A major aspect of VoIP technology is SIP and SIP trunking. In this post, we are going to tell you what SIP is and how it relates to SIP trunking. We are also going to discribe how SIP trunking works and show you the difference between hosted PBX and non-hosted PBX SIP trunking.
What is SIP?
What Does SIP Stand For?
So what is SIP? SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a type of protocol that initiates a session over the Internet.
What is a Protocol?
In case you don’t know what a protocol is, it’s a set of rules governing the format of messages that are exchanged between computers.
What Does SIP Do?
SIP is used to initiate a session as simple as a two-way telephone call or as complex as a collaborative multi-media conference session. Whatever the session is that is being initiated; SIP is the protocol that makes it happen.
Why is SIP Important?
SIP makes a variety of innovative services function properly. These services include things like voice-enriched e-commerce, web page click-to-dial, Instant Messaging, and most importantly for us, Voice over IP services. SIP makes it possible for these communication mediums to start transferring data and end transferring data.
A Protocol of Choice for Signaling
Adopted by Voice over IP (VoIP) Community
Over the last couple of years, the Voice over IP community has adopted SIP as its protocol of choice for signaling.
Known as RFC 3261
It has been used so much that now it has become a RFC standard, known as RFC 3261.
RFC: Request for Comments
RFC stands for Request For Comments.
Data Interchange Between a Client and Server
The term RFC is used to signify a procedure for data interchange between a client and server.
IETF
The organization that determines standard protocols like SIP is called the Internet Engineering Task Force. The IETF is the body responsible for administering and developing the mechanisms that comprise the Internet.
Benefit: SIP is Flexible
SIP has played a very important role in shaping today’s telecom industry. SIPs main benefit is that it is flexible and it works well with other protocols. It’s actually very similar to HTTP and SMTP, the protocols that power the World Wide Web and email. All of these are request-response protocols and they work well together.
SIPs Main Purpose
Again, just to clarify, SIPs main purpose it to establish, manipulate, and tear down sessions. SIP helps session originators deliver invitations to potential session participants wherever they may be. In a nut shell, that is SIP’s role.
Have questions about SIP? Comment below!
