Whitepaper SBC Sticker Shock

Whitepaper SBC Sticker Shock

Table of Contents I. Introduction... 3 II. Why an SBC?... 3 III. Avoiding Unexpected SBC Costs... 4 IV. Endpoints... 5 V. SIP Licenses... 5 VI. Conclusion... 6 DECEMBER 2014

I. Introduction VoIP solutions continue to gain popularity around the world, as a growing number of businesses now recognize the value that this technology can bring to their organizations. Perhaps most notably, VoIP is the ideal foundation for unified communications platforms. Unsurprisingly, then, the combined VoIP and UC industry is poised to reach $88 billion by 2018, up from $68 billion in 2013, according to Infonetics. And as VoIP has gained prominence, SIP trunking has followed suit. SIP trunking enables organizations to turn to the Internet, rather than a conventional trunk, to connect to their PBX. This delivers superior flexibility and significant cost-savings. For any company to effectively take advantage of SIP trunking, there are several issues it must first confront. Among the most important of these are: 1. Security 2. Interoperability To achieve these ends, firms need to embrace the ideal complementary tools and strategies. Most notably, organizations should look for high-quality session border controllers. However, decision-makers must also realize that the available SBC options vary in terms of both effectiveness and, critically, cost. II. Why an SBC? First, it s important for company leaders to understand why the SBC is such an important component of any SIP trunking and VoIP system. The two key factors again are: Security and Interoperability. Security For more information, read the whitepaper: Are Firewalls Enough for End-to-End VoIP Security http://bit.ly/1cdyvqc Security is a critical consideration for every organization. To fully protect themselves, companies must invest in solutions that address the unique security challenges they face. It is very rare for an all-in-one approach to prove effective. This is what makes the SBC such an important asset. In the simplest sense, the SBC acts like a firewall for a company s SIP. Unlike a traditional firewall, though, SBCs are designed specifically for VoIP systems. A traditional firewall is very good at creating a barrier around the corporate network, but it is not ideal when it comes to determining what traffic to block and what to admit. As a result, most firewalls create problems when deployed in VoIP scenarios, as they may disrupt data exchanges, and thereby block important phone calls from reaching their intended recipients. 3

An SBC, on the other hand, will allow incoming and outgoing calls without compromising the safety of the overall corporate network. The company gains a far greater degree of control over the VoIP and SIP systems, directing the SBC to recognize and stop suspicious behavior. As a result, SBCs significantly reduce the risk that an organization will be susceptible to a range of security issues, including denial of service attacks, toll fraud and phone number spoofing. If the SBC supports encryption, then it can also prevent eavesdropping and ensure that every call is authenticated on both ends, thereby providing an additional layer of security. Interoperability The other key aspect of an SBC solution is interoperability. In order for any given network solution to deliver optimal results, every component needs to be able to integrate with and connect to every other component. Crucially, this applies to the SIP trunk. If interoperability is not achieved here, the company will not be able to establish and maintain a connection between the SIP trunk provider and the rest of the items on the corporate network. It is worth noting at this point that not all SBCs are equal to this task. More specifically, some SBC vendors have the means and willingness to ensure their solutions deliver complete interoperability for the entire network while others do not. Sangoma, for example, has made interoperability a central component of its business offering for more than 30 years longer than any other SBC vendor on the market today. Sangoma prides itself on making sure that every device on the corporate network is fully connected and integrated with the SIP trunk. III. Avoiding Unexpected SBC Costs There is one other factor beyond security and interoperability that business decision-makers need to take into account when selecting an SBC: cost. While this concept is straightforward, the reality of the situation is significantly more complicated. Different SBC vendors have different policies in terms of fees and other costs there is no standard approach to SBC pricing, and some intentionally mislead their clients in order to drive up their costs. Consequently, many companies fall victim to what industry expert Andrew Prokop called SIP tax shock. He pointed out that some vendors provide SBC functionality as part of their basic service package while others charge their clients for SBC use, and may not emphasize this fee until the system as a whole is up and running. 4

This means that any company looking to invest in an SBC should thoroughly evaluate not just the quality of the available options, but also the pricing plans. Sangoma, for example, offers all-inclusive SBC pricing, so its clients do not need to worry about an unforeseen SIP tax appearing at a later date. This is not true of many vendors in the market. IV. Endpoints This same concept also applies to endpoints. As Prokop pointed out, most business decision-makers realize they will need to pay for a SIP phone when moving to SIP trunking solutions. However, the costs associated with these end-points can vary greatly from one vendor to the next. Additionally, many service providers will sneak in further charges that may not be obvious immediately. The writer reported that TSL and SRTP encryption are common examples of endpoint-related services that vendors will charge for separately, thereby driving up overall SIP trunking costs. Depending on the solution selected, businesses may be locked in and forced to use a vendor s expensive endpoint offerings before realizing the extent of these charges. One way for companies to minimize these costs is by choosing an SBC solution that maximizes interoperability. For example, Sangoma s SBC solutions can interoperate with virtually any endpoint. This allows Sangoma s clients to choose whichever endpoint vendor is best for their specific needs, and gives them the freedom to choose the lowest-cost endpoint options. V. SIP Licenses Finally, business leaders must be careful when selecting SIP licenses. SIP licenses are a necessity for both SBCs and the IP PBX, with each receiving its own license. Without a license, a business is not able to actually use either of these products, even after it has purchased them. Naturally, this makes SIP licenses essential for any SIP trunking solution. As with the SBCs themselves, SIP licensing costs vary from vendor to vendor. Some, like Sangoma, include the SBC SIP license in the list price, so clients get a clear picture of the costs associated with SIP from the very beginning. Other vendors, though, instead charge their clients for each individual session. This can very quickly add up to a tremendous expense for a business, greatly increasing the overall cost of its SIP trunking solution. 5

VI. Conclusion SIP trunking is the ideal approach for countless businesses around the world. With a SIP trunking solution, firms can cut down on costs, improve their telecommunications quality and take advantage of VoIP and UC systems. To achieve this goal, though, companies need to acquire the right complementary tools. Critically, this includes SBCs, end-points (such as the SIP phone) and SIP licenses. Business owners, executives and managers must pay close attention not just to the quality of these items, but also the vendors pricing plans. All of these factors make Sangoma s SBC offerings the best choices available on the market. In many cases, other providers try to hide or downplay some of the fees associated with their offerings, leading to a much larger overall cost to the SIP trunking solution. To get the most value out of SIP trunking, business decision-makers must therefore look to partner with vendors like Sangoma. Sangoma makes a point of offering allinclusive pricing, ensuring that its clients understand exactly what they will pay from the very beginning. This, combined with the unbeatable security and interoperability capabilities of Sangoma SBCs, makes it the leading choice for countless organizations in every industry. About Sangoma Technologies Sangoma is a leading provider of hardware and software components that enable or enhance IP Communications Systems for both telecom and datacom applications. Enterprises, SMBs and Carriers in over 150 countries rely on Sangoma s technology as part of their mission critical infrastructures. Through its worldwide network of Distribution Partners, Sangoma delivers the industry s best engineered, highest quality products, some of which carry the industry s first lifetime warranty. The product line in data and telecom boards for media and signal processing, as well as gateway appliances and software. Founded in 1984, Sangoma Technologies Corporation is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE: STC). Additional information on Sangoma can be found at www.sangoma.com. 6