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VoIP for Dummies

May 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Exerpt: If you aren’t part of the tech crew, the different definitions in the use of VoIP technology could easily bar you from understanding what its all about. This article explores what VoIP is in a way that is easy for you to understand.
If you’re one of the people who aren’t too smart when it comes to technology, then VoIP may just be another communication device out of Star Trek. In reality, its actually a phone service that can be used easily and which can save you a whole lot of money. In order to take advantage of the opportunities of VoIP and what it can do for you, you need to understand the service better, this way you can make a smart decision on how to make your short and long distance phone calls.
Well, what is VoIP? It simply stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It’s all about transmitting voice in digital form. Traditional telephone systems use wires and fibers to transmit voice. When you dial a number your call is taken through a series of switches until you reach the intended destination that you have called. A wire connects the two ends. The father this wire is the higher the cost of the call. On the other hand VoIP sends the necessary audio over an IP based telephone network. The data packets are broken down in pieces and sent to the receiver. On the receivers end the data packets are reassembled back into place. Because this data connection is made through the Internet no fixed cost is charged for telephone calls.
One way you can use VoIP is by using an ATA or Analog Telephone Adaptor. This adaptor hooks up to your phone which in turn is hooked up to the Internet through your computer. What it does is that it turns analog signals into digital signals. It’s a simple affair to install one of these and the only thing you need is the adaptor. You can also use VoIP by using an IP phone. The Ip phone looks like a regular phone but the difference is that it uses an Ethernet cable connector and not a phone jack. The Ethernet cable plugs right into a router and eliminates the need for a computer or any form of additional software. Another way to use VoIP is from computer to computer. Using this means you don’t need a VoIP provider and you can simply start by downloading the required software on the Internet. The only cost here is your regular Internet fee.
Quite unlike your traditional telephone, VoIP makes no use of the Public Switched Telephone Network. In PSTN networks both the caller and the receiver are constantly connected. Packet switching technology is employed in VoIP which only requires the parties to be connected when a packet is being transmitted. This allows the packets travel the most efficient packet and does not need any dedicated line.
Now that the basics of VoIP have been established, how does VoIP become an attractive package to the subscriber? Well, you can save on costs by using VoIP since it offers lower cost and long distance plans and bundles added features into the basic plans. It also allows for flexibility and portability since your phone can be taken anywhere you go and used anywhere a broadband Internet connection exists. You can then simply use the phone as if you were at home.
VoIP is becoming more commonplace nowadays; people subscribing to the service are forever on the increase. A lot of major telephone companies have started offering VoIP today. You may not have known what VoIP was before but the chances are that you have used it at one point or the other while making your last phone call.

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The Benefits of Using VoIP in Your Business

