SMBs will drive new adoption of SIP trunking: report

While business customers' initial reaction to migrating from traditional T1-based voice trunking could aptly be described as "fear," a new Heavy Reading report SIP Trunking Gains More Ground With SMBs reveals that small to medium businesses are warming up to the alternative voice technology.

And as SMBs embrace SIP trunking as a low-cost alternative to traditional TDM-based voice services, it will drive the total deployment from only 8.5 million SIP trunks in 2009 to 24.3 million trunks in 2013. By adopting SIP trunking, Heavy Reading estimates an SMB could save between 50-70 percent per trunk over TDM-based circuits.

Offered by both competitive providers (Broadvox, Cox Business, and Optimum Lightpath) and incumbent players (AT&T, Qwest, Sprint and Verizon) alike, SIP trunking in essence allows a business that already has an installed PBX to leverage VoIP outside the enterprise network via the same Internet connection.

Denise Culver, research analyst with Heavy Reading IP Services Insider and author of the report, said that while voice quality issues are still a concern, SMBs are seeing the utility found in IP-based services.

"Doubts about service quality remain, but it's clear that more small businesses are becoming convinced that IP-based networks will meet their needs, which will lead to significant growth in SIP trunking deployments over the next three years," she said.

For more:
- see the release here

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