SIP trunking is being deployed more frequently, but some of the same issues exist. According to The SIP School’s annual “The SIP Survey 2015,” deploying SIP trunking works just fine when there’s competency and care, but the worst examples of poor SIP trunking stem from quick installations that don’t take into account quality of service and ongoing service management.

The SIP School shared several recommendations based on the findings, including:

• Knowledge and communication are key. Involving all parties in the discussion from the beginning and seeking information and case studies from vendors to better understand how others have deployed SIP will help improve the chances of a successful deployment.

• Understanding interoperability issues is also important, as not every SIP product manufacturer adheres to the standard exactly. This has long been an issue; and as a vendor’s products move further away from the SIP standard, the more difficult it is to make it work with other SIP products.

• Not all networks are ready for SIP trunking. The SIP School recommended assessing the existing network for sustainability. One of the concerns the report detailed was the increasing interest in software-defined WAN, which The SIP School noted beats MPLS on cost but can only be taken seriously when it delivers an assured service.

• Determine what is necessary and draft that in your service level agreement. The SIP School seemed to suggest a “buyer beware” mentality, indicating it’s important to cover everything, from headquarters to the smallest and most remote locations. Besides the SLA in general, The SIP School recommended testing out response times at various times, such as 6:00 pm on a Friday.

• Documentation is critical. According to The SIP School, poor documentation has led many businesses down the wrong path toward SIP trunking adoption. The best chance for success includes using good documentation that supports the particular configuration of the PBX and SBC/edge devices involved.

• Once deployment is completed, ensuring operational efficiency and performance requires continuous monitoring of the solution.