Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), has emulated the simplicity of the protocol architecture of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and is being popularized for VoIP over the Internet because of the ease with which it can be meshed with web services. However, it is difficult to know exactly how many requests for comments (RFCs) have been published over the last two decades in regards to SIP or how those RFCs are interrelated. Handbook on Session Initiation Protocol: Networked Multimedia Communications for IP Telephony solves that problem. It is the first book to put together all SIP-related RFCs, with their mandatory and optional texts, in a chronological and systematic way so that it can be used as a single super-SIP RFC with an almost one-to-one integrity from beginning to end, allowing you to see the big picture of SIP for the basic SIP functionalities. It is a book that network designers, software developers, product manufacturers, implementers, interoperability testers, professionals, professors, and researchers will find to be very useful. The text of each RFC from the IETF has been reviewed by all members of a given working group made up of world-renowned experts, and a rough consensus made on which parts of the drafts need to be mandatory and optional, including whether an RFC needs to be Standards Track, Informational, or Experimental. Texts, ABNF syntaxes, figures, tables, and references are included in their original form. All RFCs, along with their authors, are provided as references. The book is organized into twenty chapters based on the major functionalities, features, and capabilities of SIP.

Network Routing: Algorithms, Protocols, and Architectures, Second Edition, explores network routing and how it can be broadly categorized into Internet routing, circuit-switched routing, and telecommunication transport network routing. The book systematically considers these routing paradigms, as well as their interoperability, discussing how algorithms, protocols, analysis, and operational deployment impact these approaches and addressing both macro-state and micro-state in routing. Readers will learn about the evolution of network routing, the role of IP and E.164 addressing and traffic engineering in routing, the impact on router and switching architectures and their design, deployment of network routing protocols, and lessons learned from implementation and operational experience. Numerous real-world examples bring the material alive.

Group-oriented communications will play a significant role in the next generation of networks as many services, such as pay-per-view media broadcasts and the delivery of network control messages, will rely upon the ability to reliably deliver data simultaneously to a large group of users. As these networks become increasingly pervasive and these multi-user services become increasingly ubiquitous, it will become essential that a complementary suite of security solutions are deployed in order to protect these services from a broad spectrum of security threats that are unique to group communications.

Put your phone system on your computer network and see the savings. See how to get started with VoIP, how it works, and why it saves you money VoIP is techspeak for "voice over Internet protocol," but it could spell "saving big bucks" for your business! Here's where to get the scoop in plain English. Find out how VoIP can save you money, how voice communication travels online, and how to choose the best way to integrate your phone system with your network at home or at the office. Using this work: discover how to Use VoIP for your business or home phone service, choose the best network type, set up VoIP on a wireless network, understand transports and services, and demonstrate VoIP's advantages to management.

This easy-to-understand explanation of major aspects of today's telecommunications systems aims to give readers comprehensive coverage of the four major areas of telephone systems - station apparatus, transmission, switching and signalling. While maintaining all the fundamental information from the earlier editions, this revised and updated edition includes a perspective on telephony that includes central office, local loop, subscriber loop carrier, switching, multiplexing, LATA, signalling and network architecture. It also includes developments in fibre optic systems, information on PCS systems including GSM, TDMA, CDMA and policy implications of the US Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Perhaps no other technology has done so much to so many, but been studied by so few, as the telephone. Even as its physical size diminishes, the telephone is becoming more important. In Connections, now available in paperback, James E. Katz gives greater visibility to this important element in modern life.

Katz examines how the telephone reveals gender relations in a way not predicted by feminist theories, how it can be used to protect and invade personal privacy, and how people harness telephone answering machines to their advantage. Katz's inquiry reports on obscene phone calls, the abuses of caller-ID technology, and attitudes toward voice mail. National data about cellular telephones are presented to show the extent to which beepers and car phones have become status symbols.

Katz ranges from microsocial interaction to macrosocial theory, and from the family and personal levels of organization to that of large-scale industrial bureaucracies. The result of this investigation is a compelling mosaic spanning sociology and psychology, and organization and communication studies. These arresting portraits will offer profound insight to historians, students of American culture, and those concerned about the nature and direction of the emerging information society.

