At the start of every year we make resolutions, raise our hopes and try to predict what the year will bring. For me, I resolve to write engaging, quarterly columns for SIPerspecitve, I am hopeful that my Clemson Tiger football team will finally bring home the ACC title, and I predict 2008 will feature a significant period of growth in SIP Trunking.

 

Once viewed as bleeding-edge technology, SIP Trunking is moving into the mainstream. During 2007, many companies reaped the benefits of replacing legacy telephone lines with SIP Trunking services, 2008 will see an increasing number of companies follow suit.

 

So what is SIP Trunking? It is the direct connection of an IP PBX (News - Alert) to a VoIP service provider over Internet Protocol (IP) using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). SIP Trunking provides, at a minimum, an end-to-end IP connection between users and their service provider. And as adoption of the standard increases, it will provide an end-to-end IP connection between both calling parties.

 

Why does this matter to you? SIP Trunking removes the need for gateways that covert from IP to TDM. This reduces cost and improves quality. By removing the legacy PSTN, SIP Trunking enables new end-to-end features. SIP Trunking users can leverage network-based features that complement the IP PBX, features like disaster recovery and dynamic call capacity, and by enabling direct inward dial, small businesses can bid onerous extensions goodbye.

 

The key virtue of an idea whose time has come is how obvious its value now appears. As enterprises increasingly deploy IP PBXs and service providers convert their infrastructure to IP, the only logical conclusion is that end-to-end IP will happen. Why would a user want to connect their IP PBX to an IP service provider using 30-year-old technology?

 

Think of it this way: you buy a brand-new, high-performance sports car. Would you take it for a joy ride on an unpaved, rocky country road? Probably not. You would want to drive that car on a smoothly-paved open road so you could get the best performance from your investment.

 

Recognition of SIP Trunking’s utility by an increasing number of service providers and users will drive demand and adoption of the technology, further cementing its inevitability.

 

So why will 2008 be the year of SIP Trunking? When predicting the future it is often helpful to examine the past.

 

The first SIP Trunking services emerged in 2003. But these initial offerings were typically confined to a connection between a single, large enterprise IP PBX and a service provider.

 

Fast forward to 2005, a consortium led by my organization, Cbeyond (News - Alert), released the SIPconnect Interface Specification. This initiative was subsequently moved to the SIP Forum, an organization comprised of members from the leading IP communications companies. With a mission to advance the adoption of products and services based on SIP, the SIP Forum (News - Alert) dedicated a large working group to improve the specification. In Fall 2006, the work group released the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation.

 

Building on this success, the SIP Forum launched the SIPconnect Compliant program. This unique certification was created to ensure interoperability among equipment manufacturers, software providers and service providers. The certification recognizes those companies whose technology is compliant with the standard and its technical requirements.

 

Today, it’s more common for an IP PBX to support SIP Trunking than not. At Cbeyond, we offer more than 20 different IP PBXs on our network that carry the SIPconnect Compliant certification. The list of companies that have earned the SIPconnect Compliant program certification are some of the leaders in the IP-communications world, companies like AcmePacket, Avaya, Broadsoft, Cbeyond, Digium (News - Alert), Ingate and McLeod. These companies recognize the short- and long-term benefits of earning this certification. In fact, service provider infrastructure companies like Broadsoft are staking large portions of their forward-looking strategy on the growth of the segment.

 

And SIPconnect compliance does not end with the direct providers. Resellers are also getting the message. Going back to the early days of SIP, it was uncommon for a reseller to have meaningful knowledge about SIPconnect. Driven by educational outreach from service providers and PBX suppliers, many resellers are learning about SIP Trunking and promoting the services to their clients.

 

The work completed from 2003 through 2007 has cemented the basics of SIP Trunking’s interoperability. The SIP Forum and numerous company evangelists have proven the utility of SIP Trunking and established it as a unique standard. Even channel partners recognize SIP Trunking as a technology poised for widespread adoption.

 

Although it is uncertain if Clemson will be a contender in the 2008 college football season, I am certain 2008 will be a break-away year for SIP Trunking.

 

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