"SIP's open-standard protocol enables seamless convergence with the existing PBX and IT infrastructure to allow wrap-and-embrace rather than rip-and-replace the infrastructure." Parminder SainiIndustry, Manager, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia & Middle East

The role of a traditional call center is evolving from handling a basic customer query to managing varied online and voice communications. The business complexity has transformed it into today's contact center, which needs to integrate all channels of communication, whether it is a phone call, fax, e-mail, instant message, or other data transmission, combined with automated business process applications. Besides, video, which is the central piece of unified communications (UC), assumes different forms ranging from desktop- and PC-based video conferencing to high-definition boardroom systems and immersive telepresence systems. There is a gradually increasing need for richer communications like presence-aware and mobility-based video conferencing. This can be easily achieved by transitioning from traditional technologies to SIP-based (session initiation protocol-based) technologies.

Understanding SIP

SIP refers to a standard protocol used for initiating and terminating video and voice calls over an IP network. It is gaining increasing prominence in the UC market, as it does not mandate the replacement of legacy infrastructure. Rather, SIP's open-standard protocol enables seamless convergence with existing PBX and IT infrastructure to allow wrap-and-embrace rather than rip-and-replace the infrastructure.

In case of contact centers, it can rightly integrate and deliver functionalities to home agents, outsourced agents, and remotely located mobile workers, while bringing together all media options online, thereby resulting in contact center virtualization. It provides flexibility with high resilience and reliability. It enables mobility without any technology barriers, media boundaries, or network limitations, allowing easier deployment and integration into business processes.

With regard to video conferencing, majority of traction is observed for dual-based video conferencing systems that can support ISDN and IP, which are more than enough for an organization that follows a siloed video environment. However, when there is a need to connect to other applications like presence and e-mail, the state-of-the-art SIP-enabled video conferencing system is a mandatory solution to have a complete UC architecture in an enterprise.

Connecting UC Suite

UC-enabled virtualized contact centers are a product of SIP-based solutions, with fully integrated channels of voice, interactive voice response (IVR), e-mail, instant messaging (IM), and other web-collaboration modules. One can achieve high customer satisfaction by resorting to first call resolution by utilizing presence capability and skills of subject matter experts brought about by SIP. It is a technology that enables communications between web users and contact centers. Deployment of SIP trunks is especially beneficial for large enterprises; it can facilitate multi-site support by integrating with various UC applications.

In case of video conferencing, the market has been witnessing a series of product launches that are SIP compliant. This is due to the fact that widely accepted H323 protocol-based devices are bound with a limitation of supporting only voice and video, without extending any support to presence and instant messaging. However, the demand for a richer UC system is gradually increasing, and this has led to the development of SIP-based video conferencing systems. As SIP works on the redirecting principle, calls get forwarded to the concerned person irrespective of location, which means the systems are presence-enabled and the calls can also be initiated irrespective of the mode/device of communication. As there is a gradually growing uptake of presence and integrated UC applications, it is essential to launch SIP-based solutions that can comply with all standards and can interoperate with all devices.

Benefits of SIP

In contact centers, the implementation of SIP leads to the following key benefits:

• A virtualized contact center provides efficiency in operation and resources by managing communication services at any location, even home offices.
• It simplifies network architecture and reduces operating costs, reducing telephone cost with on-net calling (end-to-end IP).
• It provides a foundation for UC integration into contact centers for all employees accessible across multimodal communications.
• It enables business continuity with open standards, and non-proprietary centers allowing best-of-breed deployment and greater flexibility.

As video is a vital piece of UC architecture, standardizing on SIP would help create a single protocol layer for all UC applications. With change of communication patterns of users in an enterprise and with the infusion of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) concept, IT department of an enterprise would find it easier to handle all under one roof rather than managing different protocols.

Concerns in Adaptability

Changing from traditional telephony architecture to a SIP service infrastructure is a fundamental change for any business, which requires a conviction that the initial investment would reap benefits and bring in the desired return on investment. Many providers resell SIP trunks and their associated infrastructure components, but a few are able to deliver a complete end-to-end solution with regular support and maintenance. Also, lack of a clear set of policies for IP legalization has been deterring the growth of the IP telephony market.

Another area of concern, especially in contact centers, is confidentiality and security within contact center operations deploying any remote workers or mobile agents that would depend on non-secure data circuits to transport voice and data. However, embedding these protocols such as SIP-over-TLS (transport layer security) and secure real-time transport protocol (SRTP), along with session border controllers, would provide enhanced contact center security.

In video, mixed-protocol architecture is currently being practiced in India. Also, there could be a range of video systems deployed in the past that support different standards like H320, H323, and SIP for signaling. Besides, there are additional protocols for add-on functions like floor control and camera settings. Hence, usage of appropriate gateways is very important for inter-operability between the above-mentioned protocols. Considering the complication around connecting multiple protocols, telecom service providers in the ecosystem are developing their expertise to integrate multiple video conferencing devices, irrespective of protocols, networks, and devices, in the form of managed video services.

Prospects for SIP Trunking Services

SIP provides a solution for enterprises to migrate to IP-based solutions while continuing to leverage their current investments in legacy infrastructure. It also reduces the total cost of ownership, by reducing the hardware and maintenance cost and future-proofing their environment against technology and business changes. A transparent and viable policy for legalization of IP would boost IP penetration and also act as a foundation for deployment of UC solutions. With SIP-enabling, interoperability of applications and greater integration of UC solutions are made possible. By leveraging the power and flexibility of SIP-enabled IP solutions, enterprises would collaborate better and render better-quality customer services with advanced technologies and improved efficiencies.