What Do You Expect From an SIP Provider?

The VoIP phone model is both different and similar to that used by the PSTN system. On the one hand, you don't have merely a handful of service providers to choose from. The billing is more transparent and calls which are conducted entirely over the Internet are free. On the other hand, the network model bears many resemblances to the POTS. For example if you're using a hosted PBX system, all you have at your end is the client. The real infrastructure which makes everything work is located at the end of the service provider. Of course, if you have an in-house VoIP system then even the architecture is dramatically different from the traditional telephone service.Whether you're going for an in-house system or a hosted one, the SIP provider is a keystone component of the overall infrastructure. In the case of a hosted PBX, the SIP provider offers a number of services. For one, they give you a telephone number for use with your business and each and every one of the VoIP connections you need to utilize. Bundled with the telephone number, is a service allowing you to connect to any telephone over the traditional the POTS network. Behind the scenes, you'll also obtain what we call an "SIP address". This address is used internally but can also be utilized to make free calls to any other VoIP client with its own SIP address.
Over time we can come to expect that more and more phones will possess this SIP address along with their regular telephone number. Once a critical stage is reached, there will be an avalanche effect with most calls being made and received for free over the Internet. Not surprisingly, this is a threat that most telephone providers are eager to avoid.
Those using an in-house VoIP system on the other hand, are provided with an "SIP trunk" which is merely a connection to the outside world of traditional phone systems. Without this, communication is restricted only to those within the same network - not very useful at all.
All SIP providers should be able to offer basic services like SIP forking. Surprisingly, there are some popular providers who don't do this. SIP forking is one of the most useful of all VoIP services allowing a single number to ring multiple VoIP clients anywhere in the world. Contact your ITSP to find out what VoIP services they provide and what benefits you can obtain from them.
Bhagwad is an expert consultant on Advanced Hosted VoIP Servers. He also specializes in Switching to VoIP Phones.

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