Add SIP Trunking to your Legacy PBX

SIP trunks promise very significant savings over traditional business phone lines. A common barrier that stops some businesses from moving to SIP is the misconception there is the need for a SIP enabled PBX. When the goal is to cut costs, it can be difficult to justify the investment in new communications hardware. There is an easy and inexpensive way to leverage SIP trunking even with an older PBX or key system.

Is your PBX SIP enabled?

If you purchased your PBX in the last 8 to 10 years, it is most likely ready to use SIP. It is usually easy to tell. If your PBX has an Ethernet jack (or a data jack) on the back, it is probably SIP capable. The user manual should have a section on “configuring a SIP trunk,” and it will probably contain the words SIP, VoIP, or IP enabled in the specifications. However, if you have older PBX hardware and there is no data jack, it is most probably not SIP-enabled.

Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA)

If you find that your PBX is not designed to be used with SIP trunking, you can still cut your communications costs, you’ll just need to purchase a simple device that attaches to your PBX and allows you to convert the analog signals that your PBX currently uses, to the digital ones necessary for SIP. The device is called an analog telephone adapter (ATA). There are many ATAs available and they come in several sizes from just a single port all the way up to 24 analog ports. You just need to make sure that the SIP trunk provider you choose can support ATAs. CrescentCX supports many, including the Linksys, Grandstream and Cisco devices.

Small Investment for Big Savings

While prices vary by brand and size, it is not uncommon to purchase a 2 port unit for less then $200. That’s not a lot to spend considering how much you will save by switching from traditional PRI lines to SIP. By bridging your legacy PBX to the Internet, you can save as much as 60% of your communications costs. Here’s how:

The fixed monthly costs for SIP unlimited channels are significantly lower than the PRI lines they replace
Traditional lines are sold in blocks of 23 channels. This means that you may be paying for more lines than you need. With SIP trunking, channels are sold one at a time. You pay for only exactly what you need and have the flexibility to grow on demand.
Unlimited SIP trunking from CrescentCX includes local and long distance to most of the United States and Canada. This not only reduces your monthly bill, but it also makes it easy to predict what your expenses will be each month.

Don’t let your legacy PBX hold you back. It’s easy and inexpensive to get it ready for SIP trunking. If you have any questions about how to get started, we’re here to help.