What is the Difference Between SIP Trunking and VoIP?
Confused about just what is the difference between SIP trunking and VoIP….. how are they related and what are the differences? In simplest laymen’s terms the practical answer would go like this…..
1. VOIP “voice over IP” is a generic term used to cover all voice traffic over the internet protocol.
2. SIP trunking is simply voice over IP, using the SIP signaling protocol, but instead of using a single SIP user the service provider is providing many. Basicly like a T1E1 link… but using voip with multiple trunks.
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is an application-layer control (signaling) protocol for creating, modifying, and terminating sessions with one or more participants. It can be used to create two-party, multiparty, or multicast sessions that include Internet telephone calls, multimedia distribution, and multimedia conferences.
Voice over Internet Protocol, also called VoIP, IP Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone and Voice over Broadband is the routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP-based network.
SIP in some cases is a Type of VoIP…
Since SIP is Session Initiation Protocol, and is a form of VOIP….. it is used as a digital voice emulator/PRI replacment.
It gives VOIP service more capabilities, such as DID’s (Direct Inward Dial numbers) The benefit of this service on the commercial level is the ability to avoid buying a PRI card (down the road–not right now in all cases) and just plug straight into the phone system.
Essentially, the power of PRI without the cost or limitations. SIP is only limited by your bandwidth, and carriers are coming up with some pretty interesting options.
This will be an area that many will need to become more familiar with, especially in the call center world.