Recent years have witnessed an explosion of new operators and customers of cellular mobile communications and the importance of wireless/mobile communications in today's telecommunications industry is indisputable.
The Final Report of COST 259, 'Wireless Flexible Personalised Communications' is the result of extensive work, performed by more than 200 European researchers from more than 90 institutions (universities and companies) in the area of mobile radio.

• Provides a discussion on the evolution of wireless/mobile communications focusing on the use of data and multimedia, and consequently broadband communications
• Examines the radio systems aspects of future wireless communication systems, concentrating primarily on physical layer issues and including assessments of OFDM and CDMA
• Presents radio propagation and adaptive antennas, and provides a thorough understanding of the mobile radio channel
• Discusses the radio network aspects for the improvement and optimisation of the existing 2G systems and the planning of UMTS/IMT2000
• Explains the design and implementation of UMTS and new techniques for future wireless broadband communication systems

"John Rhodes' Videoconferencing for the Real World, is a one of the world's most comprehensive blueprints on the awesome power of videoconferencing."
From the Foreword by Brad Caldwell
Chairman ICIA and President of
Integrated Media Services, Anaheim, CA
Designed to be useful to both technical and non-technical managers, Video-Conferencing for the Real World demystifies the subject of video communications. It provides easy-to-follow guidelines for deploying a cost-effective video-conferencing solution tailored to an organization's specific needs.
Developed to flexible to the readers need, Video Conferencing for the Real World offers dynamic problem-solving techniques for the communication challenges facing managers today. Examining the technical, economic, and organizational aspects of each requirement and solution, this book offers a sound base of technical information and provides practical solutions based on a wealth of professional experience. Combining his own ideas with the input of system managers and users, service providers, consultants, and manufacturers, the author has developed a guide that will help readers make more informed investments of their time and money. Special attention is paid to conducting an effective needs analysis, and the development of solutions that will adapt easily to future changes in organizational requirements.
Covering a variety of solutions, this book explores the advantages and disadvantages of desktop systems, set-top systems, rollabout systems, and room systems. In addition to compression, multipoint conferencing and data conferencing, this book also addresses topics such as, pilot projects, the preparation of RFPs, servicecontracts, training, content creation, and convergence.
A handbook for the implementation of video communication networks
Includes guidelines for deployment of videoconferencing and other types of networked video
Step-by-step planning guide for selection, installation, and operation of an effective videoconferencing solution

The definitive guide to home and small business installation -- extensions, modems and telephone systems.
Steve Roberts provides a practical guide to the installation of telephone wiring in Telephone Installation Handbook. The coverage of his book ranges from the simple, single extension socket to the Private Automative Branch Exchange (PABX), with the necessary tools, test equipment and materials needed by installers described throughout.
The text is supported by an extensive glossary of technical terms, abbreviations and acronyms. Further appendices give supplier addresses and useful contacts, as well as providing circuit diagrams and descriptions of a number of telephone-related electronic devices.
This book arms you with knowledge of regulations and techniques to help plan and implement telephone installations. Above all, this is a practical book for those intending to make a living from installing extensions and systems, for facilities managers responsible for workplace systems, for those who need to communicate effectively with telephone engineers, and for those who prefer to do their own work around the house.
The new edition has been updated throughout, and now includes extended information on ISDN and also a new chapter covering CAT5 cabling -- its implementation and integration.
The first practical guide to telephone installation, fully updated to cover new technological advances
A basic primer for those with little prior knowledge of the subject and want to know more.
* Coverage of the basics makes this a useful reference work.

Designed to help readers understand all aspects of videoconferencing, this guide touches on hardware and software, selecting and accessing videoconferencing networks, developing a request for proposals, and operational and business considerations for videoconferencing. New to this edition are expanded coverage of standards and a security section.

Many wireless systems like GSM, GPRS, UMTS, Bluetooth, WLAN or WiMAX offer possibilities to keep people connected while on the move. In this flood of technology and claims that one single resource will serve all our needs, this book seeks to enable readers to examine and understand each technology, and how to utilise several different systems for the best results.

"Communication Systems for the Mobile Information Society" not only contains a technical description of the different wireless systems available today, but also explains the thoughts that are behind the different mechanisms and implementations; not only the 'how' but also the 'why' is in focus. Thus the advantages and also limitations of each technology become apparent.

