Are SBCs Needed With Cloud-Based Telephone Systems?

When businesses first started transitioning to VoIP (Voice over IP) phone systems, Session Border Controllers (SBCs) were considered a critical piece of hardware. They helped manage and secure voice communications between networks, ensuring calls were delivered smoothly and safely. But in today’s world of cloud-based telephone systems, the question arises: Do you really need an SBC anymore?

In short: not really. Let’s explore why SBCs were so important in the past, and how modern cloud-based solutions, like those from ClearlyIP, can give you everything you need without the headache of additional hardware.

The Role of SBCs: A Quick Refresher

Traditionally, SBCs acted as gatekeepers for your VoIP network. Think of them as the telecom equivalent of a traffic cop, managing and securing the flow of data (in this case, voice calls) between different networks. SBCs were responsible for call routing, ensuring that different communication protocols could “talk” to each other, and safeguarding your network from fraud or attacks.

While this all sounds incredibly useful (and it was), SBCs come with a few downsides: they’re expensive, require complex configuration, and need ongoing maintenance. And as we’ll soon explain, many of these functions can now be handled more efficiently by modern cloud-based solutions, making SBCs a bit of a relic for businesses using cloud telephony.

Why SBCs Aren’t as Necessary Anymore

As cloud-based telephone systems have taken center stage, the need for SBC hardware has diminished. Cloud PBX systems, like those offered by ClearlyIP, have built-in security and management features that take over much of the functionality previously handled by an SBC.

Let’s Break Down How:

1. Security: One of the main reasons businesses adopted SBCs was to keep their VoIP network safe from toll fraud and hacking attempts. But modern cloud VoIP systems have advanced security protocols already baked in. At ClearlyIP, we take this even further with robust fraud prevention measures built into our CloudPBX and SIP trunking services, protecting your calls without the need for a separate SBC.
2. Protocol Handling: SBCs were useful in environments where different networks or communication protocols needed to “talk” to each other. Today, most cloud telephony services, including ClearlyIP’s, use standardized protocols that don’t require additional hardware to communicate across networks. This simplifies the entire process, making it easier to set up and manage without any specialized equipment.
3. Call Management: One of the SBC’s key functions was ensuring call quality and managing traffic. With ClearlyIP’s CloudPBX, you get enterprise-grade call management features built directly into the platform. This includes call routing, call queuing, and traffic prioritization to ensure high-quality voice communication, even under heavy network load—all without needing an SBC to intervene.
4. Scalability: Here’s where the old model really starts to show its age. Traditional SBCs were designed for on-premise systems and could be expensive to scale up. In contrast, ClearlyIP’s cloud solutions grow with your business effortlessly. Need to add more users or scale up your call volume? It’s as easy as a few clicks in the system dashboard—no extra hardware, no additional configuration headaches.

The Cloud Advantage: Why ClearlyIP Does It Better

At ClearlyIP, we believe that businesses should be able to focus on their operations, not their telecom infrastructure. That’s why we’ve designed our CloudPBX and SIP trunking solutions to handle all the important tasks that SBCs once did, but in a much more streamlined and cost-effective way.

Here’s How We Deliver More Value:

1. Cost Savings: Let’s face it—SBCs are expensive. The hardware itself can cost a small fortune, not to mention the setup and ongoing maintenance fees. With ClearlyIP’s cloud-based solutions, there’s no need for any extra equipment. You get all the security, call management, and fraud prevention you need at a fraction of the cost.
2. Simplified Management: Managing an SBC requires a specialized skill set. But with ClearlyIP’s CloudPBX, everything is managed from a user-friendly dashboard that anyone can navigate. Whether it’s setting up new users, routing calls, or monitoring call traffic, it’s all handled in the cloud with minimal effort on your part.
3. Fraud Prevention: We take fraud prevention seriously, which is why we’ve built sophisticated fraud detection and prevention tools directly into our platform. ClearlyIP’s SIP trunking service helps to safeguard your network from toll fraud and other VoIP-related attacks, ensuring your business remains secure without needing an SBC to act as the gatekeeper.
4. Focus on Growth: One of the biggest advantages of cloud-based systems is their ability to scale with your business. With ClearlyIP, you can add new users, features, or capacity instantly—no need to upgrade or reconfigure expensive hardware like an SBC. This makes our system perfect for small and mid-sized businesses looking for flexibility and future growth.

Do You Really Need an SBC Today?

The answer is: Probably not. Unless you’re managing a highly complex, multi-network telecom infrastructure (which is increasingly rare for most businesses), an SBC is likely overkill.

At ClearlyIP, we’ve designed our solutions to give you all the benefits of an SBC—security, call management, and fraud prevention—without the need for additional hardware. Our cloud-based approach is more flexible, scalable, and affordable, making it the perfect fit for small to mid-sized businesses that don’t want to get bogged down with unnecessary equipment.

Ready to Ditch the Hardware?

If you’re still relying on an SBC to keep your phone system running, it might be time to consider a simpler, more cost-effective alternative. With ClearlyIP’s CloudPBX, Clearly Cloud, and SIP trunking, you can get all the features you need—plus robust fraud protection and easy scalability—without the headache of managing extra hardware.