VOIP Information

VoIP Overview

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Since we're using computers all the time to do our work, let's make it easy and add the phone to the pile. VoIP also known as (voice over Internet protocol), Internet telephony, IP telephony, and Internet voice is catching on and is expected to grow in the next few years. The technology has been around for about a decade, but it isn't till now that we have the supporting technology to handle it and an market reaching critical mass (hate using jargon, but there isn't a better way to say it).

VoIP requires users to have broadband connections. With 22 percent of Americans connected to the Internet by broadband, the numbers are large enough for making money with Internet voice and big telecoms are already in the game.

How VoIP works

VoIP works like email. TCP/IP networks consist of IP packets with a header for controlling communication and information for transportating data. VoIP uses the IP packets to send the human voice across the Internet using IP packets to its destination.

It digitizes a voice into data packets, sends them through the network and converts them back to voice when arriving at the destination. Digital format can be compressed, routed, and converted to other and better formats.

When calling someone using VoIP, you use a phone with an adapter. Just like we use a telephone to make phone calls on POTS (plain old telephone service), the adapter is a device to connect the phone to the network. The VoIP phone has its own phone number for callers to dial.

The good and bad things

An advantage of VoIP is it can avoid charges typically found on PSTNs (public switched telephone network). For customers, there is less worry about how long or how often they make phone calls. Calling another state costs the same as calling another country even on the other side of the world. IP-based boxes are cheaper than analog PBXes.

However, service reliability is an issue. How many times has a download or connecting to a Web site faltered? That may not be such a big deal, but it is more disruptive to phone calls. Network issues are complicated by customers getting broadband from one company and VoIP from another. When a call gets switched from network to network, it impacts quality.

When the Internet is down, so is VoIP. Traditional phones aren't affected by power like VoIP since they have its own power and work during blackouts.

Money and regs

Companies make their money by selling features and services. Connect anytime and anywhere there is an Internet connection or while in Wi-Fi-enabled hot spots. It's also exempt from traditional regulations and taxes, but that could change tomorrow though telecoms are working to keep it unregulated. This exemption is keeping prices down, and current prices are anywhere from $20 to $65 a month.

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.


MORE RESOURCES:

The Hindu

New Blackberry phone could boost VoIP traffic
Telappliant VoIP News
VoIP traffic could be set to rise following the anticipated release of the latest Blackberry mobile phone. The BlackBerry 9800 is expected to be launched by ...
UAE Says BlackBerry Offshore Data Storage IllegalDigitaltrends.com
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is concerned about Blackberry phone securityExaminer.com
Blackberry to Improve, but Will it be The iPhone Killer?TMC Net

all 1,196 news articles »


ithinkdifferent (blog)

ZTE Peel EV-DO Case For Transforming iPod Touches Into Sprint VoIP Phones?
Gizmodo Australia
Could it turn your iPod Touch into a Sprint VoIP phone? Apparently, the Peel doesn't physically connect to the device it's slipped around, which has the ...
FCC Approves 3G-Equipped ZTE Peel 3200 Case for iPod TouchErictric
Sprint Branded iPod touch Sleeve Spotted at FCCMacDaddyNews.com (blog)
“Apple Peel 520″ turns iPod Touch into a bonafied phone.Gadgetsteria (blog)
ithinkdifferent (blog) -iSmashPhone (blog)
all 21 news articles »


Sipcall Announces VoIP Phones Call Promo
TMCnet
Swiss VoIP service provider Sipcall announced it is offering the Siemens (News - Alert) Gigaset A580 IP telephone for CHF ...

and more »


Infrax announces Android VoIP phone
Techwatch
A peer-to-peer connection provides secure VoIP calls between devices by eliminating a central network hub which could be vulnerable to eavesdroppers. ...

and more »


AudioCodes Reports Second Quarter 2010 Financial Results
MarketWatch (press release)
"While we generally enjoyed good industry activity across our core networking business, we also experienced increased activity in the Mobile VoIP area and ...

and more »


Freebinar Announces Availability of VoIP Broadcasting for Free Webinar Platform
Marketwire (press release)
In addition to the new VoIP audio broadcasting capabilities that have been introduced, Freebinar also offers a free conference call number to all users of ...

and more »


City puts broader phone tax on ballot
Mountain View Voice
The city reports that a mid-size business using VOIP could see an estimated increase in their phone taxes from $100 a month to $600. ...

and more »


Firms should 'prioritise' VoIP traffic
Telappliant VoIP News
Firms should prioritise VoIP traffic in order to improve call quality, it has been claimed. Congested networks are often the cause of the majority of IP ...



Kumaran Systems Inks Partnership Deal with VOIPFUTURE
TMCnet
“We believe that this Partnership between Kumaran and VOIPFUTURE will result in enhanced monitoring solutions in the area of VOIP services,” Mohan Kumar ...



VoIP Biz News.com

IBBS scoops up VoIP provider SinglePipe
CED Magazine
Integrated Broadband Services (IBBS) is bringing VoIP capabilities in-house with the purchase of SinglePipe, which operates its own ...
IBBS, SinglePipe Tie the KnotLight Reading
IBBS to Acquire SinglePipe Creating Fully Integrated Voice and Data Solutions ...Business Wire (press release)
IBBS Buying SinglePipeMultichannel News
Private Equity Hub (press release)
all 21 news articles »

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