In the modern era, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) based communication tools are inevitable. Consumers use them to enjoy rich communication features and stay connected with their friends and family at cheaper rates. Moreover, businesses use VoIP based solutions to keep their businesses connected with their distant team members, partners, investors, and more. There are different VoIP based frameworks and technologies used to develop custom telephony solutions. In this blog post, we will discuss the role of OpenSIPs RTPEngine in developing custom communication solutions.
Without any further delay, let’s dig deeper into this interesting topic and explore more details on how this important technology helps in building powerful and scalable communication solutions.
1. Understanding OpenSIPs
OpenSIPs is an acronym for Open Session Initiation Protocol Server. It is an open source platform and it uses SIP protocol to support communication between two end points. Moreover, it works as a SIP server and SIP proxy server. As a result, companies offering OpenSIPs development services have a versatile platform in their access. Therefore, they can develop different types of communication tools depending on their needs.
OpenSIPs is a highly scalable and flexible platform because it uses modular architecture. Furthermore, it has some powerful characteristics that make it one of the best tools to develop any type of VoIP solution. For example, a development company can build a class 4 Softswitch solution using OpenSIPs.
It provides features as a proxy server. Moreover, it has inbuilt functionalities to provide high end security to its users and VoIP network. In addition to that, its load balancing feature helps in managing a large scale VoIP network or thousands of calls. Furthermore, it provides flexibility to design different call routing models to manage incoming calls. Additionally, it also supports creating and mapping different dial plans to manage complex billing and invoicing features. Furthermore, it also has functionalities such as a SIP registrar, supporting call monitoring, and adding communication features like instant messaging.
In short, OpenSIPs is a perfect platform that provides all the necessary features and functionalities to develop SIP telephony platforms.
2. Understanding RTPEngine
RTP stands for Real-time Transport Protocol. RTPEngine acts as a transmitter that makes real time transmission of data, voice, video, and similar packets to make communication possible between two end points. The main role of this solution is to manage RTP streams.
Similar to OpenSIPs, RTPEngine also has different characteristics and functionalities that make this tool more powerful for development companies. It acts as an RTP proxy to manage RTP traffic, which makes communication possible for voice calls, video calls, and conferencing. Moreover, it supports symmetric traversal of RTP packets. As a result, media packets will follow the path of SIP signaling. Furthermore, it works as a media bridge, which helps in overcoming challenges related to firewalls, NAT traversal, and other constraints related to network and infrastructure. This makes communication seamless.
The role of RTPEngine in making communication protected is commendable. It provides encryption and decryption features for media packets. As a result, even if these packets are intercepted, the attacker will not have the ability to decode them. Furthermore, it supports live monitoring and call logging. As a result, added security is easy to achieve with this tool.
3. Brief of OpenSIPs RTPEngine
RTPEngine is a proxy used along with OpenSIPs or similar signaling servers to build a complete telephony solution. It is necessary to use OpenSIPs RTPEngine to build a complete communication tool because both of them have different roles to play. Certainly, OpenSIPs manages SIP signaling jobs. On the other hand, RTPEngine works in conjunction with OpenSIPs to complete a call or conference with its real time media traversal feature.
Now, let’s take a look at these two VoIP platforms and their role in building a full-fledged SIP telephony product. As you know, OpenSIPs is a SIP server and a SIP proxy server. Therefore, it manages jobs related to signaling. For example, it manages SIP signaling. Moreover, it also manages the call routing process to connect calls or conference calls. On the other hand, RTPEngine manages media stream management and traversal jobs. It uses the signaling stream that is established by OpenSIPs for media transmission.
4. Major VoIP Challenges Addressed by OpenSIPs RTPEngine
There are several challenges that businesses face to build a perfect communication solution. As a result, several consumers avoid using VoIP based communication solutions. However, integration of OpenSIPs and RTPEngine can help in overcoming all major challenges that occur in the VoIP industry.
Let’s look at the major challenges faced in this area and how these challenges are overcome by OpenSIPs RTPEngine based solutions.
Interference Due to NAT Traversals or Firewall
NAT is an acronym for Network Address Traversal. Often, it changes source and destination addresses and details in the packets. Moreover, it can also create interference in the establishment of a communication line between caller and recipient. However, this challenge is easily bypassed with a powerful OpenSIPs and RTPEngine based solution. This solution will translate ports and IP addresses. As a result, media packets can easily transmit through NAT restrictions effortlessly.
Degraded Quality of Call (QoC)
In many VoIP communication solutions, it becomes difficult to maintain a single path for signaling and media transmission. However, RTPEngine can ensure that the media files follow the same path as SIP signaling. This ensures that the communication platform can achieve symmetric RTP functionality. As a result, excellent quality of call is easily achieved. This system can manage both voice and video calls.
Scalability Becomes a Major Challenge
Scalability is the major challenge in any VoIP network. Communication is necessary in any business. Moreover, a majority of businesses developing communication solutions using OpenSIPs and RTPEngine use this platform to provide communication services. Therefore, scalability becomes their necessity. In case, if a VoIP solution cannot achieve the required scalability, then it cannot achieve the required performance.
