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RE: [Sip] Eating our own Dog Food...could the IAB and IESG use SIP for conference calls

2003-03-26 07:47:12
So "pure Internet SIP" won't work for all of us any time soon.

Glad to clear up the confusion on this point. People on the PSTN can
dial in and can be called from the SIP conferencing server by using a
service provider that has standard PSTN-SIP gateways. The typical SIP
voice conference has both PSTN users and SIP users. Works quite well for
everybody.

IM can also be used at the same time, by those who prefer it to real
time voice. Several SIP clients do both, actually video and data as
well.

Thanks, Henry

-----Original Message-----
From: sip-admin(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org [mailto:sip-admin(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org] On 
Behalf Of Harald Tveit Alvestrand
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 1:14 PM
To: Richard Shockey; ietf(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
Cc: sip(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
Subject: Re: [Sip] Eating our own Dog Food...could the IAB 
and IESG use SIP for conference calls


Thanks for the idea!
injecting a slight dash of cold water....

- the actual cost of "Teleconferences and Long Distance 
charges" in 2002 
were USD 82.210 (unaudited) (vs 54.400 for 2001). A 
significant fraction of 
that, but far from all, is the IESG teleconferences.
- we've already switched teleconference providers once to 
reduce costs, 
going from call-everyone to most-people-call-in.
- the costliest part of the IESG teleconferences has been the 
callout: 
international participants (last year, France, the 
Netherlands, Norway and 
Sweden when they are at home, hotels literally anywhere in 
the world when 
they are travelling) are called rather than calling in. You 
don't want to 
discuss with your boss why you had to make a 2 1/2 hour 
international call 
at hotel room rates if you can avoid it......
- it's absolutely essential that one be able to participate 
in the IESG 
telecon from just about anything that one can dial from - we've had 
participants on cellphones from trains, in airport lounges, 
hotel rooms and 
other places. So SIP-only won't work for some time yet.
- even at work, several of us have problems with firewalls; 
about half the 
IESG uses Jabber during sessions - the reason many of the 
others don't is 
that they can't get Jabber through their corporate firewalls. 
So "pure 
Internet SIP" won't work for all of us any time soon.

So I think this is a good idea, PROVIDED THAT:

- The SIP teleconference bridge provider is able to provide either 
800-number access or callout services to normal telephones in 
most corners 
of the world
- The voice quality, operator quality and call stability is 
competitive 
(yes, we've got the "there's an echo on this conference - can 
you figure 
out who is echoing and fix it" request down to a matter of routine)

A "normal" teleconference provider that *also* allows SIP 
dialin over the 
Internet would probably be perfect. If you have one - send 
email to me - 
PRIVATELY - and I will forward to the relevant parties at the 
secretariat.

               Harald

--On mandag, mars 24, 2003 19:04:17 -0500 Richard Shockey 
<richard(_at_)shockey(_dot_)us> wrote:


Like many of us I was moved my Harald's appeal for suggestions for 
helping to cut down costs in the IETF.

I certainly endorse the idea of considering Canada or Mexico as 
possible sites for future IETF meetings, but I suspect that 
the weekly 
teleconferece calls that the IAB and IESG have represent a 
significant 
line item for the Secretariat.

In case anyone has not heard, SIP is quite capable of handling this 
type of task and there are a variety of commercial as well as open 
source Client User Agents as well as commercial products 
and services 
that could help reduce this cost.

I'm sure the SIP working group could help the Secretariat identify 
products and services that could make this essential function more 
productive and operate at less cost.


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