SIP Trunking 101: A Comprehensive SIP Trunking Guide
You have probably seen on our blog that we have been introducing educational content that serves as a primer on implementing SIP for your clients. Hopefully, those previous posts have helped you better understand the technology and explain it to your customers and staff. This SIP trunking guide will let you explore it all in one place.
As you’ve read, the global expansion of wireless communication has led to a surge in demand for SIP trunking services, with studies suggesting that by 2031, SIP trunking will be worth a whopping $43.28 billion. This growth is partly driven by the fact that SIP trunks are cost-efficient, making companies of all sizes more profitable when using these VoIP services.
In case you need a consolidated version that covers the basics, and more, this definitive guide, will help you learn all about SIP trunking, discovering the must-have features offered by top providers and the advantages of using the service.
SIP Trunking Guide: What is SIP Trunking?
From understanding the acronym to the underlying technology and applications, you can’t start selling SIP trunking without a firm grasp on what’s involved in it. Your journey to SIP trunking sales success begins here.
If you want to read more, you can go to “What is SIP Trunking?” But, in a nutshell, SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunking is the technology through which voice and video calls are made via the Internet instead of traditional copper-wire phone lines. In other words, SIP trunking are virtual phone lines with countless capabilities enabled by the Internet.
This standards-based protocol mainly operates on the cloud, and it’s highly efficient and flexible. It lets your business interact with customers globally, ultimately increasing your market reach.
The History of SIP Trunking
Knowing how SIP trunking originated will allow you to recommend and sell this service with greater confidence, since we know there are many history buffs. You can take a deeper dive into this technology and find out more about both its past and present, as well as how it is trusted by millions around the world.
As a primer, we’ll give you a quick timeline in this SIP trunking guide:
1876: Alexander Graham Bell makes the first successful telephone call. This telephone invention is the foundation of SIP trunking and VoIP.
1974: Danny Cohen makes the first VoIP call using Network Voice Protocol.
1995: VoIP technology became available to everyone after the first VoIP software used on home computers was released.
1996: A group of scientists creates the first SIP protocol.
1999: The SIP protocol is standardized. Increased use of DSL and cable connections for internet services also resulted in faster internet speeds. This then made it easy for VoIP technologies to expand
And now: The SIP trunking market has fully grown, and the adoption rate is impressive, as you could see in the first section.
SIP vs. PRI – What’s the Difference?
Chances are you and your customer are more familiar with PRI’s and the PSTN than SIP. Take a look at the differences (and similarities) between the two different voice technologies, so you can explain why SIP trunking is different and desirable. This should help you convince laggards and close more deals.
Benefits of SIP Trunking
You may not believe it, but some don’t see the value in reselling SIP trunking or in using the service right away. Fortunately, this quick SIP trunking guide shares more about the benefits of SIP trunking services so that you can show and sell the correct value. After all, cost savings isn’t the only reason for switching to SIP. Find the real drivers of decision-making here.
The top wholesale SIP trunking partners offer specifically designed platforms to help businesses generate recurring income by making services painless and smooth, providing access to a SIP trunk solution that’s easy to use and makes it easy for you to manage and sell to your customers.
Here are the key features to look for:
- Platform Compatibility: SIP trunks should be compatible with all significant open-source PBX projects, IP gateways, and IP PBX.
- No Contracts: You and your customer only pay for what you need and when you need it.
- Hands-Off Billing and Taxes: Don’t worry about the end customer taxation and billing because top SIP trunk service providers take care of it for you.
- Transparent Commissions: All your commissions are automatically paid into your bank account, and monthly reports are created to help you track your customers.
- Automated Provisioning: The service provisioning and account creation process take less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
- Expert Support: Capable partners are available to you anytime to provide expert support, whether to resolve technical issues or win additional revenue streams.
Additionally, the best wholesale providers allow you to bring your own bandwidth and have widespread DID coverage. Also, they tend to offer a fraud protection feature that monitors any suspicious calls and activity.
Related: Definitive Guide to Reselling SIP Trunks
SIP Trunking Features
Not quite sure if SIP trunking is the right fit for the communications problem you’re trying to solve? Check out the variety of features that a SIP trunk can bring to your customer’s communications and your bottom line. Remember, with SIP; communication can be about more than voice.
With a comprehensive platform, you can deploy reliable and high-performance solutions to your customers in minutes. Some of the additional features that customers look for include:
- Ultra-high availability and excellent voice quality via use of tier-1 networks.
- A powerful control panel that allows you to manage SIP services, bill, and quote to your customers so that you can focus on growing your reseller business.
- Private labeling allows you to resell our SIP services under your brand identity.
- Real-time call data records allow you to monitor your team or individual activity.
To enhance and expand the services provided, top partners offer various add-on services and flexible subscription models that enable you to fulfill the individual needs of your clients.
Understanding SIP Trunk Channels
Moving from the physical circuit-switched world to the virtual packet-switched one we live in can cause massive confusion for those not “living it every day.” Develop a thorough understanding of SIP trunking channels and how you can successfully sell them to your customers when you read this article.
SIP Trunks vs. SIP Lines
Introducing SIP trunking service to your customers shouldn’t be made difficult due to confusing jargon and industry misnomers. Find the simplest way to explain the difference between SIP trunks and SIP lines to customers. Otherwise, you may be quoting (or they think they’re buying) the wrong things.
Related: Explaining SIP Trunking to Your Customers
What is a DID?
You, as an IT or telecommunications provider, can develop a profitable business line for yourself by providing Direct Inward Dialing (DID) services. However, how do you persuade your clients that DID is something they actually need? The best thing you can do is get them to learn the basics first.
According to Cisco: “DID is a service offered by telephone companies that enables callers to dial directly to an extension on a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) or packet voice system without the assistance of an operator or automated call attendant. This service makes use of DID trunks, which forward only the last three to five digits of a phone number to the PBX or router/gateway.”
Basically, Direct Inward Dialing is a way to make calls without having to involve an operator. Using this option, your client would only need to purchase one phone line, but multiple direct numbers could still be routed to specific individuals or voicemails within their organization.
In combination with SIP trunks, DID phone numbers will allow companies to receive calls directly from any device: VoIP, IP PBX, or analog PBX extension. DIDs allow companies to receive calls from any of their SIP trunk lines, so they don’t need a dedicated line for each. DID is scalable with SIP, so your customers can order as many as they need.
Every Telecom Dealer Should Resell SIP Trunking Services
How do you know if you should be reselling SIP trunking? Easy! You read this SIP trunking guide . From solving customer problems to building a passive recurring revenue stream, there’s more than just cost savings driving growth in the SIP trunking market. See what they all are, and start thinking about how you can capitalize.
Once you’ve gotten through this SIP Trunking Guide, you should understand SIP services well enough to begin recommending and scoping solutions for your customers.
With SIPTRUNK by your side, your customers will receive high-quality, contract-free Internet telephony services. We meet the current SIP trunking standards and offer competitive features and unmatched rates. Our plans are flexible enough to satisfy every business need, and our easy-to-install SIP trunks are compatible with a variety of IP gateways, IP PBX, and open source PBX projects. Contact us today to get started.