VoIP service is an ideal means of sending telephone calls over IP networks. The Voice over IP works on the principle of converting analog signals to small packets of digital data and then sending them over a broadband internet connection that ultimately connects the users with the service providers. There are several advantages of using this service. The main reason why people acquire this connection is quite straightforward; the expenses incurred while making long distance calls using such a service is low as compared to the traditional phone line connections.
As VoIP service is based on the transfer of digital data, so the service provider can actually do a lot with this technology. Among the most prominent of the services that a service provider can provide are storing of incoming voice mails in the mailbox, sending of email attachments and 3 way calling. Let us consider a scenario in which the user is busy and wants not to be disturbed by any telephone calls. In such situations, the incoming calls can be stored in the voice mail of the subscribers. A person can also send a voice mail as an email attachment which can be accessed on a computer. Then there are plans where up to three people can involve themselves in conference calling. In fact, calling through Voice over IP is far from restricted. The service allows the user to talk to the entire family in one call. Then there are also the options of sending images, videos and voice to people with whom a person is conferencing.
The internet does not differentiate between calls made to a person living next door from calls to people living in another part of the world. The call charges remain the same; such is the benevolence of the VoIP phone service. It is the benefit in price rates that makes people opt for this service in the first place. Moreover the technology is simple and one only requires some simple tools to access the service. An Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) is provided by the VoIP service provider. This tool helps to convert analog voice to digital samples by use of Analog to Digital Converter. These digital samples are then compressed by the digital signal processors (DSPs). The DSPs make use of codecs for compression and eventually segment ‘voice signals’ to frames that are then stored as ‘voice packets’. The final process involves transfer of these packets in compliance with Voice Communication Protocol or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).
When these packets arrive at their destination, they have to be decoded; the entire process is carrier out, albeit in a reverse order. The IP packets are decapsulated in compressed data forms. These data are then decompressed to retrieve the original data making use of the same codec that was initially used to perform the compression. The data is then sent through a digital to analog converter that converts it to the original analog voice format for the listener to hear the voice distinctly. So, VoIP service is actually based on a very simple format but requires fast internet service to ensure an effective and soothing calling experience. This becomes all the more important in the context of business VoIP service, wherein the quality of calls becomes a yardstick in determining the expertise of a particular organization.
By: Kristen Kiya
Posts Tagged ‘Voip Phone Service’
VoIP Providers – How To Choose One
March 5th, 2010
When you’ve made the decision to move to VoIP phone, you’ll need to select a VoIP provider. The most well-known is Vonage, largely because of their aggressive advertising campaign. There are, however, several other VoIP providers that you should consider. A large marketing campaign does not guarantee good service.
Vonage is your basic VoIP phone service, with the emphasis on the phone. For a monthly charge, they send you a device to hook up to your phone that does two things. First, it digitizes your analog voice, a must for VoIP usage. Second, it initiates an internet link that runs through your DSL or cable broadband hookup. VoIP-specific phones are perfect to use on Vonage service, and you can use them wirelessly.
You get your local and long-distance phone service for the monthly flat rate, and also a number of services like three-way calling and call forwarding, which few people use. In some plans, you do pay for outgoing calls after a point, but the number of minutes you get before reaching that break point is pretty generous.
Skype is a very different sort of VoIP provider. It started as primarily a computer-based, not phone-based VoIP, and most people originally used headphones with their ordinary computer to access a Skype account. You can get Skype phones today that run through your computer, but most of Skype’s services are more web-friendly.
In addition to phone service, Skype has robust online and computer-based communications technology like chat and user lookups. But the outstanding feature of Skype is the price. If you’re using it to call directly to another Skype user, anywhere in the world, it’s free. It’s also the easiest VoIP service to take with you; if you have a Skype account, you can access it from your computer or any Skype-enabled computer, anywhere in the world.
Lingo is a new entry to the VoIP world, and is ascendant primarily because while it offers Vonage-style services, it also offers dirt-cheap rates. Vonage focuses primarily on the United States, Canada, and Mexico; Lingo’s area of expertise appears to be Asia and Western Europe, where it offers either unlimited calling or a robust calling plan. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have worked out all their bugs, and Lingo does not have a stable calling platform yet.
AT&T CallVantage is another new entry, though it’s from an old company. They, too, are based on similar technology to that Vonage uses, with devices that hook up to your phone et al. Unlike Lingo, AT&T offers excellent quality service, as one might expect. At one point, AT&T had overly-complicated technology for hooking up your VoIP service, but they have improved and now aren’t much worse than Vonage.
No matter how good your VoIP provider is, your telephone stability and reliability when using this service is limited by your high-speed internet connection. If the power goes out, no phone. If your internet service is interrupted for any reason, no phone. If you are confident in your cellular service and aren’t worried about this, that shouldn’t be a problem, but it is something you must consider when you choose your VoIP service.
The bottom line is not to choose VOIP service based on price alone. Look at the features and determine how important that is to you and how often you will use it. Our web site features our Editor’s Choice Best Pick for the best VOIP service available based on a wide range of criteria.
By: Jon Arnold
