4 Things You Didn’t Know SIP Could Do

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) addresses many of the issues with the development of robust IP telephony systems – a technology that has been predicted to revolutionize the way businesses and people talk to each other.

And while SIP may very well be the basis of all next generation telephony, there is still potential for it to be so much more. Here are just four things you (maybe) didn’t know SIP can do!

What is SIP?

SIP is a signaling protocol used for establishing sessions in an IP network. These sessions may be a phone call, an IM conversation, or a video conference. SIP was built specifically to establish sessions so it does not actually know the details of a session; it just initiates, modifies, and terminates them. This protocol also closely resembles HTTP and SMTP, the two Internet protocols used to power the web and email.

As such, SIP can be very easily integrated into other already existing services found on the Internet, making it an extremely flexible technology in a constantly changing field.

So, what can SIP do you for you and your business?

Browser Applications
SIP can be used to give any browser multimedia capabilities. For example, a website can use SIP to establish real-time communication sessions between customers and employees with click-to-call links. These sessions can contain voice, data, video, files, etc. This would make the browser a one-stop-shop for computing and communications.

Mobile
The SIP client software can be embedded in different mobile devices because it is lightweight. This cross platform compatibility allows devices to become a means of accessing services associated with the user, instead of closed systems. 3G networks selected SIP as their signaling protocol, meaning that every call made in a 3G network will be established using SIP.

Presence
SIP’s inherent presence capability means that a network knows where users are, whether they are accessible, and the best way to reach them. Users can set up profiles in a central database that will handle calls based on time of day, call ID, and location so that incoming calls are directed to the correct device automatically. Google Voice, anyone?

Business Call Management
SIP enables a convergence of communications systems at the desktop. With voice services integrated into preexisting applications, the information management capabilities of the Internet can be used to transform the way businesses communicate. For example, a presence management application could be implemented within a business so that upon registration, SIP is aware of the call status of an employee. Within a group, it would be possible to know whether somebody is busy or available to take call. With a SIP-based business VoIP solution the busy tone might very well become a thing of the past. Furthermore, with SIP, users can easily decide how they want to take their messages. With a click of a button, a message session might quickly change from IM to a phone conversation or a video chat.