IP Based Telecoms SIP

With the rise in SIP (Session Initiation protocol) Trunking come concerns over the security of a service that is still in its nascent stages. Security concerns are par for the course with any technology but because SIP is still largely unknown outside of the telecoms industry, people are more cautious than usual. According to Steve Johnson of SIP-based security solutions provider Ingate Systems, with the right precautions, SIP can be completely secure. He says that VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) can be more secure than calls made on PSTN. SIP is set to be the next big thing so it’s good to know that we can count on it being secure!

Skype are to open up their SIP programme which launched in August as a closed beta. With the SIP programme from Skype users around the world can call businesses on Unified Communications (UC) systems and vice versa. In order to do this, companies need to create a Business Control Panel on Skype and configure it to work with their existing SIP communications system. The new SIP programme will have plenty of easy-to—use features that will unify communications while cutting costs. Skype have already had thousands of applications for the SIP programme.

A report conducted by Infonetics Research has discovered that SIP Trunking (Session Initiation Protocol) is becoming more widespread. On average, respondents spend up to $500,000 (around £305,717) on SIP Trunking although  T1 lines still rule the roost at the minute.

39% of respondents have installed SIP Trunking solutions already which shows just how popular SIP is becoming. By 2010 the report states, SIP Trunking should be one of the most dominant trunking types around.

Get ready – because if you have a Toshiba phone system, or more specifically, a Strata CIX VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system, then your day is about to get a whole lot better. Toshiba, in conjunction with another company, can now provide SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Trunking on their phone systems. The service will allow Toshiba CIX phone systems to communicate over IP within the company but also outside the company. With a SIP Trunk, the traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines will be replaced with PSTN connectivity for a better service – good news for Toshiba users!

Skype for SIP, launched earlier this year, is expanding its SIP-based IP-PBX solutions by merging it with Cisco Unified Communications – the 500 series for Small Business.

SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises) will be able to utilise features such as receiving inbound calls directly to a PBX system or directing outbound calls via Skype. Management and communications using Skype, SIP and Cisco has never been easier.

Avaya, a key supplier to the UK’s leading business telecoms provider elitetele.com, has recently launched Avaya Aura, a SIP based, unified communication solution that provides reliable and effective telephony for all real-time and non-real time communications.