During a ShoreTel UC product demonstration I saw a few years ago, the presenter made a point of reminding the audience that SIP Trunks were unnecessary for any of the UC features he presented. I left impressed by the ShoreTel UC product but disappointed by the lack of vision as to the direction of voice and data networks and convergence. First, there is the obvious, SIP Trunks are cheaper. Without a doubt, replacing PRIs with SIP Trunks will save money. And if that’s not enough, inherent to SIP Trunking is business continuity, dynamic load balancing, geographical distribution and easily expanded bandwidth. Yet, many IT managers do not find that compelling enough to transfer their communications services from an ILEC or incumbent to an innovative ITSP, like Broadvox and many others. Those IT managers need to spend a little time understanding the benefit of SIP which as a protocol enriches any implement of UC.
SIP enables applications to communicate more effectively, carrying more information and accelerating the convergence of functionality. Whereas TDM networks have advanced beyond POTs offering with the advent of Advanced Intelligent Networks (AIN) and SS7, those functions pale in comparison to a SIP Trunks ability to carry and support much more complex information such as images, video, and HD voice. The addition of which can dramatically accelerate the adoption of UC within the business or enterprise as employees evangelized how UC changes and improves how they conduct their daily activities.
Moreover, SIP facilitates the concept of anywhere, anytime on any device. It is through the integration of multiple choices for broadband, devices and applications that Presence can be delivered to internal participants and other members of the business ecosystem (OEMs, partners and customers). Expanding Presence beyond the walls of the business improve customer satisfaction, productivity and the overall flow of the supply chain.
So, when asked to add SIP Trunks to your next UC order, just say “Yes”.
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