[SIPForum-techwg] Launching SIPConnect 1.1 errort

[Richard Shockey]

As the Technical WG Chair of the SIPforum I'll have more on this shortly.



################


SIP Forum Announces Ratification of Version 1.0 of the SIPconnect Technical
Recommendation

Important Milestone Reached as Leading IP Communications Industry
Association Formally Adopts Version 1.0 of the SIPconnect Technical
Recommendation and Announces the Formation of the SIPconnect v.1.1 Task
Group

Miami Beach, FL, January 23, 2008 - The SIP Forum announced today that it
has ratified version 1.0 of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation with the
unanimous approval of the SIP Forum Board of Directors.

The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation v.1.0, an important initiative of
the SIP Forum, is a standards-based approach to direct IP peering between
SIP-enabled IP PBXs and VoIP service provider networks, and specifies a
reference architecture, required protocols and features, and implementation
rules necessary for seamless interconnection between IP PBXs and VoIP
service providers. As SIPconnect was designed to directly tie enterprise
customers to VoIP service providers using an end-to-end IP connection, it
eliminates the need for a VoIP gateway, improves voice quality and creates a
stable foundation for personalized applications and rich media services.

The formal adoption by the SIP Forum Board of the SIPConnect 1.0 Technical
Recommendation is based on recognition that the recommendation has been
through credible peer review, including broad membership and significant
community review, that it is stable and is well-understood, and that it is
believed to have resolved known design choices.

"I want to thank all of the participants in the SIPconnect Task Group for
their selfless efforts and valuable time necessary to reach consensus and
complete the ratification process," said Richard Shockey, Technical Working
Group Chair of the SIP Forum. "This was truly an industry-wide effort that
we can continue to build on." 

Eric Burger, Chairman of the Board of the SIP Forum, commented, "You can
expect more work like this from the SIP Forum as we continue to grow our
community and revitalize our Technical Working Group to tackle additional
interoperability issues."

The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation has recently enjoyed a number of
independent implementations, as witnessed by the rapid adoption of the
SIPconnect Compliant Program. The SIPconnect Compliant Program offers
equipment manufacturers, software providers and service providers the means
to attain SIPconnect Certification by the SIP Forum, as well as enjoy the
use of a unique certification mark created by the Forum to ensure
interoperability among IP communications equipment, software and services.
  
The SIPconnect Compliant logo serves as the "Seal of Compatibility" for
companies that have agreed to abide by the terms of the licensing agreement,
and is permitted only on compliant equipment and services that has been
rigorously reviewed by the SIP Forum SIPconnect Compliant committee. Several
industry leaders and SIP Forum members have recently been awarded the
SIPconnect Compliant mark, including Acme PacketR, AvayaR, BroadSoftR,
CbeyondR, DigiumR, IngateR Systems and McLeodUSAR.

The SIPconnect v.1.1 Task Group

Due to the rapid adoption of SIPconnect and the SIPConnect Compliant
Program, there has been substantial interest in enhancing the work through
an updated version of the recommendation - SIPconnect 1.1. To that end, the
SIP Forum has announced the formation of the SIPconnect 1.1 Task Group.

As with all SIP Forum recommendations, SIPconnect 1.1 will not attempt to
create new standards, since that is the work of standards bodies such as the
IETF. The goal of SIP Forum specifications is to develop workable and
implementable technical recommendations or profiles based on existing
industry standards.

The newly formed SIPconnect 1.1 task group will follow the same IETF-like
procedures that were adopted by the SIP Forum Technology Working Group and
successfully used by the SIPConnect 1.0 task group.

In order assess the requirements, goals and potential milestones for the
task group charter, it will be necessary to assess from the SIP community
what is required in the next version of SIPconnect. To that end, the
SIPForum Board of Directors wishes to formally open a discussion of
requirements for SIPConnect
1.1 at this time. 

Those interested in participating in the SIPconnect v1.1 development effort
and being part of the Task Group must be either a Participant or Full Member
of the SIP Forum. To join the SIP Forum, please visit the SIP Forum website
at http://www.sipforum.org.

About The SIP Forum

The SIP Forum is an IP communications industry association that engages in
numerous activities that advance and promote SIP technology, such as the
development of industry recommendations, the SIPit interoperability and
testing events, special interoperability workshops, and general promotion of
SIP in the industry. One of the Forum's recent technical activities is the
development of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation -- a standards-based
recommendation that provides detailed guidelines for direct IP peering and
interoperability between IP PBXs and VoIP service provider networks, and the
SIPconnect Compliant Certification Program through which eligible companies
can gain SIPconnect validation and the right to license the use of the SIP
Forum's 'SIPconnect Compliant' certification mark -- the official brand of
the leading standard for SIP Trunking products and services. For more
information, please visit: http://www.sipforum.org.


Richard Shockey
Director, Member of the Technical Staff
NeuStar
46000 Center Oak Plaza - Sterling, VA 20166
PSTN Office +1 571.434.5651 
PSTN Mobile: +1 703.593.2683
<mailto:richard(at)shockey.us> 
<mailto:richard.shockey(at)neustar.biz>