Patent ID: 8169903

Claim:
A method comprising: associating a virtual private network (VPN) corresponding with a source of a call to a virtual interface of a Session Border Controller (SBC), wherein the association is performed using a VPN identifier, and wherein the virtual interface is configured to receive the call and to evaluate the call routed to the SBC; configuring the SBC with policies to facilitate communication between the VPN identified with the VPN identifier and another VPN identified with another VPN identifier different from the VPN identifier; receiving the call at the virtual interface of the SBC; separating the call into a signal portion and a media portion; embedding the VPN identifier in the signal portion of the call; and routing the signal portion of the call through the SBC and determining if the source of the call and a destination of the call are in a same or different VPN based on the VPN identifier embedded in the signal portion of the call and the association of the VPN to the virtual interface; wherein if the SBC determines that the source and destination are within a same VPN, then the media portion is not routed through the SBC, else if the SBC determines that the source and destination are not within the same VPN, then routing the media portion through the SBC; wherein the routing of the media portion through the SBC comprises processing the media portion using the policies implemented by the SBC, and routing the media portion to the destination of the call.