OpenSIPs uses modular architecture. Moreover, RTPEngine also supports the flexibility of cluster architecture. Therefore, OpenSIPs RTPEngine is perfect for developing a highly scalable solution. As a result, VoIP service providers can continue catering to customers they have with the growing business reach. Moreover, a combination of RTPEngine and OpenSIPs helps in creating multiple instances, so that the deployment of a highly scalable VoIP solution becomes seamless.
Compatibility is a Major Concern
In the VoIP network, two different end points at the sending and receiving ends may use completely different sets of protocols. Moreover, they may use different topologies and infrastructure. This creates clear concerns related to compatibility. As a result, an incompatible communication ecosystem is created. Therefore, users cannot use this communication tool if codecs and protocols are different. However, there is no stress if you are using OpenSIPs and RTPEngine to develop a SIP telephony solution.
The RTPEngine can work as a media bridge and perform this difficult job swimmingly. Therefore, even if sending and receiving ends have different topologies, protocols, or even NAT or firewall restrictions, a communication line gets established. Moreover, the system can transmit voice and video packets. In short, RTPEngine seamlessly bridges media between two end points with completely different networks and protocols. As a result, quality communication is achieved without any hindrances.
Managing a Large Number of Concurrent Calls
Certainly, when a business grows, the number of concurrent calls increases in the VoIP network. Moreover, OpenSIPs is preferred to develop solutions that manage large call volumes. For example, companies develop a wholesale Softswitch using OpenSIPs. Therefore, in this instance, it manages thousands of concurrent calls. Moreover, the business will continue growing and onboarding new clients. As a result, it will further increase the number of users and concurrent calls. This demands a powerful tool because the increased number of concurrent calls will result in increased call volume. The increased call volume can result in degraded quality of calls. Moreover, it can also crash the system.
Read Also: OpenSIPs and RTPengine to Mitigate VoIP Security Challenges
Both OpenSIPs and RTPEngine support flawless load balancing and failover functionalities. The OpenSIPs RTPEngine based communication system will deploy multiple instances of the system. Moreover, the system will seamlessly distribute the load across these instances. As a result, the system will manage the load efficiently. Moreover, RTPEngine supports dynamic RTP proxying. Therefore, it dynamically assigns media streams for a specific session. As a result, it helps in managing load.
Optimal Resource Utilization is Not Easy
In a majority of VoIP networks and solutions, resources are used statically as per the predefined logic. This often drains some resources and results in poor quality of service. Moreover, it can also hamper the overall returns of the business.
The integration of OpenSIPs and RTPEngine does miracles here as well. RTPEngine is popular for its dynamic RTP proxy feature. Certainly, the job of this feature is to dynamically assign media streams. Moreover, this dynamic distribution is 100% administered because users can control it with logic in the system. As a result, resource utilization is balanced. Therefore, a business can achieve optimal performance for all resources
Security Threats are a Reality
In the dynamic landscape, nothing is 100% secured. Moreover, in the VoIP network, everything is digital. As a result, threats of hacking, interception, and eavesdropping increase dramatically.
However, there is nothing to worry about because OpenSIPs RTPEngine based communication solutions will provide a highly secure system. Both of these platforms have different security mechanisms that make your system more secure and safeguard the interests of your business and customers. For example, authentication, media encryption, etc. help in making communication protected. Moreover, monitoring and logging are two functionalities available in OpenSIPs RTPEngine based communication systems. As a result, using the best OpenSIPs development services, you can enjoy using a secure and reliable communication solution.
5. Major Advantages of OpenSIPs RTPEngine
Certainly, a communication solution developed using OpenSIPs and RTPEngine is highly reliable, secure, scalable and robust. All advantages related to using this type of solution are available to your business. In addition to that, there are some added advantages of using this combination of SIP signaling and RTP engine. Let’s take a look at the major benefits.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
One of the most important benefits available with an OpenSIPs RTPEngine based solution is user satisfaction. This system can establish connections between networks with different protocols and networks. Moreover, it helps in offering excellent quality of call. In addition to that, the system will provide reliable load balancing and failover support. As a result, the system will deliver high availability. Therefore, customers can receive excellent QoC and QoS. Moreover, they can enjoy the high availability of service. As a result, customer satisfaction is guaranteed with this platform. Moreover, customer retention rates can also be increased.
Excellent Value Over Money
OpenSIPs and RTPEngine help in excellent resource utilization. Therefore, a business can get optimal performance with low investment. As a result, expenses are reduced, and the value for money is increased. Furthermore, this system helps in boosting performance, call quality, customer satisfaction, and similar key performance indicators. Therefore, revenue will increase, and costs will be reduced. As a result, high value over money is easy to achieve with OpenSIPs RTPEngine driven platform.
Concluding Note
In the modern era, VoIP based communication tools have gained massive popularity in the past decade. To meet the communication needs of businesses, different VoIP technologies, frameworks, and tools have emerged. Several development companies use OpenSIPs and RTPEngine in conjunction to build robust, reliable, secure, and scalable communication tools.
OpenSIPs works as a signaling server and RTPEngine works as an RTP transmitter. Together OpenSIPs and RTPEngine make it possible to develop a reliable communication tool that makes communication seamless. OpenSIPs and RTPEngine also help boost performance, and resource utilization, and maximize value over money.
You can embrace the future with these two platforms integrated into your SIP telephony solution. We can help you implement OpenSIPs RTPEngine into your communication tool. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us.