What is SIP?
The term SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. In IP telephony and traditional network engineers that always made a clear difference among these two different phases of a voice call. The first is ‘Call setup’ and it includes all the necessary details that required to get two phones talking. When a call is being set up, the telephones enter a ‘data transfer’ stage of a call through the completely different set of protocols to transmit the voice data packets between the two telephones. In the VoIP technology world, SIP is a protocol used for call setup, the protocol functions at the application layer.
There is a possibility that you might have heard about SIP trunk and you may wonder why you should invest in this service for your phone system. In reality, if you want to save money on huge phone bills then selecting the best SIP provider is essential. This initial investment in the service is quite low and the advantages are abundant.
Inclusive Call Packages
With SIP service you get the ability to benefit from call bundles, which make your telephony cost much cheaper and more predictable. Also, you can mask your telephone number with a local area code that can help in building a local presence for your business.
Unified Communications Option
SIP trunking eliminates the requirement for voice connections and data which are separate. Also, SIP provides your business with an opportunity to make an IP based Unified communication system. This means that your voice, instant messaging, data, and other cloud-based apps can be brought together. All the real-time and non-real-time communication can be managed on a single platform or ease of use and convenience.
Higher Level of Productivity
If you have employees based in completely different work locations, then they can contact each other easily through SIP trunking which would have been hard with old options. This means that if you have multiple branches, remote contractors, remote employees then everyone can communicate via a streamlined system. This is a great way to make sure that projects get done on time and miscommunication does not become an issue.
Increased Local Calls
Whenever you make a call you are going to get one rate for all your local phone calls and another rate for any calls that are long distance. But, when you opt for SIP trunking most of your calls will become local calls. It won’t matter who you call or where, whether the recipient is down the block or half across the globe. This way you can create a local presence when it is needed the most.
Huge Scalability
When you know you have chosen the best SIP trunk service provider then you will get the best scalability for your business. Trunking needs an internet connection that also means adding lines or services in simple along with changing those same things. With SIP services you just need to pay for the lines you actually need, unlike PRI and POTS lines. Hence, you do not need to keep yourself in additional lines to get ready for things in the future. In case you require an additional line then you can get an extra line and then drop it when you no longer need it.
Now that you have understood all the benefits of adding SIP trunking to your phone system then you might want to look for a provider. We have compiled a list of SIP trunk providers in the UK.
SIP Trunk Providers |
Best Features |
VoIP Business |
● Inexpensive, flexible SIP provider
● Lower costs ● No hidden charges or long term contracts ● Free internal calls among phone numbers which are registered to the business ● 24*7 and friendly customer support ● Add and remove lines easily |
Vonage Business |
● Provide Global telecommunications
● Powerful and Reliable network ● Overall lower cost ● Ability to manage call volume and more traffic ● Access extra Unified Communications tools |
DirectVoIP |
● Provide two different SIP service plans for businesses which require either two inbound channels or more than three
● Calling rates begin at 0.5p/min for key UK mobile operators ● Have no setup or any hidden monthly charges ● Simple billing i.e. online pre-pay system ● No agreements ● Fast, friendly customer support |
Gamma |
● Flexible & Inexpensive SIP provider
● Provide free internal calls among phone numbers which you have registered with your business network ● Saving 50% on phone line rentals, and up to 25% on phone calls ● Add/remove lines easily ● Compatible with Skype for Business ● Business stability services |
BT Business |
● Start from £13 per month with unlimited calls within UK
● Easy pricing plans ● Free calls among BT SIP Trunks ● Upfront launch and setup procedure ● Compatible with major telephone systems and with non-BT systems ● Business stability services |
VoiceHost |
● Economical SIP provider
● Rolling monthly agreements and free registration ● Compatible with big diversity of IP-PBXs ● customer-friendly and Intuitive platform plan ● 24/7 Self-service and online portal ● Extra business-friendly tools for example call recording, conference call, and voicemail |
Spitfire |
● Lower rates for phone calls and line rentals
● Keep current telephone numbers ● Reliable and Scalable end-to-end SIP service ● Business continuity services ● Provide smooth integration with important phone systems for instance Cisco, Gigaset and Panasonic. |
Net2Phone |
● High-quality and inexpensive SIP services
● Pay-as-you-go pricing plans ● No monthly agreements ● Scalable solution with easy addition and elimination of phone numbers ● Compatible with majority of IP-PBXs |
Gradwell |
● Start from £4 per month and free set up
● Facility to bundle multiple phone numbers ● Low call costs ● Used by more than 22,000 businesses ● Flexible service which allow you to scale and tailor your communication speedily |
Xinix |
● No long-term contract
● Up to 84% cost saving than ISDN ● Local calls starting at 5p/min and also Inexpensive solution for international calling ● Real-time online billing ● 99.99% guaranteed solution with 30-day money back guarantee if unsatisfactory products |
Twilio |
● Provide Cloud-based SIP services
● Supports for remote work by providing phone numbers from global locations ● Simple pay-as-you-go base and discounts for dedicated users ● Scalable SIP service with unlimited calling volume available ● Consistent connection with the Twilio-owned network ● Provide business-friendly features to enhance your communication |
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