Provides readers with a solid introduction to major global wireless standards and compares the different wireless technologies and their applications

Describes the different systems based on the standards, their practical implementation and why they were designed the way they are

The performance and capacity of each system in practice is analyzed and explained, accompanied with practical tips on how to discover the functionality of different networks by the readers themselves

Questions at the end of each chapter and answers on the accompanying website make this book ideal for self study or as course material

Illustrated with many realistic examples of how mobile people can stay in touch with other people, the Internet and their corporate intranet

This book is an essential resource for telecommunication engineers, professionals and computer science and electrical engineering students who want to get a thorough end-to-end understandingof the different technical concepts of the systems on the market today.

Combining information on the most important and related technologies in the mobile communications field, this two book package gives the engineer a concise, complete and authoritative introduction to LTE and SAE and The Evolved Packet Core. Written by experts who played a leading role in the development of the standards, this package gives insight into the 'how' and 'why', enabling the professional engineer to implement the technologies that are central to the mobile broadband revolution. Includes details of the standards and technologies with 160 new pages: LTE radio interface architecture, LTE physical layer and LTE access procedures Contains three brand new chapters on LTE: Transmission Procedures, Flexible Bandwidth and LTE Evolution, plus expanded details on the physical layer (total LTE content is 270 pages) Examines the latest developments in the evolution of LTE into IMT-Advanced, the next stage of 3G Evolution Gives clear explanations of the role of OFDM and MIMO technologies in HSPA and LTE Outlines the System Architecture Evolution (SAE) supporting LTE and HSPA evolution Up-to-date coverage of SAE including the latest standards development Easily accessible overview of the architecture and concepts defined by SAE Thorough description of the Evolved Packet Core for LTE, fixed and other wireless accesses Comprehensive explanation of SAE key concepts, security and Quality-of-Service Covers potential service and operator scenarios including interworking with existing 3GPP and 3GPP2 systems Detailed walkthrough of network entities, protocols and procedures Written by established experts in the SAE standardization process, all of whom have extensive experience and understanding of its goals, history and vision

A complete and systematic treatment of signal processing for VoIP voice and fax This book presents a consolidated view and basic approach to signal processing for VoIP voice and fax solutions. It provides readers with complete coverage of the topic, from how things work in voice and fax modules, to signal processing aspects, implementation, and testing. Beginning with an overview of VoIP infrastructure, interfaces, and signals, the book systematically covers: Voice compression Packet loss concealment techniques DTMF detection, generation, and rejection Wideband voice modules operation VoIP Voice-Network bit rate calculations VoIP voice testing Fax over IP and modem over IP Country deviations of PSTN mapped to VoIP VoIP on different processors and architectures Generic VAD-CNG for waveform codecs Echo cancellation Caller ID features in VoIP Packetization-RTP, RTCP, and jitter buffer Clock sources for VoIP applications Fax operation on PSTN, modulations, and fax messages Fax over IP payload formats and bit rate calculations Voice packets jitter with large data packets VoIP voice quality Over 100 questions and answers on voice and more than seventy questions and answers on fax are provided at the back of the book to reinforce the topics covered throughout the text. Additionally, several clarification, interpretation, and discussion sections are included in selected chapters to aide in readers' comprehension. VoIP Voice and Fax Signal Processing is an indispensable resource for professional electrical engineers, voice and fax solution developers, product and deployment support teams, quality assurance and test engineers, and computer engineers. It also serves as a valuable textbook for graduate-level students in electrical engineering and computer engineering courses.

From the reviews of the Second Edition … "The book stresses how systems operate and the rationale behind their design, rather than presenting rigorous analytical formulations … [It provides] the practicality and breadth essential to mastering the concepts of modern communications systems." —Telecommunication Journal In this expanded new edition of his bestselling book, telephony expert John Bellamy continues to provide telecommunications engineers with practical, comprehensive coverage of all aspects of digital telephone systems, while addressing the rapid changes the field has seen in recent years. Bellamy discusses the near-complete conversion to digital technology in telephone networks worldwide, examines both existing and emerging technologies, and explores the intricacies of carrying voice over data networks as well as the use of telephone networks for carrying data for Internet access. He emphasizes system design, implementation, and application, but also correlates the practice to communications theory. With 30 percent new material, Digital Telephony, Third Edition features:

• Clear explanations on how to overcome problems associated with the replacement of old analog technology with new digital technology
• A new chapter on digital mobile telephone technology
• New material on how, data networks support voice communication
• A new chapter on digital subscriber access technologies
• More than 300 graphs illustrating concepts
• Examples from the U.S. network as well as ITU public telephone networks

This completely revised and updated edition of the highly successful "UMTS Signaling" provides a deep insight into all aspects of UMTS signalling. The chapter structure has been reworked for improved "usability" for readers, as well as including many new features and updates.

