VoIP is a relatively new type of telephone service that has been gaining more and more popularity in the past few years. VOIP is short for voice over Internet protocol, which basically means your phone calls are made through an internet connection, rather than through regular phone land lines. The rise of it’s popularity could mean that it will be the way of the future for most home phones. What is it that has all these people so excited about VOIP technology? Well, with VOIP you save quite a bit of money, when you compare it to standard land line telephone service. VOIP providers usually have unlimited calling, as well as free added features like caller ID and call forwarding, which would cost you extra with a standard phone service.
Those combined savings can add up to a savings of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for many people. The biggest group this appeals to, and that stand to save the most, are larger companies or corporations that make a large number of calls on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean it won’t save money for those who only need it for their home phone, just that the more you use your phone, the more you’ll be saving.
Some might tell you that using the internet for voice chat can be choppy or get an echo, thought this can be true, VOIP uses RTP (real time protocol), which greatly limits and often completely eliminates such problems.
VOIP is not just useful for making and receiving phone calls either, it can also be used for other things, such as sending and receiving other types of data. File transfer is possible through a VOIP service, so you can share pictures with friends, or even send important documents instantly. Video chat and instant messaging can also be done through VOIP, when teamed with the right program, such as Google Talk or Skype.
With all these great features and the savings included, many people are making the switch. So much so, that even some standard telephone companies are starting to offer VOIP service to their customers, a sure sign that it’s here to stay.
By: Joanne Greco
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VoIP 101
December 23rd, 2009VoIP – Pros and Cons
October 11th, 2009
VOIP is short for Voice Over Internet Protocol, what that means is that your phone calls will be made through an internet connection, rather than through standard telephone land lines. Though it’s relatively new, many people have decided to switch over to VOIP phone service for a number of reasons.
One of the biggest advantages of VOIP is that no matter where you are, if you can connect to the internet, you can make and receive phone calls. In many cases, service providers will offer a package that allows local calling from anywhere in the world. What this means is that if you call any phone number in your local home phone area, even if you are across the world, it will be charged as a local call. This is the same if anyone in your local home area calls your number, even if you’re somewhere else, it’s a local call.
Another advantage of VOIP is that most providers include extra features, such as caller ID, call forwarding, 3 way calling and auto redial. These features can be costly with standard phone service. VOIP also works with many instant messaging programs like MSN, Google Talk and Skype. It can also be used for file sharing, video conferencing, voice conferencing and other internet based applications.
VOIP providers often offer unlimited calls to and from your phone number, even if you’re calling overseas, which can save you a great deal of money every year. For those who call distant relatives often, VOIP is definitely the way to go.
The biggest disadvantage is that, if you lose your internet connection, your phone will not work. Also, if you have a slow connection or any interference, you can get an echo or dropped calls. VOIP phones need electricity as well, so if your power goes out, so will your phone.
VOIP service is not the most secure way to communicate, because they are sent over the internet, it is possible for someone with the right know how, to listen in on your calls. Another problem is with caller ID, VOIP phones will not show up on the call ID of people you call.
So VOIP might not be something you want to rely on completely, but teamed with something like a prepaid cell phone, it can definitely save you some money on your phone bill.
By: Joanne Greco
