SIP, The Web and E-Commerce
SIP's relationship with the web has two main aspects: one is media integration in client software; the other is media integration in content, thus transforming the Internet into a communications platform that overshadows the PSTN.
Client software
SIP allows browsers to become augmented with multimedia capability. Using SIP, simple, but very powerful, services like click-to-dial become possible. User profiles can be managed through a web interface and voice plug-ins are incorporated into browser technology. Netscape, IE and other browsers become universal desktop tools that we use as windows into a computing and communications environment.
A single environment for computing and communications
SIP is used to establish real-time communication sessions in IP networks. A session can contain any combination of media (voice, data, video, audio files, anything). These sessions can be modified at any time to add new parties or to change the nature of the session. The IP network will become ubiquitous, connecting all manner of devices: phones, PCs, PDAs, mobiles etc. The similarity of SIP to HTTP and SMTP and its reuse of many Internet elements means that SIP can bring voice applications under the Internet umbrella.
Three features render SIP ideal for converged services:
- It uses MIME, the de facto standard for describing content on the Internet, to convey information about the protocol used to describe the session
- SIP has a URL-style addressing system
- It borrows from the email model, using the Domain Name System to deliver requests to the server that can appropriately handle them. This simplifies the integration of voice and email
This common Internet heritage makes SIP an ideal bedfellow for e-commerce applications.
Service examples:
Voice-enhanced e-commerce
A website contains click-to-dial links that establish a session between the end-user and the website organisation. A travel agent website, for example, could offer a toll-free service whereby a prospective customer can talk to an agent who can then guide the user through a series of pages, perhaps showing video clips of potential holiday destinations. The customer can complete booking forms online, while talking to the agent and may be offered the opportunity to buy currency or rent a hire-car from a partner organisation. Human interaction can be used to enrich the e-commerce experience.
This kind of service could be a part of a value-added web-service offered by a service provider, or it could be developed in-house by an enterprise's IT department.
Web call centers
A similar idea can be used in the provisioning of web call centers. A web page may be popped when a particular number is called (with SIP, it is just as easy to direct a user to a web page as it is to a telephone). Agents can be used to intervene if the user requests help. SIP can support IVR-type (Interactive Voice Response) functionality, navigating users through options and providing auto-responses to common requests. In addition, SIP's forking facility is perfect for fulfilling the ACD (Automated Call Distribution) function.
When a user is connected directly to a customer service agent, the details of the user can be presented to the agent who can then give the appropriate response. They can also view the same sets of data on their respective screens. Any number of forms of communication between the two parties can be supported: voice, email, IM or videoconference. In this manner, the call center becomes a multimedia contact center.