• See SIP in a broad communications context
• Assess what SIP can do and deliver
• Evaluate SIP's fit with other standards and systems
• Plan new SIP-enabled services
• Size up available SIP products

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is the open standard that will make IP telephony an irresistible force in communications. Experts predict that SIP will do for converged services what http does for the Web. With SIP gaining momentum, SIP Demystified-from one of the contributors to the SIP development in the IETF-gives telecom engineers, managers, and other communications professionals the tools necessary to keep companies and careers competitive with advantageous development choices.

Though essentially a simple protocol, SIP must be digested to be deployed. SIP Demystified brings you that vital information, telling you why the standard was needed, what architectures it supports, and how it interacts with other protocols. This book even provides a context-setting backgrounding in data networking.

Perfect for those moving from switched voice into a data networking environment, SIP Demystified gives you everything you need to understand where, why, and how SIP is used, to plan implementations of SIP-enabled services, and to choose from available SIP products.

You must read this book if:

• You're a telecom or network engineer, manager, or developer who wants to survive professionally in a converged world
• You want a smooth transition from switched circuits to the connectionless paradigm
• You'd like to see your telecom, ISP, or any other communications company thrive in the new world of SIP
• You want to be first to market with SIP services
• You need an insider's view of the missing link between POTS, the Internet, wireless, paging, and media providers
• You want to know how SIP interacts with other protocols
• You need to find out what architectures SIP supports
• You require details on SIP/ISUP (ISDN User Part) mapping
• You seek reliable answers on QoS (quality of service), security, authentication, and billing issues
• You want to evaluate SIP products, such as gateways, proxy servers, application servers, SIP phones, instant messaging, and presence applications
• You're an industry analyst predicting and rating coming hot products and services
• You're a curious noncombatant who can't get enough insider details on how the newest technologies work

Other books will dissect SIP's anatomy and extensions. SIP Demystified makes the standard simple so you can decide what to do with it.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Circuit Switched Networks.
• Chapter 2: Signalling Protocolsin the Switched Circuit Network.
• Chapter 3: Beyond H.323.
• Chapter 4: Understanding the Structure of the Session.
• Chapter 5: Initiation Protocol.
• Chapter 6: Understanding SIP Applications and APIs.
• Chapter 7: Implementing SIP.
• Chapter 8: DiffServ, IntServ, RTP, and RSVP.
• Chapter 9: Call Processing Language.
• Chapter 10: SIP for QoS.
• Chapter 11: SIP for Security.
• Chapter 12: SIP for Authentication and Billing.