Sippy softswitch is one of the most capable VoIP switching platforms available — and one of the most misunderstood. Its combination of Class 4 transit and Class 5 subscriber features makes it the right choice for operators who need to run wholesale traffic alongside retail customers, hosted PBX, or SIP trunking services. This guide explains what Sippy is, how it compares to VOS3000, how deployment works, and what to watch out for.
What Is Sippy Softswitch?
Sippy Software (developed by Sippy Software Inc.) is a carrier-grade VoIP softswitch that supports both Class 4 and Class 5 functionality in a single platform. Class 4 handles wholesale transit — routing calls between carriers without managing end subscribers. Class 5 adds retail subscriber features: voicemail, call forwarding, calling plans billed per subscriber, and hosted PBX capability.
This dual-class architecture is Sippy’s primary advantage over alternatives like VOS3000, which is Class 4 only. An operator running Sippy can carry wholesale transit traffic on the same platform as a retail subscriber base — two revenue streams from one infrastructure investment.
Sippy Softswitch Key Features
Billing engine
Sippy has one of the most advanced billing engines in the softswitch market. It supports prepaid and postpaid billing, complex retail calling plans with promotional rates, multi-currency invoicing, and per-destination rate management. The billing engine is significantly more capable than VOS3000’s billing module, which is adequate for wholesale but limited for retail calling plan complexity.
SIP proxy and routing
Sippy includes a high-performance SIP proxy that handles LCR (least-cost routing), quality-based routing, time-of-day routing, and overflow handling. Routing rules are highly configurable and can be applied at the carrier, account, or per-subscriber level.
Class 5 subscriber features
- Voicemail with email delivery
- Call forwarding (unconditional, busy, no-answer)
- Calling plans with included minutes, rate caps, and promotional pricing
- SIP trunking for hosted PBX customers
- DID management and assignment
- Customer self-service portal
Fraud controls
Sippy includes built-in fraud detection and controls: spending limits per account, destination blocking, velocity limits (maximum calls per minute), and real-time alerts. These are essential for retail operators where a single compromised account can generate thousands of dollars in fraudulent calls within hours.
Sippy vs VOS3000: Which Is Right for Your Business?
This is the most common question we get from operators evaluating softswitch platforms. The answer depends on what you need to do with the platform.
Choose VOS3000 if:
- You are primarily a wholesale carrier or VoIP reseller (Class 4 use case)
- You want to go live as quickly as possible (24–72 hours vs 3–5 days for Sippy)
- Your billing needs are straightforward (simple rate decks, prepaid/postpaid accounts)
- You do not need hosted PBX or retail subscriber management
- You are starting out and want to test routes before committing to a more complex platform
Choose Sippy if:
- You need both wholesale transit and retail subscriber management
- You want to offer hosted PBX or SIP trunking to end customers
- You need complex retail calling plans with promotional rates or per-subscriber billing
- You are building a business that sells directly to end users (residential or business subscribers)
- You are an ITSP that needs a billing engine capable of generating customer invoices with itemised call detail
Running both:
Many operators run VOS3000 and Sippy in parallel — VOS3000 handles high-volume wholesale transit (where its simplicity and performance shine), and Sippy manages retail subscribers and hosted PBX customers. We have designed and supported dozens of these hybrid environments. The two platforms can share upstream carrier trunks and route traffic intelligently between them.
Sippy Softswitch Deployment: What to Expect
A full Sippy deployment with billing configuration typically takes 3–5 business days. This is longer than VOS3000 because the billing engine and subscriber management features require more careful configuration — and errors in billing are expensive to fix post-launch.
Server requirements for Sippy
- CPU: 8 cores minimum (Sippy is more CPU-intensive than VOS3000 at equivalent call volumes)
- RAM: 16GB minimum, 32GB recommended
- Storage: 200GB+ SSD
- OS: CentOS 7.x or compatible Linux distribution (check current Sippy documentation for supported versions)
- Network: Static public IP, 100Mbps+ dedicated
Deployment stages
- Server provisioning and OS hardening
- Sippy installation and license activation
- SIP proxy configuration and gateway registration
- Billing engine setup (rate decks, account types, invoice configuration)
- LCR routing configuration
- Fraud control thresholds
- End-to-end call testing and CDR verification
- Handover and documentation
Common Sippy Configuration Mistakes
Billing engine misconfiguration
The most expensive mistake in a Sippy deployment. If rate decks are not configured correctly, calls can be billed at zero (revenue loss) or overcharged (customer disputes, chargeback risk). Always verify billing against known-cost test calls before going live.
LCR route ordering errors
LCR in Sippy is powerful but can be complex. Errors in route priority ordering can result in calls going to higher-cost carriers when cheaper options are available, or to blocked destinations. Test every major destination prefix before going live.
Fraud thresholds set too loosely or too tightly
Too loose and a compromised account generates thousands in fraudulent calls before the alert fires. Too tight and legitimate high-usage customers hit limits and experience call failures. Calibrate thresholds against your actual customer usage patterns.
Sippy Licensing
Sippy Software licences are based on concurrent call capacity. Common tiers are 50, 100, 250, 500, and 1,000+ concurrent calls. The right licence depends on your current traffic volume and growth projections. Starting with a smaller licence and upgrading is straightforward. We advise on the appropriate licence tier as part of our deployment engagement.
Sippy Training
Sippy is significantly more complex to administer than VOS3000. Platform training for Sippy covers: billing engine management, rate deck imports and updates, LCR routing adjustments, subscriber management, fraud monitoring, CDR analysis, and troubleshooting call failures. Sessions are tailored to your specific configuration and delivered via Zoom. All sessions are recorded.
Ready to Deploy Sippy?
The Digital Bounce has deployed Sippy for carriers, ITSPs, and operators across the US, Middle East, Europe, and beyond. We handle the full deployment — server provisioning, installation, billing configuration, routing, testing, and handover — with a typical go-live of 3–5 business days.
We also offer Sippy managed rental servers for operators who prefer not to manage hardware, and ongoing support retainers for billing updates, routing optimisation, and platform health checks.
Get in touch for a free Sippy consultation — we will assess your requirements and give you a straight answer on which platform fits your business model.