Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) has become a strong, catalytic force driving the telecoms industry. This IETF driven protocol represents an important ingredient in the fast converging field of telecoms based applications. SIP however does not do everything, and it does not solve every problem. SIP does have it’s limits, and SIP needs to work with other protocols to get the necessary results.

So what are actual limitations of SIP? And would it be wrong in this industry to say that SIP is a one-stop-shop for convergence?

SIP was not designed to be all to end all of communication protocols. Typically all-inclusive approaches (like H.323) have been fraught with difficulty and represent the wrong kind of thinking in today’s modular based network. SIP is very flexible, but it is designed only for a specific use.

SIP does certain things well, and leaves other functions alone. SIP works with a number of other protocols to complete the job in hand.