May 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Exerpt: VoIP has its advantages in different aspects of communication. This article explores the advantages of the technology for people who want to consider using VoIP in their businesses.
VoIP is a fast-growing technology that is becoming more popular everyday. This service makes use of the Internet to transmit voice data unlike the ordinary telephone service. Because it does this, it offers so many benefits which aren’t offered by traditional phone services. Due to these reasons a lot of people are opting to use VoIP so that they can experience the different advantages that are open to them.
One of the best advantages that VoIP has over traditional telephones is that it has a lower cost. This is possible because the VoIP industry is not regulated by the FCC and they don’t pay the taxes that phone companies do. In the end VoIP customers benefits from these savings. A lot of VoIP providers offer cheap and unlimited monthly calling plans. Businesses can call long distance locations during peak hours and stay free from the expenses that are usually associated with traditional telephone services. Extra feees may be charged for international calls but they are still cheaper nonetheless. Over the course of a long period such as a year a subscriber will have saved thousands of dollars in bills. Additional services such as caller id and call forwarding may also be supplied free of charge.
VoIP is both flexible and portable at the same time. The service integrates data and voice and does not need separate networks for both. A lot of movement between employees will traditionally result in hassles. With VoIP however, if an employee moves its simply a matter of plugging the VoIP phone into a different broadband network jack, this way telecommuting also becomes a simpler issue. Messages can also be sent to e-mal and you have fax capabilities on this email as well. All your messaging needs are now organized centrally and that’s wonderful for any hard-working employee.
Another advantage of VoIP communications is mobility. You can keep your area code anywhere you are in the entire world. This way you also get rid of international rates. If you’re all the way in Auckland you can still be reached using your New York area code. If you’re the sort who travels frequently you can easily see how you tend to save money. Virtual phone numbers will handle your calls at home even though you may not be there. Your telephone can easily be taken along with you and all you require is a broadband internet connection. Alternatively you can easily use your laptop as well along with a microphone and a headphone connection as well.
Because VoIP is a relatively new technology it still has some minor hassles those in charge however contend that they will be able to resolve these problems in time. Benefits from VoIP will result in lower costs and increased productivity over time. These sorts of benefits are what businesses need. If you think it’s an attractive offer to you, you can easily hop on the VoIP train and get fast-tracked towards your destination. Millions are hopping along to sign up as VoIP subscribers and if you own a large or growing business you might as well benefit from this advantage.
VOIP Article #3
Title: What the Fuss is About VoIP
Word Count: 548
Exerpt: In recent years VoIP technology has been the subject of reviews and intense speculation. Few people however are aware of the true origins of VoIP. This piece examines the origins of VoIP and the impact of this invention on the communication market.
If you’ve heard about the new technology called VoIP then now may just be the time to take a closer look at it and how it works.
When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1865 he had no idea of the effects this complex device would have. After a series of refinements and developments in the field and more than a century later, VoIP was launched. VoIP simply stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. This popular service was started sometime in 1995 by some people who were carrying out PC-to-PC communications somewhere in Israel. The telephone that was initially seen as a device for hobbyists in Bell’s time, has since become an enterprising business.
In the year 1995 Vocaltec released the first software that was meant to function as an Internet telephone software. The advent of this invention challenged the traditional Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN). Data packets sent through the Internet are easily sent at costs much cheaper than long distance charges on PSTN networks. The process of transmission breaks data and sends them to a receiver through routers with no circuit switching as in the case of PSTN. The system of the receiver would then reorder the data packets. The only requirement was that both the sender and receiver would have the same equipment. The software could be run on a simple Home PC and used sound cars, speakers, modem, microphone and the H.323 protocol. The voice quality was initially poor when compared to traditional telephones but over time the situation would improve.
3 years later VoIP has successfully cornered about 1% of the voice communications market. However its initial success was plagued by many problems. PC to phone followed by phone-to-phone communications was then established with the use of gateways. The transmission through the phone would initially include advertisements which would come just before and at the end of the message which reduced the costs and permitted companies offering these services to offer free calls to their customers. With the introduction of Ethernet services, voice quality became less of a problem. Static and connection problems between Internet and PSTN networks however would still exist.
At the same time the need of a computer in order to establish communications became void. In 1998 Cisco, Nortel and Lucent manufactured equipment that could successfully route and witch IP-based voice traffic. The switching capabilities allowed dtat packet switching to be similar to PSTN data and easily read by PSTN equipment. VoIP thus became less dependent on computers. Since hardware had become much more reasonably priced, companies started the implementation of VoIP on their internal IP networks. Long distance carriers started using the network as well. In the year 2000, VoIP traffic had increased to about 3% of the voice communications market share.
The new technology continues to grow. Voice quality issues have also been addressed and VoIP services are now able to offer a huge number of different services. The service is available to both business as well as residential users. It is also an exciting field which could see a number of changes and advancements in the near future. The amounts of competition in this area will ultimnately lead to better services as well as cheaper costs. In any case the end-user will be the final beneficiary.

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Saving Money through VoIP

May 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Exerpt: The primary advantage of VoIP is cost savings. VoIP costs much lower than calling through traditional telephone lines. This article focuses on the reasons for these savings and how they can be best put to use.
Everyone looks for ways to save money. We’re not only talking about individuals here, even businesses are looking for ways to lower their costs and increase their profitability statistics. VOIP otherwise known as Voice over Internet Protocol is one brilliant way of saving money that would be otherwise spent on phone bills.
VoIP works by using the Internet to enable you make calls through your computer or phone. Anyone who uses such means to make calls can save more compared to when they use traditional telephone services. Different VoIP plans have unlimited calling packages that start at just under $30 a month. This includes long distance calling plans as well. Anyone who has family and friends who live a considerable distance away can save a lot of money through these means. Think of all the benefits of not being charged per minute or of you not having to wait until off peak hours to make your phone calls. For someone who has a business with branches in many places, this will mean cutting down your phone bill by thousands of dollars each year. The same thing will apply to conference calling as well.
You may not find international calls in the unlimited calling plan but the costs are much less than you tend to expect with traditional telephone lines. You may save between 40% -70% when you use such methods to make telephone calls. Certain VoIP networks have unlimited international calling plans when the other person you’re calling is also on their network as well.
Providers of VoIP services also include premium features in their basic plans for the same prices as well. Such features may include caller id, voice mail, call interrupt and three-way calling as well. With traditional services these may cost a little extra but with VoIP they tend to come freely.
One reason for the cheap costs of VoIP is due to the fact that VoIP does not maintain the higher taxes and regulatory fees that are associated with traditional telephone companies. The reason for this is that the government recognizes that VoIP is part of data transmission and does not classify it under voice transmission. Another benefit is the elimination of certain hidden fees that may usually be associated with the traditional telephone companies.
VoIP is portable this is because you can easily take your IP phone with you regardless of where you go to. When you travel its so easy to avoid the expensive long distance fees with VoIP. When you’re far away from your office you will still have the benefit of using a local number for your calls thus getting rid of the whole long distance concept.
A lot of ways exist with which you can save money by using a VoIP service. This is aprt of the reason that so many people are now using this service. The price benefits of VoIP cannot be overstated. Other than this people are rushing to the service for flexibility and customer service reasons. Why pay more for a service if you don’t have to?

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