Internet Communications Using SIP [Hardcover]

Henry Sinnreich (Author), Alan B. Johnston (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471413992 | ISBN-13: 978-0471413998 | Publication Date: October 15, 2001 | Edition: 1st

From leading WorldCom engineers--expert guidance on how to plan for SIP implementation
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has gained tremendous market acceptance since it became an official IETF Internet communications standard in 1999. SIP is the technology that makes it possible for multimedia communications sessions on the Web--ones that allow voice, video, chat, interactive games, and others to run all at the same time. Now that the deployment of real SIP networks is about to take off, two leaders of the commercial rollout deliver complete guidance on this exciting new technology. Geared to IT and networking professionals and decision-makers at Internet service providers (ISPs), as well as networking (NSPs) and application (ASPs) service providers, this book helps readers sort through the available vendor offerings and services to discover how to integrate and maximize SIP's power across their networks.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a good book for what it is..." (M2 Communications, 22 April 2002)

From the Back Cover

A complete guide to designing and implementing SIP-based IP communication services

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is about to revolutionize telecommunications. This exciting protocol can be used to establish voice, video, and data sessions on the Internet, making a separate network for voice no longer necessary. The integration of voice with all other Internet services provides the greatest opportunity for innovation. Written by the authors who contributed to the development of the protocol and carrier class services based on SIP, this book explores what SIP does and the new services it enables.

You'll find a critical assessment and detailed look at how IP communications based on SIP will enrich communication on the Internet. Sinnreich and Johnston also provide you with a better understanding of how SIP can be used with several key features of legacy telephony networks such as SS7 and ISDN signaling and for H.323 networks. Softswitch solutions are also discussed. They clearly explain the multiple design and implementation issues as well as the decisions you'll have to make in order to provide SIP-based IP communication services.

Reflecting the latest developments by the IETF, this book covers:
* SIP-enabled communications, multimedia, and conferencing
* Elements of an SIP network, including user agents, servers, and location services
* Basics of SIP Security such as authentication, encryption, digital signatures, and firewalls
* Future services for SIP

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1st edition (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471413992
• ISBN-13: 978-0471413998
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,610,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disorganized and too shallow, May 15, 2006

By 

a reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Internet Communications Using SIP (Hardcover)

This books presents SIP, the protocol for Session Initiation. It covers many aspects, including conferencing, security, Internet telephony, user preferences.

The book is not 400+ pages as Amazon indicates but just below 300. Why does this matter? Because, with 17 chapters, this gives an average of less than 20 pages per chapter. As you can guess, 20 pages are not sufficient to explain topics such as Internet telephony, or conferencing. Even the SIP protocol is not presented fully. Only the major messages are listed with a short description of their use.

I was also disappointed by the book organization. The SIP Overview chapter which explains how SIP works is chapter 5. All the preceeding chapters mention SIP before we even know what SIP is. This is most confusing unless you have already some SIP knowledge.

The book tries to cover too much. We get a whirlwind tour of many topics, none of them explained appropriately. The book opens many issues that remain unanswered. If you want a shallow overview of SIP, this book may meet your need. But you are likely to quickly need something more in-depth.

41 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Book on SIP, April 27, 2002

By 

Jonathan Rosenberg (Freehold, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Internet Communications Using SIP (Hardcover)

I'll keep it short and sweet. I am one of the authors of SIP and
of many of its related technologies that are discussed in
this book. As such, I am frequently asked by people how they
can quickly understand the benefits of SIP technology, why
it is important to them, and what it can enable. The answer is
simple - read the Sinnreich/Johnston book. The book helps you
understand how SIP, its extensions, and related technologies
all fit together, and why SIP is revolutionizing communications.
This is a fabulous piece of work, written by two recognized
leaders. I highly recommend it.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read -- This book explains the "why" of SIP services, November 16, 2001

By 

Dean Willis (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Internet Communications Using SIP (Hardcover)

I've been involved in the development of the SIP specification for several years, and currently co-chair the Internet Working Groups overseeing its continued evolution. I'm closely involved with the application of SIP to next-generation mobile phone networks. Between standards work and speaking on SIP frequently at trade shows and conferences I've seen a lot of SIP books and tried to explain SIP to many people. Most of the books on SIP cover the dry technical details of the specification and implementations. This book, "Internet Communications Using SIP" goes into an entirely different realm.

Henry Sinnreich and Alan Johnston are two of the most knowledgeable authorities and notable figures in the SIP world. I expected a lot from them them. They've greatly exceeded my expectations, doing a surprisingly good job of explaining WHY the SIP protocol works the way it does, WHAT sort of advanced services it is making possible, and HOW service providers can use it to enrich their business offerings.

This book is an absolute "must read" for anyone in the industry, especially for people familiar with traditional telephony who are trying to design, market, or implement new telecom services of any kind. If you haven't read this book and Gonzalo Camarillo's new SIP book, don't argue with the old-timers on the SIP mailing lists -- they're likely to just tell you to "RTFB" . . . and this is one of the books they're referring to.