With business firms searching for alternative ways to reduce their costs in business communications, the technology called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) can be highly beneficial, both economically and functionally for small, medium and large business firms alike. The Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems work the same way as a regular Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), but differs in the fact that here the medium of the internet is used as the backbone for signal transmission.
One of the key advantages of the hosted VoIP PBX system is that all the services of a regular phone system such as caller ID, voicemail and conferencing are all available at much reduced costs. Here in VoIP, both the voice and data transmissions are incorporated within the same system and hence telephone communication and digital data transfers can be done almost simultaneously along the same medium, with no high costs involved for the process.
The Voice over Internet protocol phone systems are highly versatile in their operations. The system can help companies to stay connected with their employees by setting up live Ethernet ports around their company. Companies can also connect all their global offices together with these IP telephony systems and thus save huge amounts in all long distance calls made to their offshore offices in remote locations.
For companies, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems can also be set up using their existing computers by using headsets and installing telephone dialer softwares. Here the headset acts as the handset of your office phone and the dialer software can emulate the functions of a regular IP Phone system. This arrangement is helpful for traveling business persons as they can easily convert their laptops into a dedicated Internet protocol phone system to keep in touch with their clients, irrespective of their location. The only external requirement is to have a high speed internet connection for the communication to take place.
Today, a number of Voice over IP service providers are offering their services in a customized manner with packages suitable to varying client requirements. For starters in business, hosted PBX phone systems are also available. These systems can save huge amounts for clients as they do not require business firms to buy and maintain in-house equipments. In hosted Voice over IP systems, all the necessary equipments for the service will be hosted by the provider of the VoIP. Thus whatever hosted PBX IP phone systems are chosen, they are sure to prove highly beneficial for companies in the long run.
By: Alen Smith J
Posts Tagged ‘Speed Internet Connection’
Voice Over IP (VoIP) Phone Systems
March 21st, 2010VoIP – 3 Ways to Make The Call
March 13th, 2010
We’re hearing a lot about Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) these days. I for one am a big fan of this technology. Did you know that you could actually use VoIP in 3 different ways? That’s right! There are really 3 different ways that you can ‘make the call’. Ok, you can actually receive the call 3 different ways as well.
First up is probably the most popular. I use this way myself and most of the residential providers out there today use this as well. What is it?
ATA – Analog Telephone Adapter
Your normal phone plugs into an ATA that you received from your VoIP provider. This is the most common way to get hooked into VoIP. This device takes care of all the magic that occurs when you make and receive your calls over your broadband connection. Your analog phone signal must be converted to digital to be routed through your broadband connection and this ATA does the job.
IP Phone – Internet Protocol Phones
As the name would imply, these are ‘special’ phones. You wouldn’t know it by looking at them. They look like normal phones. What is different about these phones is the electronics inside them and the fact they don’t take a ‘regular’ phone cable (RJ-11). Instead these phones take an Ethernet cable connection (RJ-45) and also come equipped with the necessary electronics to plug directly into your router.
Computer-to-Computer
This is the oldest and possibly the easiest way to get plugged into VoIP. Here instead of using your normal phone or IP phone to make calls through your broadband connection, you use your computer itself! (You could do this over dial-up, but broadband is certainly better) There are a number of services available that offer no cost or low cost service. You’ll need the software and a microphone to speak into and speakers to hear from and of course your computer and a high-speed internet connection. Some providers offer this service for free when their software is being used on both ends of the call.
Watch out for Wi-Fi (using IP phones) and other advancements in VoIP technology. We truly are on the verge of a major breakthrough in telecommunications. So, what are you waiting for? Make the call!
By: Michael Weaver
How To Choose A VoIP Broadband Phone Service
February 16th, 2010
Internet technology is constantly introducing new and better ways to communicate with others around the world, and making telephone calls using VoIP technology is one of those advancements. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it allows a computer user who is connected to the internet through a high-speed terminal to make telephone calls to another computer or telephone without using a standard telephone company.
Essentially, there are two kinds of VoIP applications to consider, either hardware or software based. If you choose the software solution, you’ll have to have your computer turned on in order to both make and receive telephone calls, but the only equipment you’ll need is a microphone and speakers connected to your computer.
If you choose the hardware solution instead, you’ll be using a converter box called an ATA that will be attached to your high-speed internet connection. Your telephone can then be plugged into the ATA. The converter box takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it to a digital signal to be sent over the internet in data packets, which are then reassembled on the other end of the telephone connection. By using a hardware VoIP solution, you computer does not have to be on in order for you to make and receive telephone calls, although your Internet connection will have to be active. Many VoIP service providers are including the ATA at very low cost or even for free in some cases.
In order to make use of VoIP technology for placing internet telephone calls, you will need to subscribe to a service plan provided by one of the major VoIP companies in business today. The service plans are usually very inexpensive, often providing for unlimited long-distance telephone calling for as little as $25 per month. You can even save more by choosing a calling plan that places a limit on the amount of minutes used each month, bringing your total cost down to as low as $15 a month.
In addition to domestic long-distance phone calling, many VoIP providers also allow you to make international telephone calls to persons outside of their subscriber base for a per minute fee, sometimes as low as $.10 to $.15 per minute. Some providers even allow free long-distance telephone calling as long as it is carried out between individuals in their own subscriber base.
If you choose to use a hardware VoIP solution, you can expect to spend some time on the phone with customer support in order to get your system up and running correctly, but most likely you’ll be able to experience uninterrupted service from that point on. Also you can expect voice quality to be excellent in most cases, often rivaling that of land line telephones.
When you consider all the advantages of using VoIP technology to place telephone calls over the internet, it’s no wonder that so many consumers are turning to VoIP for their long-distance telephone calling needs.
By: Steadman Issenburg
