SIP emerges as de facto VoIP standard

Pro

24 February 2006

Session initiation protocol (SIP) is emerging as the de facto corporate standard for VoIP networks running converged voice/data communications, industry experts reported today.

Analyst firm Frost & Sullivan said that SIP is anticipated to “replace the traditional modes of communication, and create an alternative communication industry reducing network elements to mere call-forwarding devices”. Technology incorporating the communications standard is expected to witness particularly strong growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Despite the potential of SIP, interoperability of features and applications is a “significant challenge” as complex deployments with multi-vendor products fail to support advanced capabilities.

As several enterprises have invested heavily in legacy systems, ensuring the compatibility of SIP-enabled systems with legacy infrastructure will become essential to promote its implementation.

And as return on investment and successful business case studies are vital to influence enterprise investments, collaboration between vendors will become essential to facilitate the standardisation of SIP.
“Vendors will need to collaborate and test their solutions extensively,” said Shomik Banerjee, industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan. “Certification testing will also prove beneficial in assisting the mainstream adoption of SIP-based applications and services.”

Due to the intensifying pressure faced by application developers to improve time to market, Banerjee believes there is a growing need to standardise video services in particular. In this context, it will become essential for the regulatory body to become proactive and issue specifications and guidelines to limit proprietary solutions from entering the market.

With well defined extensions for voice communication, SIP for Business is likely to standardise business features, thereby transforming enterprise communication. Accordingly, server systems are likely to replace private branch exchanges.

SIP is also anticipated to create greater emphasis on enhanced software-based call processors that will be based on standards. Intelligence will migrate from network elements towards endpoints, thereby creating a ‘smartphone’ era. Consequentially, SIP is expected to transform the value chain as well as the methods of communication.

As large networks utilise legacy protocols, SIP will need to co-exist to gain greater acceptance. “SIP will have to support mixed media and mixed protocol environments to remain successful,” said Banerjee. “And commoditising call control and offering it as a reliable, independent platform will have a profound effect on the uptake of SIP.”

The analyst firm also noted that VoIP security remains a crucial factor threatening to affect market growth. Hence, SIP security infrastructure will have to support multiple intermediaries and endpoints, anonymity, call tracing as well as legal intercept and privacy protection.

Vendors are advised to provide a secure infrastructure for multimedia/multi-modal communication over SIP, while also ensuring quality of service, reliability and scalability.

www.frost.com

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