What Is VoIP Softswitch?
A softswitch is a software-based enhancement of a telephone switch, which was used to interconnect land line telephone circuits. In a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network, softswitches are simply centralized devices working with the help of a processing machine such as a computer.
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Concept
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The concept of a VoIP softswitch is associated with the idea of entirely separating switching units from the core network infrastructure. Because VoIP networks are formed by a combination of circuit-switched (telephone) and packet-switched (computer) networks, a softswitch acts as an interconnecting hub or junction between both networks by transferring multiple data requests from one network to another in a simultaneous fashion.
Functions
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The main function of a VoIP softswitch is to provide an efficient and robust mechanism for internetwork communication from public telephone network(s) to computer networks and vice versa. When connected to a packet-switched computer network, a VoIP softswitch also facilitates requests such as video/voice conferencing, interactive chatting, Internet browsing and multimedia file sharing from both telephone and computer networks.
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Benefits
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The major benefit of a VoIP softswitch is its cost, which is less than that of a normal computer network's manageable switch. Further, a VoIP softswitch is modular in its nature, so its functionality can be altered, enhanced and upgraded by simply adding necessary programs in computer systems associated with it.
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References
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