Voice Over Internet Protocol
VoIP Phone System Are In Your Future!
Voice over Internet Protocol is commonly called VoIP phone service. Soon everyone will be making VoIP phone calls whether they know it or not.
VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and that simply means you can make
telephone calls with your computer and through you broadband Internet connection. First off it's going to change the way you think about
making long distance phone calls.
Basically, VoIP technology turns analog audio signals (like the sounds you hear when talking on
your regular telephone) into a digital signal (which is then transmitted over the Internet.)
How does it do that? Thankfully that's something we don't have to worry
about. Modern VoIP equipment and service providers make it as easy as pickup a telephone.
So why is VoIP revolutionizing the telephone industry? Because it means that by getting your hands
on some of the free software that's available right now, you can totally bypass your telephone company, and start making long distance phone
calls for free!
 IP Phone Service
Here's why it's so exciting. This revolutionary VoIP technology has the ability to totally change the phone systems around the entire
world! Maybe you've seen television commercials for one of the pioneers of VoIP - Vonage.
Vonage brands itself as the "broadband telephone company", and offers enticing perks to customers who switch to its service,
like low-cost 800 numbers, very cheap international rates (fees are waived from the U.S. to Canada, and how about .03 cents a minute to call
Paris?)
Vonage is just one of the companies providing voice over Internet protocol service. There are many others with more coming. AT&T
is setting up VoIP calling in several areas of the U.S. and there are other major players on the scene as well, such as Skype, who is relying on
viral advertising to get the word out.
One of the really handy things about VoIP is that there's not just one way to make a call. There are actually three:
1. ATA - is the most commonly used VoIP method right now. Using the ATA (analog telephone
adaptor), you connect your regular telephone to your computer or Internet connection. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter and it takes the
analog signal from your phone and converts it into digital data and transmits it over the Internet.
This is how Vonage does it, and AT&T 's CallVantage will be doing it. The ATA is free with their services. And using an ATA is so simple
that anyone can do it. Open the box, plug the cable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket, and you're set.
Depending on your computer, and where you live, and what type of Internet connection you have, you might have to also install
the software onto your computer, but even my grandmother knows how to do that these days.
2. IP Phones - They look just like the telephones we're used to. They have a
handset, cradles and buttons. But an IP phones use an RJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phone connectors. They connect
directly to your router and all the hardware and software is already built inside to handle your IP calls.
Look for Wi-Fi IP phones to be available in the near future, which will allow you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi spot. (Can
you see the power of that? Just take your IP phone with you when you travel, and stop in at any Internet café, hotel or other location where you
can use your Wi-Fi laptop, and you can "phone home" wherever home happens to be!
3. Computer-to-Computer. This is arguably the easiest way to use VoIP. Not only do you not have to
pay for long distance calls, there are several companies that are offering free or low-cost software right now for you to make use of the VoIP
technology.
All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers a sound card and a broadband or cable DSL Internet connection, and your
loved ones sound as if they're in the next room. And, except for your normal monthly ISP fee, there is no charge for any computer-to-computer
call…no matter how far. Holy ET, Batman!
But wait, this will really surprise you. Chances are you've already been using the VoIP technology without even being aware of it,
any time you've made a long distance telephone call recently. Many of the major phone companies are already using VoIP technology to reduce their
own bandwidth usage.
It's a simple matter of routing thousands of phone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway. Once received on the
other side of the gateway, the calls are decompressed, reassembled and routed back to a local circuit switch.
IP telephony is certainly the wave of the future. It makes sense in terms of return on investment, from both an economic and infrastructure
point of view. It may take a couple of years, but eventually all of the current circuit-switched networks that are in use today will be replaced
by packet-switching technology.
More and more businesses are already installing VoIP systems. As the technology makes our way into our everyday language our
lives, and our homes, it will continue to grow in popularity.
Forrester Research predicts that nearly 5 million U.S. households will have VoIP phone service by the end of 2006. The two biggest advantages
for home users so far are price and flexibility.
Most VoIP phone companies offer plans similar to that of
cell-phone companies - what are commonly called "minute-rate" plans for as little as $30 a month. Just as with cell-phone plans, you can also
get unlimited calling plans for around $79 a month.
With the elimination of long-distances charges, unregulated charges, and all the freebies that come standard with your VoIP
service, it can actually amount to a significant savings for you. For example, you may be paying extra for features like:
· Call waiting
· Three way calling
· Call forwarding
· Caller I.D.
· Repeat dial
· Last call return
With most VoIP service providers, they come standard. And then there are some advanced features that make VoIP something worth looking into.
With some carriers, you can set up call-filtering options, and actually have some control over how calls from certain numbers are handled. For
example, you can:
· Forward the call to a particular number
· Send the call directly to voicemail
· Give the caller a busy signal
· Play a "not in service" message
· Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline
Most VoIP services allow you to check your voice mail on the Internet, or attach messages to an email that is sent directly to your computer or
hand-held. If you're interested in any of these features shop around, because not all VoIP companies offer every service to their
subscribers. And prices do vary.
Another benefit that makes VoIP so attractive for home and small business users is the flexibility. With VoIP you can make a call anywhere you
can get broadband connectivity. Since the IP phones or ATAs broadcast information over the Internet, they can be administered by any
provider.
For business travelers, this means they can take their phone or ATA with them on the road, and never miss a home phone
call!
As you investigate voice over Internet protocol phone service you will come across the word "softphone". That is a name for software that
loads your VoIP service onto your desktop or laptop computer. By using a softphone you can make calls from your laptop anywhere in the
broadband-connected world, with just a headset and microphone.
You will find lot's more information about VoIP on the pages of this Web site. You will need them, because VoIP is going to get
YOU.
"VoIP Now! This Quick & Easy Guide to Internet Telephoning" explains everything....
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Voice over Internet protocol
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