01/10/2026
SIP, ONVIF and multicast are often mentioned together in IP security projects. But they solve three very different problems.
Understanding the difference helps explain how an IP-based platform such as the TOA CX-1000 can integrate into a wider security and communication infrastructure.
📞 SIP: connecting communication systems
SIP is a signalling protocol used to establish, manage and end voice calls over an IP network. It does not itself carry the audio, but enables compatible devices and systems to initiate and control communication.
In a CX-1000 installation, SIP allows the system to communicate with compatible third-party SIP phones and SIP-based systems.
✔️The benefit: existing compatible communication infrastructure can become part of the solution instead of requiring a completely separate, closed intercom environment.
📹 ONVIF: connecting IP video
ONVIF provides standardized interfaces for interoperability between IP-based physical security products.
CX-1000 supports ONVIF Profile S, allowing compatible network cameras to be integrated and their live video monitored from CX video operation stations.
✔️The benefit: operators can combine visual verification and communication in the same workflow, while integrators can connect compatible cameras without building the entire project around one proprietary ecosystem.
🔊 Multicast: distributing audio efficiently
Multicast is a one-to-many method of transmitting data over an IP network. Instead of the source creating a separate audio stream for every receiver, one stream can be distributed to a group of endpoints.
For CX-1000, this makes it possible to efficiently broadcast audio to large numbers of IP devices and zones. The system supports multicast broadcasting to up to 2,999 destinations.
✔️The benefit: paging can scale across larger sites without requiring an individual stream for every endpoint.
Why does all of this matter?
Real security projects rarely start with a blank sheet of paper. There may already be IP cameras, telephones, PA equipment or other networked devices in place, and requirements can change as a site grows.
By supporting SIP, ONVIF and multicast audio, the CX-1000 provides integrators with more freedom to combine compatible existing and new components, while giving end users a communication platform that can grow from smaller installations to complex systems with up to 3,000 connected devices.
Less isolated technology. More flexibility to integrate, expand and adapt!
🔗 For more information on the CX-1000 and its IP integration capabilities: https://www.toa.eu/cx-1000-series/