VeriSign announced last month that it is offering VoIP service providers a new way to exchange voice traffic with traditional telecommunications carriers. The company's new SIP-7 (Session Initiation Protocol 7) Services allow VoIP providers to connect to VeriSign's signaling system 7 (SS7) network, the largest independent SS7 network in North America, via a SIP-enabled softswitch and a secure virtual private network (VPN). The basic service provides connectivity to carrier networks in North America; international connectivity is available as an option.

"One of the biggest challenges VoIP carriers face is that they still need to invest in people and equipment to connect to the SS7 network, and this can be one of the biggest cost items for jumping into VoIP technology," says Vernon Irvin, executive vice president of VeriSign Communications Services. "This new VeriSign service offering will help drive business for VoIP providers. One IP connection to VeriSign now connects them to almost every switched operator in North America."

VeriSign says that carriers and ISPs can use the new offering to introduce new services based on SIP and voiceXML, including local number portability, voice VPNs, and other intelligent network services. SIP-7 customers will also gain access to VeriSign's Network Routing Directory Services for IP-to-IP connectivity.

"In the near future service providers must be able to support seamless PSTN to VoIP network signaling ranging from basic call management to enhanced features," says David Fraley, principal analyst at Gartner. Fraley adds, "As public network signaling adopts the SIP protocol, service providers that are using SIP-to-SS7 services will bridge the convergence gap."