SIP doesn't equal SIP
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is fast becoming the standard term bandied around in the Telecoms Industry for the replacement of traditional TDM services with
business IP based solutions.
SIP however is not a standard solution in the way that ISDN has been deployed in the UK over the past few years.
SIP is defined in a number of Requests for Comment (RFCs) documents, and suppliers of SIP equipment and SIP Network services may have interpreted and deployed their solutions in a number of different ways.
Summary is that SIP is not a standard, and connecting SIP devices to a SIP Network is not necessarily "Plug and Play".
When looking to connect an IPPBX or SIP Gateway to a SIP service provider you should ensure that the device has been compatibility tested with the Service Providers network and that all service features are fully supported.
Focus on flexibility numbers, speed, international
SIP Trunking has a major advantage over ISDN / PSTN connections which is flexibility of numbering. In the traditional network provision the number that is provided by the Telephony operator is sourced from the local exchange. In
Business Telephony IP services the linkage between numbering and location can be broken. This allows unique cost effective solutions to be delivered to customers that cannot be replicated within an ISDN network for example.
How powerful would it be to provide UK numbers overseas to reduce call costs for internal calls and customers calling the overseas office? Think of the cost savings that can be made on a customer taking their number with them when they relocate their office. Does the customer need to support numbers from different geographic locations from a single site? What about a Glasgow number hosted from your office in Birmingham.
