SIP Forum Welcomes New Telecom Leaders to its Board of Directors as the Industry Addresses Illegal Robocalls and Caller ID Spoofing

iconectiv CTO Chris Drake looks to amplify organization’s ability to mobilize the telecom ecosystem to develop trusted communications solutions and best practices as new board member

• What’s the News: The SIP Forum has elected iconectiv’s CTO Chris Drake to its Board of Directors alongside industry leaders from AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Microsoft.
• Why it Matters: As the policy administrator for nation’s Calling Number Verification Service, the SIP-based STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework, and a leader in trusted communications, iconectiv will help address the challenges facing SIP Forum members and the communications industry.
• Who’s it for: Companies, regulators and government officials who are focused on mitigating illegal robocalling in the United States and helping to protect and safeguard consumers and legitimate businesses.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – March 16, 2021 – A core initiative of the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act) is to ensure service providers implement the STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework, which helps safeguard consumers and legitimate businesses by mitigating unwanted and illegal robocalls. In support of this initiative, the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Forum works directly with service providers and equipment vendors to develop the best practices for deploying the SIP-based framework end to end in the United States.

As the policy administrator for STIR/SHAKEN, iconectiv's Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Chris Drake has been elected to the SIP Forum Board of Directors. As a board member, he joins a prestigious group of industry leaders from AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Comcast, Cox Communications, and Microsoft. Working alongside the SIP Forum for the past several years, iconectiv has provided continued support for the organization’s initiatives, as well as advancing its educational resources and platform. 

“As a leading industry association, the SIP Forum is dedicated to providing the highest level of technical expertise to achieve product interoperability and address the communications industry’s biggest challenges, which includes diligently working to mitigate illegal robocalls and caller ID spoofing to protect consumers and businesses from spammers and scammers through our joint development with ATIS of the STIR/SHAKEN Call Authentication Framework,” said SIP Forum President and Managing Director Marc Robins. “In addition to iconectiv’s role as a leader in trusted communications, its support of the SIP Forum amplifies our ability to mobilize the entire telecom ecosystem to develop solutions and best practices.”

“While new technologies and communications platforms continue to change the way brands and consumers engage with one another, they also give rise to unforeseen challenges,” Drake said. “SIP Forum has a track record of bringing together top industry leaders that share a common mission, ensuring consumer trust in communications is realized and collaborating to establish standards at scale that help advance IP communications technology and services.”

Drake has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. He currently serves on the FCC Federal Advisory Committee, the North American Numbering Council, the GSMA Industry Specifications Approving Group, as well as the board and executive committee of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), where he is chair of the ATIS TOPS Council. He is also a longstanding member of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) cybersecurity working group and the Cybersecurity Advisory Board for the Pace University Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

As a member of the Board of Directors, Drake will help provide guidance and overall governance of all SIP Forum operations. For more information about the SIP Forum, visit: https://www.sipforum.org