SIP

SIP or Session Initiation Protocol is a set of internet standards that enable voice, video and multimedia communications to operate over TCP/IP protocols. The core SIP standard was ratified in June of 2002 and thus has benefited from years of technical contribution from nearly every communications equipment supplier and service provider during its development as an internet standard. SIP enjoys wide acceptance and deployment both within service provider and enterprise networks. Click on the link to learn more. https://stlcom.com/pics/db/document_library/38_AuraScalabilityReliabilityfinalSIPUC4749.pdf or this link for a detailed technical discussion around scalability and reliability. https://stlcom.com/pics/db/document_library/39_AuraScalabilityTechGuideSIPUC4750.pdf

What are the disadvantages of SIP?

1) Potential decrease in call quality when bandwidth is saturated

2) May have problems connecting disparate phone systems

3) Newer technology (not tried and true like T1/PRI)

4) Lack of features for endpoints

5) Vulnerable to eavesdropping

6) Vulnerable to registration and hijacking (steal the number)

7) Traditional firewalls don’t protect

8) Toll fraud

9) Audio injection (hacker adds noise)

10) Not available everywhere like a T1/PRI

11) SPIT – Spam over internet telephony

12) Can expose to unacceptable content or offensive language

13) Hackers can make calls for you

Advantages of SIP

1. Cost effective: can purchase in increments of 1 vs. PRI/24
2. Opportunity to extend real-time communications beyond LAN
3. Specific QOS measures to ensure better voice quality
4. Immediate PSTN connecting redirect
5. Is as reliable as traditional PSTN circuits
6. Make calls nationally/globally at a static rate
7. Redundancy with multiple service providers and links
8. Connect unlike telephone systems to a multi-site business
9. Less expensive with native connections to telephone system as no gateways or line cards are needed
10. Optimize your data pipe to accommodate voice and data from the PTSN
11. Add trunk capacity quickly vs. PRI which can take up to 30-90 days for provisioning