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Does VoIP use a softswitch?
I’ve been doing a bit of telecom research, trying to learn more about VoIP vs POTS, and have come across something called a ‘softswitch.’ Do VoIP systems use softswitches? Or is it something reserved for traditional copper lines?
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3 Answers
A softswitch is a software based switch, versus a hardware based switch. VOIP systems are generally thought of as being softswitches. However, there were plenty of hardware based switches that adapted to doing VOIP. Nortel's CS1K is an example of a hardware switch that supports VOIP, but putting softswitch capabilities into its core.
A softswitch is generally considered to be software running on server(s) that provide telephone switch capabiities.
So here is a question back - what is providing dial tone on your POTS line - an old legacy telephone switch, or a softswitch? Is it really not a comparison of VOIP lines (I prefer SIP) versus Analog lines?
David - I have some additional qualifying questions. Are you looking at this question from the perspective of an end-user business/enterprise or are you looking at it from a service provider viewpoint? Within the VoIP (and largely SIP) Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) environment today, there are carriers that offer hosted PBX services with all of the bells and whistles of a premises-based PBX. These organizations are said to offer "Class 5" services. These include dial-tone, call forwarding conferencing, and all of the features that we have come to expect. SIP Trunking providers may not offer "station line features" and may be offering only "Class 4" toll carrier services. In both instances, the soft switch is one of the core network elements that these providers need to operate their networks. In the past, "Big Iron" switching systems took up rows and rows of space in a carrier point of presence. Today, soft switch systems and other carrier components are all server-based and take up far less room.
If you are asking from an enterprise perspective, your premises-based PBX will connect to an ITSP for VoIP services or via traditional PRI and T-1s to the telco. Although these premises-based systems also are now completely "soft" as opposed to electro-mechanical as in the past, they are generally referred to as IP PBX systems, with soft switch referring to ITSP carrier network components.
Joel
It is not mandatory for VOIP to use a softswitch , because some of the telecom equipment manufacturers are using hardware based IP GATEWAY card to impliment VOIP.A pure softswitch maintain voicemail,acd,ip telephony etc. only by software not any hardware. Softswitch is basically concerned about "software" for cattering telephony applications.
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