.: How SIP Works
By:Mansi gupta
Category:Home / Technology / Video Conferencing
Have you ever wondered why long distance calls cost so much? In part the reason is because telephone lines cost so much. When driving, you might occasionally see a telephone crew maintaining a telephone line, but what you may have never considered is that there are literally thousands of individuals working around the clock to maintain our telephone lines.
The telephony system works via a cog and wheel setup. What this means is that every long distance call you make is routed along a telephone wire to a central station, where your voice is routed to another central station, which is finally carried to the person with whom you are trying to communicate. For the call to be maintained, the entire time you are speaking, a space along all the lines in between you and the person you are talking with must be completely devoted to you. Because millions of people are talking at the same time, the little space along the telephone lines becomes rather desired property. And like all things desired, the price is high. Before recent innovations, however, there were no alternatives, so everyone grudgingly paid the often costly long-distance telephone bill.
SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, has turned the telephony world upside down. Specifically, SIP refers to a protocol that allows computers to talk to each other without going through a central station. Practically, what that means for you and me is that it is no longer necessary to pay for expensive telephone lines to complete our calls. SIP technology is a relatively new development in which calls are made on a peer-to-peer rather than cog and wheel network. What that means, is that you are now able to call people directly from your SIP enabled phone to theirs. This ends up being radically cheaper than the old way of calling.
The SIP system does not require a central computer and operators like the old telephony system did. Rather, your computer, or SIP enabled phone, does all the routing for you.
SIP has been around for a number of years, but only recently has it begun to go mainstream and take off in popularity. This quick increase in interest over SIP is due to companies like Mobalex, who were aware of the fact that over the generations we have come to expect certain tones, buttons, and protocols from our phones. So what they have done is to transpose those functions onto the SIP system. Rather than forcing users to communicate in a completely new way, what these companies have done is to provide a calling experience which from the user’s perspective is completely identical to traditional telephony.
SIP is typically offered in two formats, computer based and hardware based. Computer based SIP is a system that allows you to make calls using your computer as the router and communicating via a headset on your computer. The more practical and popular version, however, actually provides you with new SIP enabled telephone handsets or converts your existing phones to SIP. By eliminating any technical requirements, modern SIP providers have made using the system as easy, or easier, than using a traditional phone. I say easier, because many companies are able to take advantage of the fact that the system is internet based to provide you with some very unique benefits. These include the ability to adjust your plan, change your calling options, and even pay your bill from the same website.
SIP technology is quite revolutionary in the world of communication. By creating a peer-to-peer network, SIP has been able to radically undercut the prices of traditional telephony, take advantage of the Internet, and still maintain the ease of traditional telephony. It is merely a matter of time before we are all using SIP for all of our telephoning needs.
Article keywords: SIP, Web Call, video conferencing
Article Source: http://www.articles32.com
Mansi gupta writes about SIP. Learn more at www.mobalex.com/products/sip4pbx.html .
.: New Video Conferencing Articles
1). How to Act on a Professional Conference Call
When would a person not want to appear professional with their employers or prospective employers? Here are the tips to do just that on a conference call.
2). Turn Your Low-Tech Office into a High-Tech Web Conferencing Center
Simplify your communication effort with web conferencing
3). Conference Call Tips That Will Have You Hosting Like a Pro
How to host a conference call like professional.
4). Save on Conference Calls: Know How to Pick a Provider
How to make sure you choose the right provider for your conference call needs
5). Video Conferencing: A Quick Fix for Your Communication Problems
Find out how online web video conferencing can help you with your business...
6). 9 Proper Conference Call Etiquette For A Better Conference Calling Experience
How to get the most out of your conference call by having proper etiquette
7). 11 Things To Remember When Choosing A Conference Call Service
Choosing a conference call service can be a daunting task for some people. Learn what you should consider before choosing the right conference call service for your needs
.: Top Video Conferencing Articles
1). Video Chatting tips
Chatting can be full of fun and enjoyment.It is easy to do and you get to know interesting people from around the world.
First time chatting is sometimes scary experience for people. You just do not know what to say and everyone is writing with abbreviations, so you don't even understand what is being said. Just remember, everyone in that room had a first time experience and almost everyone will help guide you.
2). Plan Ahead - Determine Your Bandwidth Requirements For Video Conferencing Early
Most of today's companies are maximizing their travel budgets and communication requirements by making smart use of videoconferencing as an alternative to face-to-face meetings. With this decision to implement enterprise-level videoconferencing comes a requirement for bandwidth solutions which are reliable and cost effective.
Videoconferencing can leverage the existing public telephone network, a private IP network or the Internet.
3). Video Conferencing Hardware and You
If you are new to the game there is some video conferencing hardware to consider.
Gone are the days when you had to fly across the country and drain your company's expense account just to attend a two-hour meeting. Now, all you have to do is turn on your computer and you're ready to go.
But if you are new to the world of video conferencing online, it may not be that easy.
4). Video Conferencing Will Help Your Business
Does your business have locations far and wide, with employees who must meet with each other in order for your business to run smoothly? If so, you know how expensive gathering all your employees together in one place can be. Video conferencing could help your business save time and money, as well as increase productivity and employee satisfaction.
If.
5). Conference Calls - Stay Connected!
Did you ever imagine that you could actually talk to more than one person using your phone? Well, conference calls allow you to. This means you and your friends can communicate from different places at the same time, and even listen to each others voice without having to put one on hold. Now with the invention of video conference you can even look at each other while talking.
6). Teleconferencing - The Bordlerless Classroom
Teleconferencing has become so elementary and so pervasive in day-to-day society that it does not involve a great level of skill to operate. On the contrary, you can be a junior high school student or even medical student or beyond, and it would work just as easy for you.
In fact, students from all over the nation and around the globe are hosting their own video teleconferencing sessions as we speak, whether it's for a school related project or if it is to discuss a business project, etc.
7). Video Conferencing - How Law Firms Can Benefit
Video conferencing has been used by law firms for many years, but only until recently has it become affordable for even the smallest of firms. Equipment that cost tens of thousands of dollars only a few years ago, can be purchased for a fraction of that cost today. The products have become more reliable, easier to use, more compact, even portable, and their capabilities and features have been enhanced drastically.