VoIP which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol is changing the way people think about making long distance phone calls.
VoIP uses technology that can translate analog audio signal, the signal traditionally used for telephone calls, into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet and translated back to analog at the other end, if necessary. This technology can also be used without traditional phones, bypassing the phone company (and the outrageous fees) altogether. This technology has the potential to completely revolutionize the telephone industry offering a whole range of new choices for the consumer.
It is highly possible that this technology will eventually completely replace the traditional phone system.
There are several ways to take advantage of this new technology including both pay and free services available through the Internet. Some require purchasing new equipment to make and receive phone calls with a traditional telephone and others make and receive calls through your computer using the speakers and a microphone.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods with the computer method being available for free, but requiring your computer to be on and connected to the Internet in order to make or receive calls and the traditional phone method usually requiring the purchase of additional equipment and a monthly usage fee. Even with the fee, however, in most cases VoIP would prove to be a considerable savings over the standard telephone company’s bill.
Actually, there is a good chance you are already using VoIP technology without even knowing it. Many of the big-name long distance telephone service providers are already streamlining their networks using VoIP. This technology takes advantage of sending information electronically in the form of packets instead of the traditional method of circuit switching.
By using packets the information is sent only when it is created as opposed the circuit method which leaves a circuit open for the entire duration of the phone call so that there is a constant flow of information in both directions even when only one person is talking or when nobody is talking at all. Since the packet-switching method only sends actual data as it is created there is much less information “traffic” making the whole system much more efficient.
VoIP phone plans usually include all the premium services such as call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding and three-way calling in their one low (or free) fee rather than charging extra for each of these like the regular phone companies do. This provides yet another advantage for the VoIP customer.
There are even more premium features that go beyond what a standard phone company is capable of, such as filtering calls and routing specific phone numbers to either another number or a predetermined recorded message. Imagine sending all telemarketers to a “this phone is no longer in service message. ”
The only potential drawback for some customers is not having access to a high-speed Internet connection. This can pose a problem for close to 50% of Americans who are still forced to use traditional dial-up connections. For the other 50%, however, VoIP is a viable alternative to the high phone bills and lackluster service they have been getting for years. The technology is still in its infancy and its popularity is likely to skyrocket in the coming years.
Posts Tagged ‘Long Distance Telephone’
VoIP – The Ultimate Calling Solution
January 3rd, 2010VoIP
December 29th, 2009VoIP
The biggest benefits of the latest technology in Voice over Internet Protocol – VoIP – are to small businesses, residences and home offices. It may seem a bit confusing when shopping for VoIP, but when you are finished and have found the right match, it will be worth it.
Broadband and DSL computer usage are already installed in many home offices and small businesses so adding VoIP technology will be quick and easy. This technology becomes a viable option for reducing the cost of long distance telephone calls.
Choosing to work with one of the bigger named carriers of VoIP technology will give you better customer service, a wider calling area, more features and new technology and reliability when you need a call to go through. Some of the newer, start up companies can offer the same, but you should check with their current customers to make sure they are happy with their services.
A few of the things to consider when choosing the right VoIP network for you are: price, quality of calls, customer support and service and ease of use of the hardware and software involved.
Pricing – several of the VoIP network companies offer ‘unlimited’ packages where you can make unlimited calls for a fixed rate per month. This is a good plan for a home or business because it’s a great way to budget your communications bill every month. Many of these ‘unlimited calling packages’ charge anywhere from $15 to $45 a month and come with a wide variety of calling features.
Standard VoIP features – many of the standard features with the VoIP networks are not standard with a regular telephone company and this is a great advantage. Some of these features include, voice mail, three way calling, call forwarding, caller ID, online account management and conference calling and much more. One of these features alone would cost you upwards of $7. 50 or more per month with a traditional phone company.
Contracts vs. no contracts – there are many companies that offer the VoIP services without locking you into a contract. They offer their services on a month to month bases and this works great for people who are about to move or small businesses who just started or a number of people who aren’t sure they want to stick with the VoIP networks.
VoIP hardware – with some VoIP networks, the equipment or hardware may be part of the contract and you will receive the ATA – analog telephone adaptor or an IP phone. The IP phone is a regular phone except it has an Ethernet connection where you plug the phone cord into. It makes the phone into a modem for your telephone system.
Where do you get VoIP services? – You can get the VoIP services through the Internet or through companies local to your area. They will provide you with all the hardware and software you will need to start making phone calls through the use of the VoIP service network.
Minimize your Phone Bill With VoIP
December 25th, 2009Broadband phones are here for quite some time and is definitely the future of telecommunications. These phones are used to make telephone calls via PC over internet thus drastically cutting down the cost of your huge telephone bills. In UK and US, broadband and internet phones have become a household name and more and more people are switching to internet phone service rather than using traditional phone lines. Broadband phones use the technology called Voice over IP (Internet Protocol), or VoIP. VoIP technology is used to transmit voice conversations over a data network using the Internet Protocol. Such data network may be the Internet or a corporate Intranet. It carries telephone voice signals as IP packets in compliance with International Telecommunications Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) specification H. 323. VoIP enables a router to transmit telephone calls and faxes over the Internet with no loss in functionality, reliability, or voice quality. VoIP utilizes bandwidth to send voice packets like any other data. When they reach their destination, the data packets are converted and reconstructed into voice.
The primary motivations for doing so are cost and convenience as VoIP is significantly less expensive than typical telephone long distance packages, plus one high speed Internet connection can serve for multiple phone lines. Advantages of VoIP Technology
1. Universal Appeal: VoIP could be applied to almost any voice communications requirement, ranging from a simple inter-office intercom to complex multi-point teleconferencing/shared screen environments.
2. Low Cost: Reducing long distance telephone costs is a major reason for using VoIP. Today flat rate long distance pricing is available with the Internet and can result in considerable savings for both voice transfer and fax. And because VoIP uses the infrastructure of the Internet to make outgoing calls, you can cut down your telephone bills considerably. Depending upon your VoIP service provider you can also make long distance calls that cost little calls charges. Many VoIP services providers also offer customers VoIP products like calling cards which have discounted rates, which further allow you to save more.
If you have VoIP software installed in your computer and you make a call to someone who also uses VoIP software in the same local area, then you can talk to him as long as you wish without paying a pound. This is because the data is transferred in mode similar to that of an email and your voice is converted into digital data packets rather than audio. VoIP also enables conference calls and video calls at economical cost.
3. Simplification: The integrated infrastructure supports all forms of communication over internet and allows more standardization and reduces the total equipment complement. Disadvantages
1. Connectivity: One of the major disadvantages of VoIP is that it only works if the computer of user is switched on and the VoIP software is running. It also requires that the other person with whom the user wants to communicate has the same program loaded and running on his computer.
2. Quality of Sound: Another major disadvantage of VOIP is that the quality of the sound can be uneven and calls can have lot of delay with lot of echo.
3. Security: One more area of concern related to voip is the security of the data transferred. They are more susceptible to the Denial of Service (DOS) attacks and other forms of obnoxious hacking because many businesses operate personal gateways and other equipment for connecting to the internet. However there is solution to every problem and if regular precautions are followed while transferring files and data, then this problem can be solved.
Finally it can be said that VoIP technology is emerging as a major player in the telecom industry and in spite of the challenges faced, it is definitely going to be the future of voice communication.
