As companies move away from legacy, on-premises systems in search of the agility and cost savings “as-a-service” solutions have to offer, they’re not just looking for ways to enable cloud communications. To maintain a high level of security, compliance, and privacy, organizations must also ensure they’re deploying the right tools to protect their network connections.
One proven method for protecting unified communications networks is to leverage session border controller technology. Session border controllers are tools that help organizations to control communications traveling through service provider networks.
SBCs act as a router between a carrier and a VoIP network, allowing only authorized communication sessions to pass through a virtual “border.” Companies can apply specific quality of service rules to their SBC technologies to determine what forms of traffic are permitted or denied.
SBCs can handle the various signalling and media functions required to make “SIP” (Session Initiation Protocol) services run seamlessly.
While traditional firewalls aren’t built to manage the real-time interactions of SIP and IP-based traffic, SBCs can handle this data seamlessly. They can help prevent malicious denial of service attacks while offering a range of bonus security features like encryption and topology hiding.
What is SBCaaS? Session Border Controllers as a Service
What is SBCaaS? If you’ve been working on upgrading your communications stack lately, you may have encountered this term once or twice. Often discussed alongside other communication-focused “SaaS” solutions, like UCaaS, CCaaS, and CPaaS, SBCaaS is quickly emerging as a powerful tool for companies shifting their technology into the cloud. Though these tools are rapidly gaining popularity, a handful of companies still don’t fully understand what SBCaaS is or how it works. Here’s everything business leaders should know.
SBCaaS, or session border controllers as a service, is explicitly designed for the agile and flexible cloud communications environment. In the past, companies looking to leverage the benefits of SBCs for quality control and security were forced to purchase appliance-based SBCs. These tools must be deployed and configured on-premises to ensure consistent interoperability with an organization’s business communications system.
Delivered according to the “as a service” model, SBCaaS provides companies with access to a flexible and versatile system for improving the security of various forms of communication.
Not only are some traditional SBCs relatively expensive to deploy, but they can also be complex and time-consuming to manage. This can be a significant problem for businesses that want to accelerate their transition into the cloud without relying on additional technical support.
SBCaaS solutions work similarly to a standard SBC solution. As with other Session Border Controllers, companies still gain access to quality service management tools, security features, and systems for controlling traffic flow.
The main difference is that SBCaaS are deployed in the cloud and managed by a third-party vendor. This reduces the requirement on the client or customer to handle their technology services.
The Benefits of SBCaaS for Business Leaders
SBCaaS solutions offer a more flexible, cost-effective way to leverage SBC technology without the on-premises management requirements. They essentially enable pay-as-you-go access to the functionality of an SBC without the need to invest in people and resources for testing, implementing, and maintaining the technology.