The successful trial, deployment, operation and troubleshooting of 3G or UMTS infrastructures and applications is the biggest challenge facing today's mobile communications. Network element instability, network element and multi-vendor interoperability, configuration and network planning faults are just a few of the challenges affecting performance and profitability that need to be addressed. This book is an invaluable guide to resolving such problems.

Highlights of the Second Edition: Includes new information and scenarios on HSPA / HSDPA / HSUPA, and IMS Covers not only WCDMA, but also TD-SCDMA issues Contains up-to-date information on releases 5 and 6, and includes a new chapter on the future releases 7 and 8 Provides crucial information for network operators and equipment suppliers keen to understand how to handle and analyse UMTS signaling procedures in order to get the network into operation, detect errors and troubleshoot faults Uses first hand, real world information to explain issues which are unclear in the standards Includes comprehensive descriptions and documentation of UMTS reference scenarios for different UMTS procedures

The unified comprehensive approach taken by the authors makes this book essential reading for engineers in network operators, integrators or system suppliers who need to be at the cutting edge of this technology. It will also be an invaluable resource for postgraduateson telecommunications courses, especially those with a focus on signal analysis.

The End of the CBC? is about three overlapping crises: the crisis that has enveloped the CBC, the crisis of news, and the crisis of democracy. The emergence of platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Netflix, the hyper-targeting of individual users through data analytics, the development of narrow online identity communities, and the rise of an attention economy have changed the media landscape in dramatic ways. Describing the failure of successive governments to address problems faced by the public broadcaster, this book explains how the CBC lost its place in sports, drama, and entertainment. Taras and Waddell propose a way forward for the CBC - one in which the corporation concentrates its resources on news and current affairs and re-establishes a reputation for depth and quality.

Fixed wireless access networks and Wireless Local Loop (WLL) technology are effective and efficient means for rapidly creating new access to telecommunications networks and services which are short of capacity and incapable of handling the bitrates expected by today's high speed multimedia, Internet, video and voice services.

Wireless Access Networks is a complete reference for all involved in fixed wireless access and wireless local loop, including business strategists, marketing, technical, planning and operations staff of public network operators, as well as students.

Well-illustrated and simple-to-read, topics covered include:

• Economics of fixed wireless networks - why and when they are attractive
• Technical and operational planning, practicality and maintenance
• Design of radio systems and their basic functionality
• Point-to-point (PTP) and point-to-multipoint (PMP) radio
• Calculation of radio system range and reliability
• Fixed wireless applications and their network integration

Translates technical jargon into practical business communications solutions

This book takes readers from traditional voice, fax, video, and data services delivered via separate platforms to a single, unified platform delivering all of these services seamlessly via the Internet. With its clear, jargon-free explanations, the author enables all readers to better understand and assess the growing number of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and unified communications (UC) products and services that are available for businesses.

VoIP and Unified Communications is based on the author's careful review and synthesis of more than 7,000 pages of published standards as well as a broad range of datasheets, websites, white papers, and webinars. It begins with an introduction to IP technology and then covers such topics as:

Packet transmission and switching

VoIP signaling and call processing

How VoIP and UC are defining the future

Interconnections with global services

Network management for VoIP and UC

This book features a complete chapter dedicated to cost analyses and payback calculations, enabling readers to accurately determine the short- and long-term financial impact of migrating to various VoIP and UC products and services. There's also a chapter detailing major IP systems hardware and software. Throughout the book, diagrams illustrate how various VoIP and UC components and systems work. In addition, the author highlights potential problems and threats to UC services, steering readers away from common pitfalls.

Concise and to the point, this text enables readers--from novices to experienced engineers and technical managers--to understand how VoIP and UC really work so that everyone can confidently deal with network engineers, data center gurus, and top management.

