AVAYA AND SIP
Making the move towards SIP
So how does a company make the move towards SIP? With Avaya there is a logical migration path that enables you to take advantage of SIP at your own pace, while fully leveraging your existing communication assets.
Step One begins with Avaya Communication Manager Release 3.0. For Avaya customers this may involve a simple upgrade to their system, after which they can begin their migration with the Avaya Converged Communications Server (CCS). CCS SIP Enablement Services creates a communication services layer that mediates between Avaya MultiVantage™ Communications Applications and a wide range of standards-based user agents, web-based applications, and communication devices. These services combine the standard functions of a SIP proxy/registrar server with SIP trunk support and available duplicated server features to create a highly scalable, highly reliable SIP communications network that supports telephony, instant messaging, conferencing, and collaboration solutions.
Once the Converged Communications Server is in place, the enterprise can begin leveraging the potential cost-savings and efficiencies of SIP trunks. In addition, a gradual step-by-step migration path is now in place, allowing the enterprise to maximize the benefits of SIP while fully preserving compatibility and investment protection with their existing H.323, digital and analogue endpoints and infrastructure.
Step Two introduces secure SIP-based enterprise Instant Messaging (IM) and user presence through CCS. These new capabilities are integrated with IP telephony, using the Avaya IP Softphone for business users and Avaya IP Agent for call centre agents. These applications support SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence, but H.323 for IP Telephony, allowing businesses to extend the benefits of SIP to all users without the need to make extensive changes to their existing voice infrastructure.
Step Three in the migration process is the rollout of new SIP-based services such as audio and web conferencing through Avaya Meeting Exchange. These new applications become feature servers off of the SIP network, accessible to both SIP endpoints as well as existing devices that are able to use the new capabilities.
Taking Step Four towards pure SIP Telephony is easy for enterprises that have already deployed H.323 IP Telephony. The migration process can be initiated at any time and transitioned at whatever pace is desired. Once registered and licensed on CCS, existing Avaya 4602SW, 4610SW, 4620SW, and 4621SW IP phones can convert their operation from H.323 to SIP through a simple and free firmware upgrade. IP Softphone users have a similar migration path to SIP telephony through the Avaya SIP Softphone, which supports SIP signalling for both IM and telephony communications.
The benefits of SIP can leveraged even with a small initial deployment. For example, through Avaya Handle-Based Dialling, a plug-in to CCS, SIP telephony users can type in a name (i.e., John Doe) or handle-address (i.e. johndoe@company.com) to reach any other user on the network, even those on analogue, H.323, or digital phones. At any point in the migration process existing endpoints can continue to be used, as SIP supports both numerical (telephony) and alphanumeric addressing providing a critical bridge for communications between PSTN and Internet networks. This allows users on either network to reach any other user without giving up existing devices or the advantages of each.
Source: www.avaya.com
