voip_softswitch

A Soft Switch is Main device in the telecom network which can a Computer running Linux With Asterisk or any other VoIP software at the top of it and connects call from one Phone Line to another hence using the packet switch Technology.At the beginnig of the telecom age this work was carried by hardware with Switchboard to route call to the destination ( Circuit Switched ).

World’s largest SIP soft switch facility at Globe7,London

Other functional aspects of calling such as Telecom billing,Routing,call services are handled by Call Agent which controlled different media gateways which can be anywhere around the globe over a Internet Link ( usually Broadband ).These Media gateways can as disperse as PSTN Networks like E1 or an ATM ,IP Network connected to the Ethernet port of a computer systems,Soft switch connects call between them transparantly peer tp peer ( End points ) .Soft_switch generally resides in a building owned by Telecom or VOIP company.