On March 7, 1876, the U.S. Patent Office issued to a young inventor named Alexander Graham Bell what is arguably the most valuable patent ever: entitled "improvements in telegraphy," in truth it secured for Bell the basic principles involved in a telephone. On the same day that Bell filed his patent application, a caveat (a preliminary patent document) was filed by Elisha Gray. This coincidence sparked the first of many debates over whether Bell was the true inventor of the telephone. In the early 1860s Johann Phillipp Reis developed a version of the instrument, but his claims against Bell were hampered by the bungling of his lawyers in demonstrating his instrument in court. This work is a first look at the many men who developed the telephone and an examination of their claims against Bell's patent. A lay description of the phone is also provided, as well as a history of the development of the telephone system.

Your company can save tons of money by taking advantage of Asterisk, an open-source PBX that allows you to bridge data and voice communications. Asterisk for Dummies saves you all the worries and confusion with its easy-to-use, step-by-step walkthrough of the entire program that will have you set up in no time! Asterisk takes the data side of telecom and applies it to the handling and processing of voice calls. This book will show you everything you need to know to install, program, and grow with Asterisk. The invaluable information covered in this guide shows you how to: * Utilize dialplan, add features, and build infrastructure * Maintain your telecom service * Address call-quality concerns and completion issues * Provide long-term health for your Asterisk switch * Operate the AsteriskNOW GUI * Utilize VoIP codecs * Troubleshoot VoIP calls with packet captures * Avoid the things you should never do with Asterisk In addition to these essential tools, this trusty guide shows you how to manipulate your Asterisk and make it even more useful, such as fending off telemarketers, creating a voice mailbox that e-mails everyone, and transmitting your voice through your stereo. It also has quick references that no Asterisk operator should be without, like dialplan functions, VoIP basics, and a concise guide to Linux. With Asterisk for Dummies, you'll have the power to handle all the necessary programming to set up the system and keep it running smoothly.

In 1999-2000, VoIP (Voice-over-IP) telephony was one of the most successful buzzwords of the telecom bubble era. However, in 2001-2003, VoIP faced a very tough reality check. Now, manufacturers and service providers are drawing on what they have learnt from past experience in order to prepare to participate in the next major challenge faced by the telecommunications industry.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of the issues to solve in order to deploy global revenue-generating effective "multimedia" services. Drawing on extensive research and practical deployment experience in VoIP, the authors provide essential advice for those seeking to design and implement a post-bubble VoIP network.

"Beyond VoIP Protocols: Understanding Voice Technology and Networking Techniques for IP Telephony" Introduces the basics of speech coding and voice quality Demonstrates how quality of service may be built into the network and deals with dimensioning aspects, e.g. multipoint communications and how to model call seizures. Explores the potential of multicast to turn an IP backbone into an optimized broadcast medium Includes amply illustrated, state-of-the-art practical advice for formulating a complete deployment strategy A companion volume to "IP Telephony: Deploying VoIP Protocols," this book takes the reader a stage deeper into how to prepare the network and exploit VoIP technology to its full potential.

We live in a world where social interaction is increasingly mediated by technological devices. In this book, Ian Hutchby explores the impact these technologies have on our attempts to communicate. Focusing on four examples - telephones, computerized expert systems at work, speech-based systems dealing with enquiries from the public, and multi-user spaces on the Internet - Hutchby asks: are we increasingly technologized conversationalists, or is technology increasingly conversationalized?

"Conversation and Technology" draws on recent theory and empirical research in conversation analysis, ethnomethodology and the social construction of technology. In novel contributions to each of these areas, Hutchby argues that the ways in which we interact can be profoundly shaped by technological media, while at the same time we ourselves are shapers of both the cultural and interactional properties of these technologies.

The book begins by examining a variety of theoretical perspectives on this issue. Hutchby offers a critical appraisal of recent sociological thinking, which has tended to over-estimate society's influence on technological development. Instead he calls for a new appreciation of the relationship between human communication and technology. Using a range of case studies to illustrate his argument, Hutchby explores the multiplicity of ways in which technology affects our ordinary conversational practices.

Readers in areas as diverse as sociology, communication studies, psychology, computer science and management studies will find much of interest in this account of the human and communicative properties of various forms of modern communication technology.

