Session border controller (SBC)
Session border controllers (SBCs) provide critical control functions to deliver high quality interactive communications—voice, video and multimedia sessions—across IP network borders. Already widely used by service providers throughout the world, SBCs are increasingly deployed by enterprises, contact centers and government agencies to improve interoperability, secure enterprise infrastructure, services, applications and information and improve the reliability of IP-based communications.
A “session” is any real-time, interactive voice, video or multimedia communication using IP session-layer signaling protocols such as SIP, H.323, MGCP, Megaco/H.248 or RTSP. The “border” is any IP-IP network border such as those between service provider and enterprise, residential or mobile customer/subscriber; or between two service providers. The “control” functions satisfy requirements in five major areas - security, service reach maximization, service level agreement (SLA) assurance, revenue and cost optimization and regulatory compliance.
SBCs are designed specifically to make networks “session aware” by enabling them to recognize, manage and integrate the various communication flows that comprise a single session and then treat those media flows as a single session with the appropriate priority, security and routing among other networks.