What is SIP and what can it do for my business?
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SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. It is similar in structure to
HTTP so IT managers have a better understanding of how to deal with it.
SIP allows for multimedia communications such as voice, video, fax, presence, instant messaging, and more. SIP itself is an 'enabling technology' or a building block that is used in developing applications to improve business communications. It is the applications built on SIP that can do a lot for
your business. For example, a SIP application may have the ability to allow
you to view the current status (presence) of employees in various offices,
send them instant messages, and initiate voice and video communications with them. Another benefit of applications and products based on SIP is that
there is a high level of interoperability. This means that your business
is not locked into purchasing communications solutions from a single supplier. For example, you can buy a SIP based video conferencing solution from one manufacturer and use SIP based IP phones from a different manufacturer.
This was first published in March 2005