As we saw in last week's post, the future of SIP is no longer in doubt, it has been confirmed as the leading technology for telephone services due to the significant advantages it represents for the corporate world.
With this in mind, transitioning to SIP should be an essential goal for any business that is still making its calls over the PSTN network. Assessing your current infrastructure and knowing whether it is fit for migration is key.
In this post, we would like to help you establish whether you are ready to successfully implement SIP trunking and offer some advice on what aspects of your existing infrastructure should be considered to make this possible.
Is your infrastructure ready?
As the person responsible for technology in your business, there are steps you need to take to address the new demands that SIP technology will inevitably require. We have highlighted below the four key factors you need to consider in the early stages, when examining how and what is needed to make the transition to SIP:
- Proper connectivity is key.
It is true that SIP trunking is going to save you a huge amount of money, however, this cannot be done at any cost. If you are offered the cheapest type of connectivity, you will struggle to meet the quality and reliability standards you need. The truth is that having the right connectivity has to be at the top of your priority list, although it is very likely that you already have part of this figured out. If you get the connectivity right from the start, you are well on your way.
- Firewall capabilities.
Depending on the telephony provider you choose and the features such as mobility, video conferencing or unified communications you use, it will be important to review your existing firewall configuration as some changes will be necessary. Some common tasks include opening ports that allow voice/video traffic and signaling to move freely, as well as disabling firewall features such as SIP ALG. A good understanding of your firewall will often be necessary to ensure that all of this happens and your deployment goes smoothly while maintaining security.
- Capabilities of your existing PBX.
Many older phone systems do not support the standard SIP protocol and make modifications to accommodate their proprietary servers and phones. It may be worth considering whether it would be more cost effective to deploy phones that use the standard without modifications and move to a more modern and flexible solution. Being able to easily integrate a wide variety of devices or applications from the Windows, Android or Apple stores will allow you to move with the pace of technology without having to wait for your proprietary equipment manufacturer to develop the functionality that users demand.
- Be sure.
A Session Border Controller (SBC) is a device that is regularly deployed on SIP networks to exercise control over signalling and audio and video streams. It also overrides any anomalies between the SIP service provider and your own system to ensure that any differences are ironed out. Every SIP service provider should use an SBC as part of their SIP service delivery, although it is sometimes worth considering having one in your office as well.
Good news, 3CX is offering its SBC for free!
SBC patents are expensive. 3CX offers it free of charge to all 3CX Phone System users. From 3CX management, it is possible to customize each trunk with your providers, ensuring compatibility with them. In addition, if you want to connect several branches, 3CX offers its SBC to be installed in each office in a simple and secure way, raising a tunnel from the remote points to the central site.
https://www.3cx.com/docs/3cx-tunnel-session-border-controller/#h.pnclxubq0wh9
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In search of advice to hire a SIP Trunk for your company?
Talk to an expert.
In SimpleTECH We can help you, we have the specialized knowledge necessary for the change process to develop completely smoothly and without problems, please contact us.
We are the only Spanish-speaking 3CX Platinum and Support Partner in Latin America.
By: The team of SimpleTECH©
Montevideo, Uruguay
Sources:
-Our engineers' own knowledge
-http://everythingvoice.co.uk/is-your-current-infrastructure-suitable-for-implementing-sip/
