SIP Forum Intros Certification Testing Program

PRESS RELEASE — NORTH ANDOVER, MA (February 2, 2016) – The SIP Forum today announced the launch of the SIPconnect Certification Testing Program, a unique certification testing program that includes a new certification test suite and test platform, as well as an associated “SIPconnect Certified” logo program that will serve as the official “seal of certification” for companies products and services that have successfully passed the certification test and officially achieved laboratory tested, independently verified conformance with the SIPconnect specification.

The current, ratified Version 1.1 of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation, is a standards-based approach to direct IP peering between SIP-enabled IP-PBXs and VoIP service provider networks, and represents the consensus of a broad cross-section of the global telecom community.

SIPconnect was designed to provide an International framework for direct IP peering between SIP-enabled enterprises and service providers, and directly tie enterprise customers to VoIP service providers using an end-to-end IP connection. Its goal is to ensure the interoperability of network elements across the IP environment and provide a level playing field for vendors and service providers as they develop new equipment and SIP trunking services for deployment. SIPconnect eliminates the need for a VoIP gateway on the premise, improves voice quality and creates the right foundation for personalized applications and rich media services. {ad}

The result of three years of planning and development, the new SIPconnect Certification Testing Program will be hosted by the UNH-IOL, a well-known independent, third-party laboratory dedicated to broad-based testing and standards conformance services for networking industries. The program will be available to IP communications equipment vendors, including IP-PBX and SBC vendors, and service providers who are offering SIP trunking services.

“The key to the realization of the full promise of the SIP standard is the drive towards total interoperability within the industry,” said Marc Robins, president and managing director of the SIP Forum. “This new testing program will help demonstrate that SIPconnect is implementable, accelerate vendor and service provider interoperability, and clearly define what it means to be SIPconnect compliant.”

“Through this collaborative engagement, we are excited to further the mission of multivendor interoperability.  The SIPconnect certification program will increase confidence for enterprises and service providers resulting in faster deployments for adopters,” says Timothy Carlin, Senior Manager Software and IP Networking.

The SIPconnect Certified logo will serve as the “seal of certification” for companies that have agreed to abide by the terms of …

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… an associated licensing agreement, and is permitted only on SIPconnect compliant equipment and services that has been rigorously tested and approved as compliant by the SIP Forum’s SIPconnect Certification Testing Committee. Purchasers relying on the certification mark will enjoy increased interoperability levels. 

“The SIPconnect Certification program establishes an interoperability seal for SIP Trunking products and services that will accelerate end-user deployments by reducing integration and support costs.” said Robert Kinder, director of product development for commercial voice at Cox Business.

“With more than 6 million SIP trunk lines deployed and as a founding member of the SIP Forum, BroadSoft is committed to initiatives that simplify and accelerate the interoperability and certification process between SIP trunking services and premise-based systems,” said Jamie Palmer, vice president of product management, BroadSoft. “We believe that the SIP trunking market is on track to grow considerably over the next few years, and the SIPconnect Certification Testing Program will help ensure that interoperability standards are in place to support that growth. We are thrilled to participate in the Program.”

An associated SIPconnect Certification Founding Sponsor program will also be made available to industry participants, which will help fund the development and ongoing operation of the SIPconnect Certification Testing Program.

The benefits of this sponsor program include an exclusive lowest-discounted price for testing, an extended  three-year term including continuous recognition of support, priority scheduling of tests, and exclusive promotional activities.

Contact Marc Robins at [email protected] for more detailed information about the SIPconnect Certification Testing Program and related sponsorship opportunities.

About the SIP Forum
The SIP Forum is an IP communications industry association that engages in numerous activities that promote and advance SIP-based technology, such as the development of industry recommendations, the SIPit, SIPconnect-IT and RTCWeb-it interoperability testing events, special workshops, educational seminars, and general promotion of SIP in the industry. The SIP Forum is also the producer of the annual SIPNOC conferences (for SIP Network Operators Conference), focused on the technical requirements of the service provider community. One of the Forum’s notable technical activities is the development of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation – a standards-based SIP trunking recommendation for direct IP peering and interoperability between IP PBXs and SIP-based service provider networks. Other important Forum initiatives include work in VRS interoperability, security, NNI, and SIP and IPv6. For more information, please visit: http://www.sipforum.org.

About the UNH-IOL
Founded in 1988, the UNH-IOL provides independent, broad-based interoperability and standards conformance testing for data, telecommunications and storage networking products and technologies.  Combining extensive staff experience, standards-bodies participation and a 28,000+ square foot facility, the UNH-IOL helps companies efficiently and cost effectively deliver products to the market.