Should you opt for a VoIP exchange or give preference to a SIP one? The answer to that question is not all that clear cut. It all depends on what you need.
With a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) switchboard voice (i.e., audio) signals are converted into digital signals and sent through the network at high speed.
- The switchboard is connected to the company’s local area network (LAN) and is given a fixed IP address.
- All IP devices (phones, routers, switchers etc.) are connected to the computer network (LAN) by a PoE (Power over Ethernet) switch.
- Thanks to this technology, you can even connect IP phone terminals from distant sites via a wide area network (WAN).
A SIP switchboard is likewise a VoIP switchboard, but it also uses the session internet protocol (SIP). As a result, you can use all the devices that are connected to your company's computer network. This can be done in 2 ways:
- Via the internet: you can install this quickly and easily, but because it does not have QoS (the quality of service that ensures that all voice traffic receives priority) there is no guarantee of optimum call quality.
- Via a backbone: a network similar to the internet, but which is managed by one entity. Because of the higher data flow rate, there is space for QoS and voice traffic is therefore always given priority.