Telecommunication is the baseline of modern business development and companies invest a fortune every year in communication infrastructure to power business operations. Recent developments in smart technologies have been changing telecommunication drastically. In the modern world of communication, two technologies stand out above the rest – Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Here we will define both protocols and explain what makes SIP different from VoIP by looking at a few critical aspects of communications systems
VoIP defined
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a broad term that covers any phone calls made over the Internet, also known as IP telephony or IP communications, Internet telephony, or voice over broadband. For the most basic function to make and receive calls through the Internet, you only need a VoIP-enabled phone and VoIP software. VoIP uses the internet to digitally transmit the voice signal to another telephone and is limited to voice transmission. When you need impeccable basic voice communication, VoIP is the best option.
Sip trunking
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a communications system that is widely used for handling multimedia communication sessions, in addition to voice signal transmission. This protocol is considered a specific protocol that enables VoIP. SIP is used to transmit information between two or more endpoints. In addition to voice, this protocol supports video conferencing, instant messaging, media distribution, and many other applications. If you need an all-inclusive solution, siptrunk is the kind of system that you opt for.
Versatility
As we have distinguished the main difference, VoIP only handles voice calls while SIP handles several different forms of media including video, images, documents, making it a much more versatile protocol. From the user perspective, this is the most important factor when choosing between these two protocols for their businesses. While most business calls are verbal, general communication is growing more versatile and engaging. Regarding this, VoIP is considered somewhat limiting, as it only operates a voice transmission.
Hardware
Another big difference is the hardware and software used by these protocols. The VoIP phone usually has to be connected to an operating computer that has access to the Internet. It links the handset to the Internet and thus provides the software interface needed to make and receive calls. On the other hand, phones using SIP, don’t have to be connected to a computer. All you need is a device able to connect to the internet itself. The SIP platform also has a more complicated software interface as it needs to transfer the various media formats.
Scalability
VoIP host handles voice call traffic within a closed central network and when the traffic overwhelms all the available channels, communication easily becomes slow and unstable. This is why many VoIP hosts often limit the number of their active users by offering tiered subscriptions. SIP communications are processed by the end-to-end individual systems which means there is no central network to even worry about. Therefore, users can access more bandwidth, and the system can handle more traffic and exchanges at once.
Deciding which protocol your company needs largely depends on the type of communications you want to set up. The features and differences explained above should help you understand the concept altogether, and chose the right fit for you.