Infographic: SIP Trunking vs. PRIInfographic: SIP Trunking vs. PRI

Which voice and data delivery mechanism is right for your business?

SIP or PRI? It's a question that IT policy makers have grappled with all across the world. It's also a subject that can polarize opinion amongst IT experts, with some swearing by the newer SIP (session initiation protocol) technology and others preferring the tried and trusted PRI (primary rate interface). How do the two options really compare?

Irish Telecom created the below infographic that analyzes both options under a variety of headings, such as circuitry/hardware needed, ease of upscaling, costs, capacity planning, business continuity and quality of service. For most of these criteria, SIP would seem to be the preferable option. With SIP, connections are virtual, upscaling is as simple as a configuration change, it costs less, and adding capacity is a straightforward process. PRI, by comparison, relies on manual connections, needs new hardware for upscaling, isn't all that cost effective, and needs time for capacity to be added.

However, PRI still has one significant advantage over SIP: quality of service. As PRI is used exclusively for phone calls, a high quality of service is guaranteed. By contrast, SIP data is transmitted in packets, which are prone to being delayed or lost. Therefore, if your business prioritizes quality of service over all other factors, PRI is the better option for delivering voice and data into the company.

For policy makers not particularly wedded to one option over the other, an alternative is using a combination of the two. Phone calls can be transmitted primarily over a SIP trunk, and if that line is down, PRI is there as a backup to redirect the calls. Take a look at the infographic below for further analysis of the two options.

Orla Forrest is a Business Development Executive for Irish Telecom, an Irish company providing secure, high-speed Internet connectivity. She has more than a decade of experience in the technology and telecommunications sector, having also worked with firms involved with network connectivity solutions and bulk SMS marketing. She has a burning interest in all technological matters and has contributed as a freelance author to numerous channels. To contact Orla, you can email her at [email protected]