SIP trunking in the cloud age

June 12, 2019

We recently joined Nemertes for a really informative webinar hosted by NoJitter on the use of SIP trunking in the age of the cloud and how it’s affecting the success of businesses using (or not) cloud technology.

Because the results of the study were so interesting and the webinar was so well received we thought we’d give a rundown of the key points that stood out to us.

If you don’t know Nemertes Research, they look at different types of technology and evaluate how effective it is at improving an organization’s success.

In their latest study (Workplace Collaboration: 2019-2020), they questioned a wide range of organization decision-makers about a breadth of unified communications technology, including SIP trunking.

The study

For on-premises users of unified communications technology, 32.1% are currently looking at moving to cloud-based technology but 11.1% were in the process of moving to the cloud already.

Not only that but out of those that were using on-premises technology, only 36.4% planned to continue to do so, with the rest planning on moving toward cloud-based technology.

Accessing the PSTN

The conclusion is that businesses are undoubtedly moving to the cloud. But what are they doing do about PSTN access? Basically, as a business, you have 2 options for this.

Option 1 – Cloud platform

You can get your access through a cloud-provider platform. This option is:

Typically used by small businesses
Comes as part of a bundle
Often has both domestic and international plans
Requires you to hand over control of your numbers

Option 2 – Bring-your-own connection

You could choose to bring your own connection to the PSTN and IP-based networks via SIP trunking. This option:

Is typically used by bigger organizations
Allows you to get your own sip trunks
Enables you to preserve existing calling plan and routing
Allows you to use your choice of cloud software without being locked into a contract

SIP trunking

So SIP trunking is a good option for those looking to expand quickly, and it gives you the flexibility to choose your own software. But does it help make your business a success?

Of the organizations that Nemertes questioned 52.2% are using or plan to use SIP trunks. Out of those, 33% of successful organizations are using SIP trunking vs 20.5% of unsuccessful organizations using it.

Want to learn a bit more about SIP Trunking? Take a look at our ultimate guide.

Next-gen SIP trunks

So, organizations are planning to use SIP trunking going forward, but what does that look like?

Enter the next generation of SIP trunk technology, with:

Easily accessible virtual phone numbers for local presence
APIs for number provisioning when people are brought on board
Messaging to support digital transformation or customer updates
Flexibility so you can scale up or down depending on needs
Global access regardless of location

The bottom line of the webinar

It looks as though everyone is moving or planning to move to the cloud, regardless of industry or organization size. We also know that SIP trunking provides the increased flexibility needed for this move, especially for large organizations.

But if you plan on going down the SIP route, make sure you evaluate providers on their features, reach, performance and security in order to ensure you get the best deal.

PSTN problems and SIP solutions

The PSTN presents a number of problems when it comes to scaling a modern business with a cloud-based direction. So what can SIP do to help solve the issues certain organizations might face when trying to scale quickly and function efficiently?

Use case 1: Contact centers

PSTN Problem – PSTN connections aren’t scalable creating a major problem for contact centers looking to expand rapidly.

SIP Solution – A single SIP connection is all that’s needed for scaling traffic and multiple markets.

Use case 2: Corporate telephony

PSTN Problem – Every time you need to set up calling capabilities abroad for your corporate communications you can face spiraling infrastructure and management costs each time.

SIP Solution – A single SIP provider can create increased efficiency and speed with APIs making everything a lot smoother and simpler.

Use case 3 – Conferencing solutions

PSTN Problem – Users and employees want to join conference calls but aren’t getting good enough quality on the call or they keep getting disconnected.

SIP Solution – SIP trunks can provide an instant allocation of international dial-in numbers and provide carrier-grade quality calling.