Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). The three words themselves aren’t particularly spectacular. But this technology is the foundation for true unified communications, and is helping to transform the way that traders communicate and collaborate, wherever they are.
The life of a typical trader is busier and more demanding than ever before. The industry is now globalised and more interdependent than anyone could have imagined ten years ago. In such a fast moving world where rapid, reliable communications are the bedrock of success, technology has just about kept up in the form of trading turrets along with laptops, smartphones and other mobile devices. So much so, that a typical trader often works with two, three or more of these devices each supporting different communication medias. That’s a big step forward in terms of flexible and mobile working. But it presents a fundamental challenge. Whether you want to reach an individual by email, voice or even video conference, how do you know the best way to reach them?
Until recently, people relied on voicemail messages, automated emails and even social networks to pinpoint their location. However, the trading sector lacked of a single solution that could unify these disparate channels. All this is about to change thanks to a technology called Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). SIP enables to change communication pattern paradigm from device to device communication to user to user communication. With SIP, no need to know all your correspondent details as the communication is automatically routed to the device to which he is connected to and the communication application he is using.
And it’s not all! SIP goes further: thanks to the convergence of networks and equipment, physical and geographical boundaries no longer restrict trading operations. Where today you have rigid communication matrices based on leased lines connecting one site to another one, tomorrow, thanks to SIP, you will be able to change dynamically and on the fly the termination of a line enabling to connect the trader to his correspondent wherever both of them are at that time. The limitations are defined by administration rights and the profile of the users.
The benefits of SIP are furthered when combining this technology with a managed services solutions allowing traders and IT managers to enter the cloud and take advantage of pay-as-you-go services. Once all these pieces are in place, it will enable employees to work more efficiently, better collaborate with colleagues and respond more rapidly to changes in the market.
Thierry Charvet,
Head of Marketing & Strategy, Orange Trading Solutions
Head of Marketing & Strategy at Orange Trading Solutions in Paris