Technology, Protocols and Architecture
VoIP User currently supports Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for both incoming and outgoing calls and IAX2 protocol for incoming calls. It also supports SIP SiMPLE for Instant Messaging and Presence.
Most of the VoIP User core network is constructed using industry-standard PC servers, running Linux and telephony applications that include Asterisk (for audio messaging media and echotesting services), OpenSER (for SIP proxy and registrar duties) and edge controllers and media gateways being a combination of open-source and custom written software. Call rating, CDR collection and account handling software is custom written and based on FreeRADIUS and the integration of RADIUS messaging to the media gateways and SIP B2BUA's residing at the network edge. VoIP User currently operates 9 servers hosted globally and with the main core and media gateways residing at Telehouse London.
A wide variety of customer equipment is used on the VoIP User network including desktop VoIP phones, softphones, mobile phones (using Fring on the Apple iPhone and Windows Mobile devices and in-built Wi-Fi functionality in Nokia E series), ATAs and open source switches and PBXes like FreeSWITCH and Asterisk. As VoIP User is a "Bring Your Own Device Network" best of breed solutions can be used by the end user. VoIP User enables these devices to be mapped to UK non-geographic numbers (typically 0844 or 0870) that have a per minute call rate low enough to fit in with VoIP User’s mode of operation. As an experimental network, several software vendors and private authors test their SIP devices using the VoIP User network. As of January 2009 there were over 250 SIP User-Agents known to VoIP User.
Recently, the iNum initiative was launched, creating a special +883 country code (dubbed "Earth Area Code") that is intended to route calls for free (on-net) or low cost (from PSTN) irrespective of geographic location of the caller and callee. VoIP User is one of the handful of organizations signed up to this from the outset, and a practical result of this is that each one of VoIP User’s accounts now has its own 15-digit iNum telephone number. In the initial wave, VoIP companies have implemented iNum, but it is imagined that ultimately commercial telcos will route these calls too at local call rates.
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