The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation

A Standards-based Approach for Direct IP Interoperability between IP PBXs and VoIP Service Provider Networks

The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation is an important industry initiative that builds on existing IETF standards to define a method for interconnection between IP PBXs and VoIP service provider networks, and specifies a reference architecture, required protocols and features, and implementation rules necessary for seamless IP peering between IP PBXs and VoIP service providers.

Features & Benefits

• A Ubiquitous Approach. SIPconnect provides a common method for IP peering between SIP-enabled IP PBXs and VoIP service providers
• Standards Based. SIPconnect leverages existing SIP and related VoIP standards published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
• Customer Cost Savings. Peering lowers service provider infrastructure cost and reduce the need for customer premises gateways
• Speed to Deployment.  A commonly accepted, standards-based approach reduces the time and effort needed to integrate new products into a service provider network.
• Richer Feature Support. SIPconnect helps service providers deliver enhanced, personalized services to IP-PBXs and extends rich-media services enabled by IP-PBXs across service provider networks
• Quality of Service. Methods for handling QoS configuration, echo cancellation, DTMF relay, packetization rates, codec support and fax and data traffic are defined

Recommendation Status

SIP Forum documents go through several phases on their way to completion:

• Drafts (multiple). This is the phase the document is in during development.
• Proposed Recommendation. Once the document has reached a stage where there are no more comments, it enters this stage, and stays here until multiple interoperable implementations exist.
• (Final) Recommendation. Once proven implementations exist, the document enters its final status.

The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation Version 1.0 has been formally ratified by the SIP Forum (as of January, 2008).

Work on SIPconnect 1.1 has begun!

For an overview of the work in progress, please visit HERE.

In addition, The SIP Forum has created a depository of SIPconnect 1.1 Scoping Documents, which currently includes a submission from Avaya, Broadsoft, CableLabs, Cbeyond, Microsoft, and Siemens, and will be the location of other member contributions as they are made available.

Please click here for the SIPconnect 1.1 Scoping Document depository.