VoIP is the recent revolution in voice based processes. With Voice over IP, you can make calls at ease over broadband Internet connections. The VoIP services also vary in their nature. Some of these services allow you to make calls to other people using broadband connections. While others offer you the scope for making calls to anyone with a telephone number, which could be local, mobile or international. This new and innovative technology can be used for making calls to a computers as well as traditional phones.
Like with all other services, the services pertaining to VoIP also faces competition from certain quarters. However, the fact that it is able to hold its own despite the intense competition goes to show the strength of the underlying technology. And there are several merits that can be attributed to this service.
Unlike the cable network connection, the VoIP services can be availed without any extra wires. A broadband internet connection is all that is required in many instances. And the best part is often the optimized “voice quality” that can be attributed to the broad bandwidth of the network connections. Such connections are also reliable as users know what bills they have to pay at the end of the month. So, that adds to the reliability of this latest technology. There are also other options that Voice over IP offers. These are facilities such as call waiting, visual voicemail, caller ID and even weather alerts. Then there may be free call to European countries.
Many a times, the VoIP service also comes with free software. Potential users can make the most of these software options to make no-cost voice calls to any person in the world. The VoIP phone service can be accessed in a variety of ways. There are packages meant exclusively for residential and business lines. You can also remain hassle free by pre-paying for the entire year. It is a one-stop solution for everything as it offers access points, local phone numbers and feature rich services and so things become very simple. With the VoIP service providers having units almost everywhere, accessing these services become quite easy. Moreover, these services are easy to set up and save a lot of your money. As a matter of fact, a VoIP phone service provides more features as compared to most other phone services.
VoIP started off as a computer to computer communication system and later developed to the telephone to telephone service. The free structure also differs. There may be plans such as 500 calling minutes which means that beyond 500 minutes, the user is charged in per minute rates. This per minute rate differs for local and international calls. Calling with VoIP also becomes very fast. Features like Voicemail, Caller ID, speed dial, 3-way calling make all that possible. Then there are also other interesting services. The service providers transfer their existing telephone numbers to their service choosing an area code that is different from the one that you live in. This enables you to access internet connection using a portable telephone adapter anywhere you go.
The VoIP phone service is also easy to install and setup. For any such service, the pre-requisite is that there is a high speed internet connection. For services that involve computer to computer connection, special software is required. For telephone to telephone service, only a telephone adapter is required. So, VoIP services are an inexpensive and functional technology that is an alternative to the traditional analog telephone services.
So, now with VoIP, the dream of wireless telephony is realised. Voice over IP can be accessed either from a personal PC or a standard telephone connected to a special adapter. Nowadays there are many VoIP service providers in UK. The difference lays in the rates that each of these service providers charge for in case of long-distance or overseas calls. Most of the service providers offer call forwarding, call waiting and call display in their monthly bills. So, it is left upon you to choose a plan that would be the most economical for you.
By: Kristen Kiya
Posts Tagged ‘Voice Over Ip’
German VoIP Ban to Be Lifted
February 5th, 2010
It looks as though German telecommunications company T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom is likely to lift their ban of VoIP (Voice Over IP address). They had banned use of the technology and received a court order preventing customers from using it over their network.
T-Mobile claims that there are two main reasons for this VoIP ban. The first is that the high traffic that can be generated by VoIP would hinder their network and prevent their other users from the high quality service they would expect. The second is that if the Skype service, for example, didn’t work then it would look as though T-Mobile is responsible for these issues. Some have claimed, though, that they are just worried that they will loose revenue if cheaper VoIP services can be used on their networks by their customers.
This ban imposed by T-Mobile looks set to be lifted. However, they are considering a surcharge for the use VoIP. Reports suggest that there will be a EUR9.95 charge for any customers wishing to use VoIP over their network. The company say that this surcharge will fund the investment that would be required for the network to work efficiently with the extra VoIP usage. They say it is not fair for their customers who do not use VoIP to have to pay more on their bills to pay for the improvements. They have been accused, though, of just trying to make up for their losses. If their customers are using a cheaper VoIP service then they will inevitably loose revenue, and this EUR9.95 a month may be a way of making up the difference.
Germany isn’t the only place where a potential VoIP ban has been talked about. In the United Arab Emirates, where many of the biggest telecoms companies are linked to the government, the have been worried about how VoIP might effect profits. In Russia a lobby is attempting to get either a full or partial VoIP ban within the country, on the grounds of security and that Russian companies will be unable to compete with foreign VoIP operators. This all shows that many companies are running scared of VoIP; they are concerned that the cost savings that can be made with VoIP will entice customers to switch to these services. The costs savings with VoIP can be significant, as running the technology is not as costly. The quality is also getting better, meaning that more people are considering it as a viable option.
Questions could be raised as to the fairness of VoIP being banned in such ways. Is it fair competition that potentially better services for customers should be banned to protect certain businesses? At the same time, some businesses may argue that they are not competing on a level playing field, as the VoIP providers are able to offer a cheaper service than they are. Questions should be asked as to whether this should be a matter for the courts, or whether all businesses should be fighting it out to produce the best service, in terms of price and quality.
A lifting of the ban in Germany would suggest that eventually VoIP will prevail and this could have a huge impact on the telecommunications industry.
By: Andrew Marshall
Reducing Costs – VOIP – Can it Really Save You Money?
January 20th, 2010
Voice Over IP is often cited as a cost-saving technology. But will it really save you money?
What is it?
VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a protocol used to make voice conversations over your organisation’s private data networks and internet connections.
How does it work?
VOIP services convert your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet or network as data. At the destination it is converted back to an analogue signal for use with traditional telephony services.
Ready For VOIP?
For organisations with multiple offices, whether it be in the same town or a different country, the answer is ‘Yes’.
How much do you currently spend on calls between your own offices? Using IP handsets or by linking your communication platforms to each other can offer considerable savings. Other scenarios that would indicate benefits from moving to VOIP include:
- Voice recording. If you are required to record voice conversations, VOIP together with a digital recording system is a very cost-effective and flexible solution .
- Remote office reception. Due to the flexibility of VOIP systems, remote office reception provision is easy and cost-effective.
- Re-cabling your building. Eliminating the cost of renewing your voice cabling – and just re-cabling the data network – can be justification for a VOIP deployment.
However, if you are a more centralised organisation VOIP may well not be for you. Where your office to office calls are minimal, or non-existent, the pure cost argument for VOIP will fail.
By: Annabelle Ross