Introduces digital mobile communications with an emphasis on digital transmission methods This book presents mathematical analyses of signals, mobile radio channels, and digital modulation methods. The new edition covers the evolution of wireless communications technologies and systems. The major new topics are OFDM (orthogonal frequency domain multiplexing), MIMO (multi-input multi-output) systems, frequency-domain equalization, the turbo codes, LDPC (low density parity check code), ACELP (algebraic code excited linear predictive) voice coding, dynamic scheduling for wireless packet data transmission and nonlinearity compensating digital pre-distorter amplifiers. The new systems using the above mentioned technologies include the second generation evolution systems, the third generation systems with their evolution systems, LTE and LTE-advanced systems, and advanced wireless local area network systems. The second edition of Digital Mobile Communication : Presents basic concepts and applications to a variety of mobile communication systems Discusses current applications of modern digital mobile communication systems Covers the evolution of wireless communications technologies and systems in conjunction with their background The second edition of Digital Mobile Communication is an important textbook for university students, researchers, and engineers involved in wireless communications.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is gaining a lot of attention these days, as more companies and individuals switch from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. The reason is simple: A single network to carry voice and data is easier to scale, maintain, and administer. As an added bonus, it's also cheaper, because VoIP is free of the endless government regulations and tariffs imposed upon phone companies. VoIP is simply overflowing with hack potential, and VoIP Hacks is the practical guide from O'Reilly that presents these possibilities to you. It provides dozens of hands-on projects for building a VoIP network, showing you how to tweak and customize a multitude of exciting things to get the job done. Along the way, you'll also learn which standards and practices work best for your particular environment. Among the quick and clever solutions showcased in the book are those for: * gauging VoIP readiness on an enterprise network * using SIP, H.3 23, and other signaling specifications * providing low-layer security in a VoIP environment * employing IP hardphones, analog telephone adapters, and softPBX servers * dealing with and avoiding the most common VoIP deployment mistakes In reality, VoIP Hacks contains only a small subset of VoIP knowledge-enough to serve as an introduction to the world of VoIP and teach you how to use it to save money, be more productive, or just impress your friends. If you love to tinker and optimize, this is the one technology, and the one book, you must investigate.

More and more businesses today have their receive phone service through Internet instead of local phone company lines. Many businesses are also using their internal local and wide-area network infrastructure to replace legacy enterprise telephone networks. This migration to a single network carrying voice and data is called convergence, and it's revolutionizing the world of telecommunications by slashing costs and empowering users. The technology of families driving this convergence is called VoIP, or Voice over IP.

VoIP has advanced Internet-based telephony to a viable solution, piquing the interest of companies small and large. The primary reason for migrating to VoIP is cost, as it equalizes the costs of long distance calls, local calls, and e-mails to fractions of a penny per use. But the real enterprise turn-on is how VoIP empowers

businesses to mold and customize telecom and datacom solutions using a single, cohesive networking platform. These business drivers are so compelling that legacy telephony is going the way of the dinosaur, yielding to Voice over IP as the dominant enterprise communications paradigm.

Developed from real-world experience by a senior developer, O'Reilly's "Switching to VoIP" provides solutions for the most common VoIP migration challenges. So if you're a network professional who is migrating from a traditional telephony system to a modern, feature-rich network, this book is a must-have. You'll

discover the strengths and weaknesses of circuit-switched and packet-switched networks, how VoIP systems impact network infrastructure, as well as solutions for common challenges involved with IP voice migrations. Among the challenges discussed andprojects presented:

building a softPBX

configuring IP phones

ensuring quality of service

scalability

standards-compliance

topological considerations

coordinating a complete system ?switchover?

migrating applications like voicemail and directory

services

retro-interfacing to traditional telephony

supporting mobile users

security and survivability

dealing with the challenges of NAT

To help you grasp the core principles at work, "Switching to VoIP" uses a combination of strategy and hands-on "how-to" that introduce VoIP routers and media gateways, various makes of IP telephone equipment, legacy analog phones, IPTables and Linux firewalls, and the Asterisk open source PBX software by Digium.

You'll learn how to build an IP-based or legacy-compatible phone system and voicemail system complete with e-mail integration while becoming familiar with VoIP protocols and devices. "Switching to VoIP" remains vendor-neutral and advocates standards, not brands. Some of the standards explored include:

SIP

H.323, SCCP, and IAX

Voice codecs

802.3af

Type of Service, IP precedence, DiffServ, and RSVP

802.1a/b/g WLAN

If VoIP has your attention, like so many others, then Switching to VoIP will help you build your own system, install it, and begin making calls. It's the only thing left between you and a modern telecom network.