Session Border Controller Featured Article

November 14, 2012


What Is a Session Border Controller?


By Rich Steeves
TMCnet Web Editor

Telecommunications technology is vital to any company, as the pace and scope of businesses are faster and wider than ever. And, as companies look to leverage the latest innovations for cost savings and better quality collaboration are migrating toward voice over IP solutions. The protocol underlying VoIP communications is called Session Initiation Protocol (News - Alert), and one piece of technology that is essential in a SIP trunking deployment is a session border controller.


A session border controller is designed to help enable and secure important parts of a business’ telecommunications infrastructure. It controls the network selectively admitting (or not admitting) and then directing communications between two end devices on the network, such as a VoIP call between two phones or the connection between a Web browser on a tablet device and the server it is accessing, or a video call between to devices. These are considered sessions.

The SBCs control the sessions at the point where traffic is handed off from one network to another – known as the border. Because of its position in the network, the session border controller can be implemented by businesses or service providers.

VoIP network owners face threats to the security of their networks and businesses and the SBCs help with these matters. SBCs also help the VoIP work seamlessly and efficiently while realizing cost and bandwidth savings.

The main role of the SBC is to protect and secure the network. It is designed to eliminate spoofing attacks, denial of service attacks and toll fraud. SBCs also provide secured access to SIP trunking services so companies can save money and maintain security at the same time. Also, SBCs can deal with SIP variants and translate protocols, interconnecting disparate networks and the protocols that run on them.




Edited by Rachel Ramsey

Solution Corner

The Sonus SBC 1000
Sonus now brings session border controller (SBC) SIP communication capability to the enterprise branch and small and medium businesses. To further address deployment needs Sonus has also enabled branch survivability, Microsoft Lync primary / back-up server, and integrated analog ports all within the ... Learn More »

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