What is an IP-PBX?
IP-PBX is a set of hardware and software that allows you to make phone calls using data network and the Internet. IP-PBX can be installed in your office and connected to your LAN. Alternatively, service providers such as Toshiba host a very large IP-PBX with enterprise calls features and allow you to connect to it as an individual, or as a company with very many lines. This is called hosted or cloud based telephony.
What is SIP trunking?
SIP-Trunking is extending the reach of IP phone system across the world and to non-IP based phone circuits such as land lines and cell phones. Essentially when you make a call to a, say, a land line in China from your IP phone system, the call travels on IP networks to a point that is as close to the land line in China. At that point the IP network handshakes with a regular PSTN exchange and the call is terminated at the land line. An Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP) tries to the keep the call as much as possible on IP networks so your costs stay low.
Both these technologies bear a lot of similarity when it comes to functionality as well as features and they support the VoIP telephony system in equal manner. The technologies do not compete with each other. SIP trunking can be used for both on-premise as well as hosted or cloud based phone systems.
What Does SIP-Trunking Need?
SIP trunking services always need an IP-PBX, hosted or otherwise. IP-PBX or IP-Private Branch Exchange is the point where all the calls are initially directed to be routed to different extensions. Hosted IP-PBX performs the similar function and the only difference is that the users do not have to maintain an on-premise system and instead it is maintained by the service provider and offered as a cloud service.
SIP or Session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking removes the PRIs or Primary Rate Interfaces, ISDN Basic Rate Interfaces and even the PSTN gateways. Though SIP trunking can be done within your office if you yet have a few telephone lines, there are a host of Internet Telephone Service Providers (ITSPs) who provide the same service at far better rates. This service has been effective in enhancing and extending the communication quality and efficiency. SIP trunking is more concerned with facilitating the connection of the IP-PBX to the Internet and beyond.
Choosing Your Technology
The primary factor that should drive the choice of service is usage needs, i.e. the companies that have more than 20 users may opt for the Hosted IP-PBX as it is may be a much cheaper and more efficient option. On the other hand the companies that have a large and distributed infrastructure can choose SIP trunking as it would easier to deploy and make optimum use of the service when multiple service providers offer different terms of call rates and call time.
Both SIP trunking and hosted IP-PBX have their own pros and cons and Baron Telecom can help you to determine which one of the two best suits your needs.
About Baron Telecommunications
Baron Telecommunications has been offering communication services for over 30 years now. We provide system assessment, installation, and ongoing service. We provide advanced products from Toshiba and Shoretel. Call us today for all your communication needs.