SIP interoperability and video codec challenges: Can the pieces fit?
Date: Feb 16, 2011Unified communications (UC) professionals have long trumpeted Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) as the linchpin to a future of true interoperability, a flexible standard with unlimited scalability that allows for seamless integration of voice, video and instant messaging. The reality of the SIP interoperability story has been slightly less than utopian, however, as UC vendors continue to offer solutions based on their own unique -- and not necessarily interoperable -- interpretations of the protocol, which can lead to further headaches for end users.
In this video, Senior Site Editor Rivka Little speaks with Marty Parker, principal consultant at UniComm Consulting, about obstacles to the higher level of SIP interoperability promised in the past, including why UC vendors produce their own individual flavors of SIP, the role that SIP gateways play in bolstering connectivity when products won't work together, and what it will take for vendors to provide real interoperability.
Continuing to explore a "world of continued variety," Parker also discusses why enterprises use different voice and video codecs for separate communications purposes, and emphasizes the importance of carefully considering specific use cases prior to making an investment in video technologies.
About the speaker: Marty Parker is the co-founder of UniComm Consulting, an independent consulting firm providing strategy, planning and implementation support for enterprises in all industry segments. Parker is also the co-founder of UCStrategies.com, a leading forum for UC information and dialogue. He is committed to the advancement of UC to produce new benefits and efficiencies in enterprise communications, and to stimulate and justify innovation in the business communications industry.
More on SIP interoperability and integration challenges
- Note to users: Vendors may be SIP-compliant, but that doesn't guarantee true SIP interoperability
- Ask the Expert: Is SIP necessary for a fully functioning UC solution?
- Where SIP interoperability is lacking, open APIs can aid UC integration