Communication Service Providers today face a lot of complexities as they are trying to make a paradigm shift from the legacy of traditional telecommunication to IP based unified communication infrastructures in all areas of telecommunication. For implementing this change successfully, communication providers need a well-thought plan to deal with concerns of compatibility, centralized management & security. To some, the mere thought of implementing, managing & securing real-time communications might seem overwhelming.
Today, SIP (session initiation protocol) is at the core of all unified communications including video, voice & collaboration. To make these sessions flow secure & flawless, Session Border Controllers must be deployed since they are the network cornerstone for new communications & services.
Session Border Controller (SBC) Market Size in 2021 is expected to increase at a CAGR of roughly 3.9% over the next five years, will touch 800 million USD in 2024, from 640 million USD in 2020 – 360 Research Reports
The main role of SBCs is to protect and secure the network from hacking attempts. As IP communication business is highly susceptible to cybersecurity attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks, Wangiri, Toll Fraud and Service Theft, service providers are increasingly implementing SBCs to protect their channels.
The below diagram provides the fraud losses associated with some of the fraud types.
Source: CFCA Fraud Loss Survey 2019
Main Reasons for Deploying SBCs
SBCs are loaded with attributes such as intelligent session control and improved scalability, which plays a crucial role in the communication network. Here are some of the important reasons for deploying a session border controller.
Robust Network Security
There are multiple types of VoIP based cyber-attacks that can be carried over a provider’s network, which significantly impacts productivity & revenue. Some common VoIP attacks include service theft & fraud, DoS/DDoS attacks, spoofing, registration storms, etc. SBC protects real-time communication networks from these attacks in different ways & ensures security & flow of SIP sessions between internal & external networks.
Dynamic Scalability
The SIP communications traffic will continue to grow as your business grows with more users & traffic load. To gain carrier-grade assured performance & maximum service availability under heavy traffic load & quality of service policies, deploying an SBC gains paramount importance.
Real-Time Performance Monitoring
With the carrier-grade network, one needs a way to facilitate high-quality data collection & organization that is timely, relevant & accurate to better manage ongoing programmatic activities. A Session Border Controller does exactly that & much more. It provides real-time comprehensive performance reports on live calls.
Intelligent Alert System
A robust intelligent alert system provides additional security to the service provider’s network. It provides different types of alerts for the unusual system, performance, customer behavior & recharge. Based on the triggering factors, service providers can decide on actions beforehand to be taken by the SBC in those situations; saving resources, frauds & in turn increasing the profits.
Extensive SIP Interoperability
One of the major functions of SBC is to provide seamless sessions between different VoIP solutions. Different vendors & VoIP networks may communicate in incompatible protocols & codecs. This will result in a loss of traffic. So, deploying an SBC provides a smooth experience in terms of interworking & interconnecting different networks and the protocols running over them with the help of SIP normalization.
Transcoding & Interworking
One of the major jobs of Session Border Controller is to transcode calls & media services. SBC allows communication providers to offer more services with lower investment but with higher ROI (return on investment). The interworking function enables the connection of networks between different IPs, making it possible for voice & video calls coming from different switches to work seamlessly. Thereby, allowing the communication services providers to provide flawless services.
The reasons mentioned above make a session border controller an extreme necessity for communication service providers, in today’s time. If you think, you need an SBC for your business, take a free demo of REVE SBC.
Read Also
An Overview of Session Border Controller
Frequently Asked Questions when Buying a Session Border Controller
Note: This Blog is Updated & Reposted on 21 Sep, 2021
