When you’re in the market for business phone solutions, the barrage of different acronyms can get confusing fast. Choosing the right solution is crucial, because you need to make sure it can fit your business’s requirements. We have a number of blogs on our website which break down the basics, but one topic we’re yet to touch on is the difference between VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
It’s important to understand the features that distinguish the two, so that’s exactly what we’re going to cover in today’s blog. For more help deciding between business phone solutions, check out the rest of our articles.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is technology that lets you make and take phone calls over the internet, and is the successor of the traditional phone network. While the latter technology worked via a more physical connection, VoIP is wireless, which means you can essentially call people wherever they may be.
There are a number of different types of VoIP deployment. The most common is a hosted solution wherein the vendor will host and operate the network’s PBX, meaning the call handling, the voicemails, and any other applications that are included. The business or customer using this solution will connect to the internet, and connect to the servers of the vendor.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is technology that initiates, maintains, and terminates calls which are made via the internet. The protocol, a worldwide collaboration, was developed by the IETF, which stands for the Internet Engineering Task Force. Most devices on VoIP networks use SIP. Not all VoIP providers use SIP, though. Skype, for example, are one of the most popular providers that use their own system instead.
SIP is essentially the foundation of IP communications in the modern internet age, whether that’s voice calls, video calls, or anything in between. SIP sets up a session by sending messages, known as data packets, between different endpoints (those endpoints being, for example, your phone and the phone of the person you’re calling).
So, now that we’ve broken down the basics of VoIP and SIP, what are the main differences between them? Think of Session Initiation Protocol as a subset of Voice over Internet Protocol, rather than a technology that’s competing with VoIP. SIP is standard for most clients using VoIP.
It’s worth bearing in mind that, while it’s important to be aware of these terms when deciding between business phone solutions, you only really need to know the basics.
At Active Digital, we offer business phone solutions regardless of your business’s size, or requirements. We are the only UK independent mobile partner to hold a global award for customer experience. To find out more about how we could help your business, head to our Services page or contact Active Digital on 01892 835522.
