Scared of making ISD calls, to friends and relatives in India, or do you have to pay huge landline or mobile bills as you have business contacts in other countries? The latest technology of VOIP will help you make cheap and unlimited calls over the Internet. All you need is a dial-up or broadband connection. VOIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol which is a technology that helps transmit voice conversations via the Internet.

The best way to use this technology is to download Skype, which is free and offers great individual and business packages. Their monthly subscription charges are reasonable and will help you save a lot of money in comparison to landline or mobile phone bills.

Skype will allow you to make free calls to any part of the world, to any landline or mobile number. An added advantage is that if you and your friend have both downloaded Skype, then both of you can talk over the Internet for as long as you want, absolutely free. For business purposes, your colleagues can contact you on an online number whenever they want.

The process of using VOIP technology is actually quite easy and inexpensive. There is a guide inside Skype that will enable you to dial the right ISD code and you can chat right away.

There are two plans to make calls using VOIP: you can choose to pay a monthly subscription which will allow you to make unlimited calls to landlines in selected countries and regions, with an additional 50% discount on an online number. This plan will be best suited to those who make frequent business or personal calls to any one country.

There is another scheme: Pay As You Go. This will require you to add a minimum amount to your account and then you have to pay for as many calls that you make. The calling rate is a flat rate of 2.1¢¹ per minute to over 30 destinations, which is quite cheap, considering that you have such a wide range of countries to choose from.

The additional advantages of using Skype are that you can set up your mobile number or online number to appear if you are calling someone, which helps in caller identification. This technology is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Windows Mobile, WiFi phones, Cordless phones, Skype To Go. You can SMS or even Voice Chat with friends and family, using Skype. There is a VAT of 2 euro cents on the online service and a connection fee and fair usage policies are conditions that apply to Skype. Forward calls to your mobile when you are offline, use a webcam to chat, set up an online number to get the feel of calling a local number-send text messages: the options are endless with Skype.

So, jump on to the Skype bandwagon and make the cheapest ISD calls to keep in touch with loved ones and with business colleagues.

By: Erick John