You have heard it all-everyone is talking about the VOIP technology and how it is outpacing the telephones companies and even the cellular companies. So what is all the talk about?
VOIP allows you to make your entire local, long distance and international telephone calls over your high-speed internet connection. All of this for just one low price that can be rolled up into your monthly internet cable invoice. The technology is changing rapidly and there are a lot of new features available to people savvy enough to get in on the ground floor for this new technology.
So, what should you do? How different will your VOIP technology be over your regular telephone company? If you listen to the advertisements, you will realize that they are a lot alike, but there are also some benefits that VOIP technology now offers.
For your VOIP telephone phone, you can have voice mail, 3-way calling, speed dialing, call forwarding, simultaneous ring, call waiting, caller ID, call return, caller ID block, anonymous call rejection, do not disturb feature, and last number redial. If changing to the VOIP system you can take your existing telephone number, get great international rates, make it possible for people overseas to call you with it being a local call for them (gone are the long distance rates), you get free in-calling network and can manage your account online.
Well, this sounds a lot like the other phone companies, so what really makes the VOIP technology better? It is debatable as to whether or not this is better. It is definitely different, however; recently, there was a press release on News.com that “A technical review conducted by the British government has found several security flaws in products that use VOIP and text messaging, including those from Microsoft and Cisco Systems.” So, there can be a problem with the VOIP technology.
There is also concern that the VOIP does not full support their own encryptions yet. This means that it is easy to eavesdrop on VOIP telephones and to even change what is being said. Experts are working on security options, but have not yet found one that is completely reliable to take care of this problem.
If you look at it only one way, you would say, this is a major problem and I can not deal with that. However, consider the cyper terrorists. They can and will disrupt any communications system-all it takes is the time and patience to find a single flaw and everything can come crashing down.
The choice is yours to decided whether or not the VOIP technology is advanced enough for you to use this as your primary means of communicating on the telephone. Take your time and really think about whether or not this new VOIP technology will do everything you need it to do. If not, you might want to wait a few years until the technology has advanced more before changing over to the new VOIP technology. You know that technology will only change and be improved for the better.
By: J. Lloyd
Posts Tagged ‘Local Long Distance’
What You Should Know About VOIP Technology
November 10th, 2009Things You Need to Know About VOIP Technology
October 11th, 2009
VOIP is the buzz word everywhere and it is time you understood the VOIP technology and why it is usurping the traditional telephone system. VOIP is an acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, or simply stated, it is phone service over the Internet. If you have a broadband Internet connection, you can then get phone service delivered through the Internet connection instead of the local phone company.
You must know how different will the VOIP technology be over your conventional telephone system. There are, of course, a lot in common, but there are also some decided advantages that VOIP technology offers. VOIP will facilitate local, long distance and international telephone calls over your high-speed internet connection at incredibly low rates. VOIP technology is constantly getting updated and there are a lot of new features getting added.
Few of the attractive VOIP telephone system features are – voice mail, three-way conference, speed dialing, call forwarding, simultaneous ring, call waiting, caller ID, call return, caller ID block, anonymous call rejection, do not disturb feature, and last number redial. This is not to speak of the tremendous cost savings you can enjoy by switching over to VOIP.
An IP address identifies each IP phone, and it is known by this IP address regardless where it is plugged in. The only thing required would be a broadband connection. This makes the system both portable and flexible.
If you use VOIP through a PC-to-PC connection, then your calls are free anywhere, as long as, the receiver of the call also has VOIP. Further, most VOIP providers offer unlimited calling plans for calls made within a certain area, for single monthly fee. Whatever the use, one thing is abundantly clear – traditional phone service is much costlier. Most VOIP service providers also offer extra premium services such as caller id, without additional charges.
This is not to say that VOIP has no demerits. As a matter of fact, there was a recent press release stating the technical review conducted by the British government has found several security flaws in products that use VOIP. There is also concern that the VOIP does not full support its own encryptions yet. Thus it will be easy to eavesdrop on VOIP telephones and to even alter what is spoken.
Another major problem with VOIP is that it is run by power and if there is a power outage, your communications will come to a standstill. This is unlike traditional phone service, where you can still use your phone without the aid of electricity. Voice quality of VOIP is certainly efficient under normal conditions, but when you run into high traffic times in cable broadband, it could affect voice quality.
There is no denying that VOIP still has some drawbacks to be ironed out. You may exercise your discretion whether to go in for VOIP technology now or wait for some more time till these limitations are removed. It is reasonably expected that sooner than later, the research wing of the company will address these shortcomings and perfect the VOIP technology. But in the ultimate analysis, VOIP’s benefits outweigh its negatives and it is for the intending buyer to study the pros and cons and make an informed decision.
By: C. Bird
