIP Trunking? Contact Us! 

We are excited to help you upgrade your business phone system. Don’t worry, it’s normal to have questions. We are here to answer those questions.  Get secure voice-over-internet services with SIP trunking from WOW Business, and enjoy improved flexibility and support for your IP PBX.