2. The SIP Forum has created a public depository of SIPconnect 1.1 Documents, located here, which currently includes documents submitted by Avaya, Broadsoft, CableLabs, Cbeyond, MetaSwitch, Microsoft and Siemens, and is the location of other contributions and iterations of the work, including v.00 through v.14 documents.

3. World-Class Technical and Editorial Support

The SIP Forum Technical Working Group has recruited Spencer Dawkins, a well-known SIP technical expert, to edit the SIPconnect 1.1 specification.

4. Microsoft has joined the SIP Forum and has committed to actively contributing to the SIPConnect work.

Notably, Microsoft has formally joined the SIP Forum as a Full Member company, and has released, for general distribution, their view of how SIPconnect could be constructed. This is based on their own extensive experience with their OCS product and extensive discussions with Enterprises and Service Providers.

5. CableLabs has also joined the SIP Forum as a full member and CableLabs and its member companies are committed to contributing to the SIPconnect 1.1 effort. CableLabs has contributed a document detailing Cable requirements for SIPconnect 1.1, as well as a number of edits to subsequent drafts, which can be found in the SIPconnect 1.1 document depository.

As many of you probably already know, CableLabs is the joint industry standards body of the North American Cable operators. More information about CableLabs can be found here.

It should be no surprise to anyone that Cable Operators want to offer Enterprise-oriented SIP trunking services within their service boundaries. CableLabs and its member companies believe that the SIP Forum SIPconnect process is the best way forward to create a comprehensive industry-wide specification for Enterprise IP-PBX to MSO interconnection.

CableLabs has a extensive PacketCable internal working group devoted to delivering an Enterprise PBX to MSO specification to CableLabs partners. They have agreed to coordinate their efforts with the SIP Forum SIPconnect effort as well as make significant contributions to that end.

6. Broadsoft, a current Full Member of the SIP Forum, has submitted documentation containing comments and suggestions for SIPconnect 1.1, as well as edits to subsequent drafts.

7. Siemens, a current Full Member of the SIP Forum, has submitted documentation containing comments and suggestions for SIPconnect 1.1, as well as edits to subsequent drafts.

8. Avaya, a current Full Member of the SIP Forum, has submitted documentation containing comments and suggestions for SIPconnect 1.1, as well as edits to subsequent drafts.

9. Cbeyond, a current Full Member of the SIP Forum, has submitted documentation containing comments and suggestions for SIPconnect 1.1, as well as edits to subsequent drafts.

10. MetaSwitch has submitted documentation containing edits to draft v.03 of the SIPconnect 1.1 document.

11. A large number of participants have been very active on the SIP Forum Technical Working Group mailing list, submitting comments, suggested edits and other useful information as the work progresses. SIPconnect 1.1 discussion participant companies include AT&T, Cbeyond, Global Crossing, McLeodUSA, XO Communications, Acme Packet, Avaya, Bandwidth.com, Boeing, Broadsoft, Cisco, CableLabs, Columbia University, Covergence, Digium, Encore Software, Huawei, Ingate Systems, MetaSwitch, Microsoft, NeuStar, Nokia, Nortel, Panasonic, Pbxnsip, Polycom, Radvision, Samsung, Siemens Enterprise, Sonus Networks, Tekelec and Voxeo.

Important Notes Regarding the Scope of SIPconnect 1.1

The SIP Forum models its technical working group procedures on the IETF model, with some notable exceptions. The goal of the SIP Forum is not to create new standards. The SIP Forum only makes the existing SIP standards work in the real world and create recommendations that aid in the rapid deployment of SIP applications.

In our original call for papers on 1/25/08, the SIP Forum Technical WG chairs stated: "SIPconnect 1.0 defines 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."

"With the formal adoption by the SIP Forum of the SIPconnect 1.0 Technical Recommendation and rapid adoption of the SIPconnect Compliant program, there is substantial interest in enhancing the work through an updated version of the recommendation to SIPconnect 1.1."

"In order to assess the requirements, goals and potential milestones for a proper task group charter it will be necessary to assess from the SIP community what actually is needed."

The process of initial submissions to the SIPconnect v.1.1 effort created a virtual BOF that scoped the boundaries of the problem of how to build on the initial success of 1.0.

With that initial period of submissions over, it is time to more closely define the scope of work based on the contributions.

Our overriding goal has been to define a scope that can be reasonably implemented by vendors and service providers alike within 12 months. This "go to market" focus weighs heavily on the scope of work for SIPconnect 1.1.

To this end, the TWG chairs have given the Document Editor some general guidance on the scope of SIPconnect 1.1, while retaining considerable latitude on reaching rough consensus.

Our conclusions are as follows:

A. The overriding goal of SIPconnect 1.1 is to correct errors and update protocol references in the ratified 1.0 specification.

C. Though it is understood that Unified Communications will clearly be important in the future of SIP and enterprise communications, issues surrounding the introduction of presence, video, IM et al. into SIPconnect 1.1 are out of scope with the exception that service providers not interfere with end-to-end deployments of those applications.

We have recommended the initial CableLabs Proposal for SIPconnect 1.1 be used as the baseline for a SIPconnect 1.1 Version 00 document. We have directed the Document Editor to consider elements from other proposals that are within the scope described in this document. This signified the start of the real work. There have been additional drafts of the document, containing additions, modifications and deletions based on the work of the SIPconnect 1.1 Work Group. These drafts can be accessed from the document repository, and the entire document will undergo discussion and review on the list to come to rough consensus.

We have also conducted a comprehensive face-to-face meeting during the last week of September, 2008 to comprehensively review the progress and attempt to reach conclusion on a number of disputed issues. The meeting was held at the CableLabs HQ facility in Louisville near Boulder, CO. Resulting edits to the SIPconnect document can be found HERE.

Members of the SIP Forum Technical Working Group list are encouraged to make comments and we want the discussion on 1.1 to continue and give the Document Editor guidance on consensus.

The main SIP Forum document repository for relevant SIPconnect 1.1 contributions is located HERE.

Following and Contributing to the SIPconnect 1.1 Effort

If you are interested in following the progress of the SIPconnect initiative, and wish to contribute to the discussion, you need to be a registered participant of the SIP Forum's Technical Working Group mailing list. To request technical working group registration (new subscription requests are screened), please click HERE.

Please Note: If you request registration using a personal email address, such as one associated with a gmail, yahoo, or other such "generic" domain, please contact the managing director and provide evidence that you are associated with a company that has an obvious connection with IP communications technology. This is necessary in order to protect the list from Spam.

For more information about SIPconnect 1.1, and getting involved in this important industry initiative, please contact the SIP Forum managing director at marc.robins "at" sipforum.org.