What is SIP?

 

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a signalling protocol that plays a key role in internet telephony or VoIP. It is used to create and control communication sessions over an IP network. SIP enables your computer to establish a session and connect to the telephone of the person you want to talk to. These communication sessions can also be used for other communications such as instant messaging, conferencing or interactive gaming.

 

Because SIP is based on Internet protocol it is not restricted geographically, this means you can treat your phone service the same way you would your email and access it any where in the world. SIP also allows users with different service providers to communicate with each other.

What is My SIPSwitch?

 

My SIP Switch is a free VoIP service using open-source software under BSD license.

My SIPSwitch is an experimental service  that allows you to route multiple SIP accounts from different suppliers through a single SIP login. Simply put this means you can channel phone calls from several different VoIP providers through to one piece of hardware like an IP phone or an ATA.

Use SIP Services from Different VoIP Providers on the Same Phone 

My SIP Switch is a custumisable PBX. You can set up a dial plan which will handle the way your outgoing calls and incoming calls are performed.

Would you like to see a diagram? 

What can it do for me?

 

Normally if you have two, three or even forty VoIP providers supplying your phone service you will need two, three or forty pieces of hardware respectively (IP phone etc) to receive your calls.

 

My SIP Switch will channel all your VoIP providers through to one device no matter how many providers you have.

 

In order to use the service (which is 100% free!), you can either create an account on this website and use it online (most common and simplest solution) or you can download the source  and install it on a local computer running Linux (solution dedicated to more technical people).

Example of use:

Bob who lives in France but who's family lives in London is phoning to both countries on a regular basis. In order to save money, he has a VoIP account with a French provider (better rates to French numbers) and another one with a British provider (better rates to UK numbers).

 

When Bob is phoning from France to the UK he's dialling 0044 and then his destination number. My SIP Switch will process this prefix and will automatically make the call via the UK provider. If Paul is phone to a Parisian landline, the number will start by 01; My SIP Switch will process that and the call will be made via the French provider.

Paul can receive his call to his UK geographic number on his telephone, where he, as well, receives his call to his French number. That allows his friends and family to call him at local rates.

 

For incoming calls, Bob can specify My SIP Switch to ring different phones and the first one to pick it up has got the call, the others will stop ringing.

 

If Bob was not a My SIP Switch user, he would need 2 phones which is either not practical or costly.

 

Note that this is one example of use, there are many more possibilities depending on your needs.