The biggest differences between IP and SIP telephony
SIP and IP are both data transfer standards, making it less than surprising that many people mix them up. They are the same, and yet completely different — and the entirety of their similarities and differences can be wrapped up in a single sentence.
A new way of looking at the old IP
Modern data transfer technology has been migrated almost entirely online, which is why all standards relate in one way or another to the internet. The vast majority of users today utilize IP protocols. That abbreviation stands for “Internet Protocol” and is familiar to all of us thanks to the IP addresses we all know about.
When it comes to telephony, the IP method involves an entire range of ways to transfer data, including everything from voice traffic to multimedia and executable files. IP does not stand alone, however; it has some relatives whose structure differs only in that developers no longer work to modify them.
A look back at the history of network protocols
SIP is today’s universal standard for remote data transfer. The abbreviation stands for “Session Initiation Protocol,” which gives us our first clue about how it works. It sets up sessions using a standard algorithm:
- invitation,
- disconnection,
- option,
- confirmation,
- cancelation,
- registration.
The cycle is only feasible at connection speeds of 64 kbps or faster, though that rarely poses a problem even for older phones in today’s world.
And so the technical difference between IP and SIP is just that the latter is a private example of the global former, something that means nothing to your average user. On the other hand, all those protocols are just variations of a single technology developed for communications — just like everything that came before them (all the way back to Bell’s telegraph). So what sets them apart from standard telephony?
The internet: a universal problem-solver
The main difference between traditional IP telephony is that data travels across the internet rather than via provider lines. That approach means that subscribers don’t have to purchase or install special hardware, not to mention all the other advantages it comes with.
And so that right there solves the biggest problem most phone companies have: the need to hook subscribers up to their cords and install multiport switches. Now all you need is an active internet connection and the client software.
Dzinga offers a wide array of software for different platforms and operating systems, which is why you can start making calls from any device using a normal phone number even if you’re on a public Wi-Fi network. Just think about all the benefits there are.
Free calls from anywhere in the world
One of the biggest advantages you benefit from with an open connection is that you aren’t tied down to any particular spot. Regardless of whether you’re in Paris, Tokyo, or New York you have equal access to your connection.
That’s a must-have in a number of situations.
- You can use SIP telephony when you’re on a business trip to avoid extra call fees. You don’t have to deal with roaming charges as long as you’re hooked up to the internet. Users can even connect to a public Wi-Fi network (in a café, for instance) anywhere in the world and easily get in touch with the home office. Even mobile connections at their worst will suffice.
- Given how much freedom you have as a Dzinga subscriber, you can even leverage your connection when you’re selecting people for communication departments. Each employee can create their own branch network and put local staff in control of their contents. You can also bring in people living abroad, something that can cut down on your salary obligations.
- Remote employees don’t need an office, and so you don’t have to pay the rent, even if you’re setting up a large-scale call center with dozens of dispatchers. And the fact that you don’t need to invest in hardware (all you need is a smartphone or PC) means that the problems involved in setting up customer support lines become a matter of some quick setup regardless of how many you need.
In a word, you can use technology to significantly conserve resources. And what else is more important when it comes to selecting a phone standard?
Clients, and how they can help organize your business
But cheap prices and geographical freedom aren’t the only reasons why IP telephony is so attractive. The potential you enjoy for automating labor with HBPX is almost unlimited: everything happens first in the digital realm, after which you can set up your process however you want. It’s just a few lines of code.
One of the most popular functions in modern telephony is IVR, or what you hear when you call our support service. Besides how easy it makes processing calls, lets you save on staff by empowering your clients to take care of their own problems.
Another advantage is the ability to create call processing scripts that let you automatically create your own algorithms for processing client requests. For example, you can roll all your profile specialists into a particular network and reroute calls with relevant issues to them easily and automatically. That frees up time for you to better serve your customers, improving your company’s reputation, building a strong image, and ultimately boosting your bottom line.
Differentiated numbering: how can one subscriber have dozens of phones?
Standard telephony dedicates a channel and associated number to particular users. That system has been around since the time of huge switchboards, though it is still used to this day. But having HPBX renders that distinction unimportant: subscribers with a single channel can have unlimited numbers, including internal extensions for corporate meetings and negotiations.
With that said, PBX’s crowning achievement in this area has to be the fact that traditional numbers can be combined with toll-free hotlines on the same connection. The latter are national, and all traffic coming and going is paid for by the number owner. Of course, similar services have been available since the invention of digital stations, but in the past they had a disadvantage: competitors could flood toll-free numbers with calls and have them closed or their owners bankrupted in a matter of days.
Dzinga offers triple protection against similar attacks, and so connecting hotlines and all the powerful benefits they offer no longer comes with any risk. And the cost of SIP connections even with all of those services and benefits is much lower than that offered by traditional phone companies. Even small-business owners in social spheres find our prices affordable, unlocking those benefits for the first time.
Ultimately, IP and SIP telephony significantly differs from its standard counterpart, and the advantages it offers could not be easier to see.