SIP Trunking Greg RothmanDirector, SIPconnect Development Cbeyond

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SIP Trunking

• Evolution of SIP Trunking and SIPconnect

• Benefits of SIP Trunking

• Key Challenges in a SIP Trunking Deployment

• SIPconnect Compliant Certification Program

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SIP Trunking

Evolution of SIP Trunking

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IP PBXs - A Disruptive Technology

Why this trend?

• Direct-Inward-Dial #s down market

• Feature Richness

• Multi-location Support

• Geographic Independence

• Soft-phone Support

• Desktop/Application Integration

• Simplified Moves, Adds, Changes

• Single Wiring Infrastructure

• Low Cost to SupportSources: Synergy Research, Frost & Sullivan, CompTIA

Rapidly evolving IP PBX / hybrid market allows SMBs to take advantage of features typically available only to large enterprises

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• “SIP” alone does not insure compatibility. As of January 2008, SIP is comprised of 49 RFCs and 139 Internet Drafts. The specific support required by an IP PBX and service provider was loosely defined as it concerns IP PBX to service provider peering.

• SIP only defines base primitives

• A higher-level specification was needed

Need for a SIP Trunking “Standard”

SIP is the standard for VoIP communications

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2004 - Industry Consensus Needed

• In 2004, Cbeyond: – Viewed IP PBXs as disruptive technology– Began discussing development of a SIP Trunking “standard” with

PBX manufacturers

• January 2005:– Cbeyond put first BeyondVoice with SIPconnect customer on-net

• February 2005:– SIPconnect specification announced at VoiceCon by initial sponsors

• Industry feedback was very positive at VoiceCon, but industry-wide organization was required to get wide spread acceptance.

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SIPconnect Specification

• New SIP Forum Working Group was formed– IP PBX and service provider interoperability task group– 1st meeting was July 20, 2005 with over 40 companies represented– www.sipforum.org/sipconnect

• June 2006 - SIPconnect Recommendation declared complete by SIP Forum Working Group chair and authors/editors

• August 2006 - Cbeyond transfers trademarked “SIPconnect” term to SIP Forum

• September 2006 - The SIP Forum Formally Announces SIPconnect: New Initiative Designed to Enable Enterprise to Service Provider SIP Connectivity at Fall VON

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SIPconnect reference architecture

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SIP Trunking

Benefits of SIP Trunking

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Benefits of SIP Trunking

• Direct Inward Dial (DID) affordable for smaller companies

• Upfront and Maintenance Cost Savings

• Improved Voice Quality

• Rich Feature Support

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SIP Trunking

Key Challenges in a SIP Trunking Deployment

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Biggest Challenges

• VAR Education – it is critical that VARs understand voice and data on the customer premise or team up together

• Firewalls – SIP-aware firewalls that properly support ALG need to become commonplace

• SIPconnect Compliance – PBX developers, SIP Application Server Providers, Service Providers, and other SIP Trunking equipment and software vendors need to embrace this industry level effort

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SIP Trunking

SIPconnect Compliant Certification Program

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SIPconnect Compliant Certification

• The SIPconnect Compliant mark is the official brand of the leading standard for SIP Trunking products and services.

• Who should get certified?– Service providers, PBX developers or makers of

SIPconnect compliant products or services

• Program launched in September 26, 2007 with following participants:

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Certification Program

• The steps to apply are as follows: 

1. Complete and submit  the SIPconnect Compliant Application

2. Complete the SIPconnect Compliance Survey for each product you plan to list as SIPconnect Compliant

3. Sign and Submit the SIPconnect License Agreement • Certification Committee members will review applications and

provide a response within two weeks of submission.

– Approved– Approved Contingent Upon Confirmation of Eligibility– Not Approved

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Conclusions and Next Steps

• SIPconnect is a viable standard for SIP Trunking with wide PBX support and growing Service Provider support

• SIPconnect can drive new value for your customers through lower equipment cost, improved quality, and new end-to-end IP capabilities.

• SIPconnect can be safely deployed by enterprises so long as your partners and PBX vendor is carefully chosen

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QUESTIONS?