common channel signaling

The other way in which the disadvantages of channel associated signaling protocols can be overcome, is by using a common channel signaling protocol. Common channel signaling avoids all of these problems. Using short, fast messages which are sent (bidirectionally) in a single time slot of a trunk, the switch/network and the voice response unit can communicate much more efficiently than with a channel associated signaling trunk.

Blueworx Voice Response supports two types of common channel signaling protocol:

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
Signaling System Number 7 (SS7)

Blueworx Voice Response also supports the development of specialized common channel signaling protocols for intelligent network (IN) applications, through the use of the signaling interface.

Figure 1. The role of a signaling process in common channel signaling
In the absence of a switch, the telephony network shown here is simply a carrier network connecting with a digital trunk process and digital trunk adapter for both the voice channel and the signaling protocol. The trunk adapter links through the signaling process to Blueworx Voice Response.

In the absence of a switch, the telephony network shown here is simply a carrier network connecting with a digital trunk process and digital trunk adapter for both the voice channel and the signaling protocol. The trunk adapter links through the signaling process to Blueworx Voice Response.