Inbound Call Center and SIP Trunk Call Manager
Session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking is, in effect, a virtual phone line. It’s what allows your voice over IP (VoIP) phone system to connect to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Rather than relying on phone lines, SIP trunking routes your calls through the internet. SIP trunking uses circuit switching to route calls seamlessly through available networks.
An integrated SIP trunk call manager is a scalable and highly customizable solution. It lets you adjust your phone system as needed based on business demands.
What Is an Inbound SIP Trunk?
SIP trunks can be inbound or outbound. An inbound SIP trunk lets you receive incoming calls through your internet connection. This means that you don’t need telephone lines or a long-term contract with a telecom provider. With a direct connection to the PSTN, your inbound SIP trunk manages your internal phone system and transfers. It sends calls to the PSTN only at their final stage.
You can get an idea of how this works by thinking through the history of the traditional phone system. At one time, telephone operators sat in front of banks of cables, physically patching one to the next. The PSTN automated this process.
Today, most of the network relies on digital circuits rather than analog cables. An inbound SIP trunk takes your calls mostly off the PSTN. They are internally routed through the SIP trunk instead.
How Does an Inbound SIP Trunk Work?
Like the PSTN, an inbound SIP trunk uses digital switching to route calls. It connects directly to the PSTN. The SIP trunk itself routes all your inbound calls to the appropriate lines in your VoIP system.
A SIP trunk can also reroute calls as needed to avoid jammed lines. In this way, it can be more reliable than traditional phone services. It also lowers costs in several important ways:
● There is no need to install physical phone lines
● You don't need to sign up for traditional telephone service
● The majority of the call is routed via the internet. Only the final connection is handled through the PSTN
Advantages of an Inbound SIP Trunk
Converging your local and long-distance calling onto a single circuit saves you money. Other significant advantages of an inbound SIP trunk include:
● More reliable, with less downtime
● Single point of contact
● Flat monthly bill
● Integration with almost any IP-based PBX (private branch exchange) system and existing device
● Manage remote locations and devices from one central cloud-based access point
● No waiting weeks or months for phone line installation
● Scalable as needed, just add SIP trunks as your company grows
● Little to no hardware required
● Faster ROI (return on investment) when replacing legacy telephone systems
What Is a SIP Trunk Call Manager?
A SIP trunk call manager lets you harness the power of SIP trunking. It lets you manage every aspect of your business phone system from a single spot. You can access your SIP trunk call manager via a web portal or a mobile app. It works seamlessly with your unified communications system, which increases the reliability of all your communications. It also reduces the chances of missed communications. By utilizing specialized web portal development services, businesses can ensure their SIP trunk call manager is not only functional but also tailored to meet specific operational needs, improving overall efficiency.
How a SIP Trunk Call Manager Works as an Inbound Call Center
Think of your SIP trunk call manager as a business control center for all your inbound calls. Here are some of the most common features a SIP trunk call manager can offer you:
● Ability to route calls based on the time of day or week
● Load balancing and other tools for better call routing
● Email or text alerts for missed calls
● Voicemail or out-of-office replies
● An integrated SIP trunk manager app or online portal
● Call statistics and advanced analytics
● Simple setup for new employees, including those working remotely
● Customization and scalability
Unlike a traditional call center, there is no need for complicated advanced planning every time you want to make a change. Remote employees are as easy to add as those physically sitting in the office.
Customizing or scaling the system is a simple matter of logging in to the portal or app and making a few clicks. You don’t need complex hardware or phone lines, and you don’t need a lot of different software solutions. The learning curve is short, and you can make corrections as you go along.
Benefits of a SIP Trunk Call Manager
With a SIP trunk call manager, you’ll be able to easily streamline your phone communication. A call center acts as your point of command for all things related to business communication. You can log in from any desktop, laptop or mobile device.
Benefits of this type of system include:
Call Management
Business hours can be extremely busy, and sometimes it’s difficult to effectively manage your calls. A SIP call manager offers several solutions for better call management. You can route calls in advance, view call performance in real time for better agent assignment, set up missed call notifications and more.
Improved Customer Service and Support
A SIP trunk call manager offers features such as hunt grouping. This ensures that calls will always be answered by the most qualified employee. You can use call load balancing so that certain teams aren’t overwhelmed. You can even queue incoming calls.
Your SIP trunk call manager also provides easy access to the latest call statistics, giving you valuable insight for better management decisions.
Business Continuity
On-demand call redirection lets you quickly send calls to the relevant department, even if it is in a different physical location. You can also set up calls from specific numbers or locations to always redirect to a specific line. Remote employees are never left out of the loop, as they can receive calls as easily as on-site employees do.
Improving continuity for callers boosts productivity. It also increases satisfaction for both employees and customers. Ultimately, it can even improve your bottom line by reducing wasted time on the phone.
How an Inbound Call Center and SIP Trunk Call Manager Can Help Your Business
Business communication can be tough. If you have several locations or employees working remotely, it can be even harder. Yet today's customers expect businesses to be highly responsive to their needs. They may even go elsewhere if they feel like their questions are not addressed in a timely manner.
Inbound call centers solve these problems. They quickly route calls to employees who can help. They make sure that call loads are balanced and that calls are fairly distributed.
You may have considered setting up an inbound call center in the past. You might have decided against it because you were worried about how much it would cost to install phone lines. Or maybe you already have a call center that is bursting at the seams. Expanding it might seem cost-prohibitive or like it would be a lot of work.
A SIP trunk call manager solves these dilemmas. You can install an entire inbound call center. You can have sophisticated features to improve your call management. Yet you don't have to put in physical phone lines.
The system is highly customizable and easy to scale. It's easy to add new employees, even if they work remotely. In addition, you can integrate your SIP trunk call manager with your unified communications system. This provides even more complete communications management.
Why Choose 8x8 for an Inbound Call Center and SIP Trunk Call Manager
8x8 offers cloud-based solutions that can handle all your business phone needs. The SIP trunk call manager is designed to work with the rest of 8x8's offerings. Here are just a few of the advantages you can enjoy:
● Works with different devices: These systems support integration with a wide variety of mobile devices. They also work well on laptops and desktop computers. By providing unified communications across platforms and devices, you can improve efficiency. Your team members can interact with each other and with customers on any device at any time in any way
● Enterprise-grade features: Phone calls, meetings, conferencing, team messaging, and contact center capabilities are handled efficiently
● Cloud-based system: The cloud-based network means that you don't need to worry about phone lines. Anyone can connect from anywhere with a high-speed internet connection
● Integration with other business tools: 8x8’s unified communications suite uses pre-built APIs. This allows apps such as ZenDesk, NetSuite and Salesforce to integrate into your system for easy access or sharing. It provides for a single data source across devices and systems for ease of analysis
● Secure and compliant: 8x8 also provides security compliance certificates for FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act), SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996)
Choosing the right technology is crucial to a growing business. Take the uncertainty out of the equation by choosing a SIP trunking technology provider that can scale to meet your business' needs, whatever they may be at any given time. Call 1-866-879-8647 or fill out the form below to request a no-obligation quote from an 8x8 product specialist.
