The Little Geeni

Recently, my neighbor asked me about how to call international long distance with no-minute charge. He also was interested in learning how to lower his home phone bill. I told him about a phone system called VoIP that would benefit his interest. This article is a brief information to introduce VoIP to you.

First, do you know how many people are using VoIP services? Here are interesting numbers… In 2007 there were almost 65 million worldwide voip subscribers. In the USA, over 16 million US VoIP subscribers, with continue to grow 6-8 million new subscribers every year, about 24 million US VoIP subscribers expected by 2008. By 2010 , US VoIP Subscribers will reach 44 millions, and the number of worldwide subscribers is predicted to rise to over 197 millions.

So what is VoIP – VoIP is standing for ” Voice over Internet Protocol “. VoIP also is referred to as Internet Telephony, IP Telephony, or Voice over the Internet, VoIP Telephone, Broadband Telephony, Broadband Phone, Voice over Broadband, or simply Internet Phone.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice hrough the Internet or other switched networks. It’s described as the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks, a unique technology that allows us to make calls using a broadband Internet connection ( through broadband modem ) instead of a regular (analog) phone line. At first, the Internet Protocol (IP) was originally designed for data networking systems. Later, with its success in data networking field and the explosion of Internet Era, the IP has been developed in voice networking and nowadays it is bringing us the most profit in this field. VoIP has become more and more popular because of the cost advantages to consumers compares to traditional telephone networks.

A brief explanation on how does VOIP work? – The traditional phone system is using analog phone signals to deliver and receive calls, with VoIP system, it’s using digital signals that can be sent over the Internet. If you have quality Internet connection – DSL (digital subscriber line), described as High Speed Internet Service which makes fast Internet connection ) you can get phone service delivered through your Internet connection instead of from your local phone company. In basics, here is how system works:

PC to PC: Computer connects to Broadband Modem connects to Internet connects to Broadband Modem connects to Computer

PC to Phone: Computer connects to Broadband Modem connects to Internet connects to Telephone Network connects to Telephone

Phone to Phone ( using Router ): Telephone connects to Phone Adaptor connects to Router connects to Broadband Modem connects to Internet connects to Telephone Network connects to Telephone

Benefits of using VoIP: There are two major reasons to use VoIP: Low Cost and More Profits

Low Cost: Phone services via VoIP costs less than equivalent services from analog systems. With the traditional analog phone services, users pay a flat monthly fee for the service, and pay other fee for long distance call service plus per-minute charge. With VoIP, the users who already have High Speed Internet service (DSL), can take advantage by using VoIP over this service – Many VoIP Service Providers allow you enjoy unlimited in-network calling – it means you can call any other in-network customer without charge. Other companies allow you to call any number, including local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers. For International calling, the users who using VoIP can get big savings with lower rates. Depends on each VoIP service offer, you can enjoy unlimited calling worldwide to many destinations for a flat monthly fee with no minute charge or low rates.

More Profits – Compares to analog phone networks, VoIP has more advantage functions. You can make calls from your personal computer to other’s computer or other’s regular phone, or you can make calls directly from your regular phone to other’s regular phone. Besides, The digital signals let you enjoy high quality voice and many advantage services such as Voice Mail, Caller ID, 3-Way Calling, Call Waiting, Speed Dial, Repeat Dial, Do Not Disturb, Call Forwarding, Emergency 911 Service, Online Account Management, Virtual Calling Card, access the service to your cell phone…

Further more, Incoming phone calls are automatically routed to your VoIP phone where ever you plug it into the network, so you can take your VoIP phone with you on a trip, around the world – anywhere you can connect it to the High Speed Internet, you can call and receive your incoming calls anytime. The VoIP Router can be set up anywhere with High Speed Internet, it provides you the advantage of savings. For example, a VoIP provider allows you get the US number and connect the router outside of the US. So when you call to that number, just like you call locals, and the person who is in other country calls you by using this service ( connected through router ) just pay a very small charge per minute, or sometimes it’s free.

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A technological communication breakthrough, the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) can let you have voice conversations through a broadband Internet connection or any Internet Protocol-based network instead of a regular phone.

The other terms for the VoIP are: IP telephony, broadband telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband or broadband phone.

There are advantages in choosing to use VoIP over the standard phone line. You automatically receive phone calls once you get connected to the Internet, regardless of the network that you are using. Even during phone conversations, you can still access the other programs in your computer.

VoIP is also possible during road trips, you just use a mobile phone that can connect to the Internet. Incoming calls to your home will be treated as local calls wherever you connect to the Internet.

VoIP to VoIP calls are usually free of charge, which is a good advantage. But the VoIP user would be charged if he or she makes a VoIP to PSTN calls.

Stable Internet connection for VoIP service users is another advantage. This ensures faster access and delivery of good quality voice data.

There are other features in the VoIP services that are not available with the traditional analog phones. These include video conversation, conferencing, sending or exchanging files parallel to the conversation, managing your address book and more.

How does VoIP work? Through the VoIP service, your voice is converted to digital signals that pass through the Internet connection to a destination that you choose. Also, through this service, you can make calls by a computer or a VoIP phone. In case the computer is turned off, the standard phone line can be used to make and receive calls.

An important requirement obviously is that VoIP users should have a high speed broadband Internet connection.

The VoIP phone is plugged directly into the broadband connection and this can already be used just like any other traditional phone. But if you want to use your traditional telephone, you will need to connect it to a VoIP adapter. The dial tone will then be provided by the service provider. Remember that you would need the VoIP software and a microphone when you use the computer to make phone calls.

How does the VoIP system work for long distance or local calls? You would need an area code that may be different from the area code of where you reside.

This code would determine whether calls are long distance or local calls. If the person calling you is outside the area or the service covered in your VoIP, he will be charged for a long distance call.

But this could differ, depending upon the terms set by the VoIP service provider. There are some service providers who charge a fixed rate for a certain time limit regardless of the distance between you and who you call.

Who can you call with your VoIP service? This information would depend on the terms, conditions and services available of your VoIP service provider.

But you can call anyone who has a telephone or mobile number and this includes loca or long distance calls. The person you are calling will no longer need any special device other than his phone to receive your VoIP call. You can also make simultaneous calls or conduct video conferences, again, depending on the terms and service of the VoIP provider.

One disadvantage of VoIP phones is that during power outage, some services are not available so some VoIP providers provide backup power. Another disadvantage is that you have be constantly connected to the Internet to make and receive calls.

But you can divert the call to an analog phone or mobile phone if you do not want to miss any incoming calls. You can also activate your voice mail box so your messages can still be received even when you can no attend to them.

It is advisable that you choose a VoIP service provider that offers the directory assistance or white page listings because not all service providers offer this feature.

Also, check with the provider if they can directly connect you to the emergency service 911. Nonetheless, calling 911 through your VoIP phone will be treated differently from that using the traditional phone. But what matters is that you are able to readily seek help at times that you need it.

Connection to any place around the globe is possible with the use of a VoIP phone.

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The term VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it is a recent technology that allows Internet users to place voice calls over the Internet. This term may also be referred to as telephony, Internet telephony, or IP telephony.

With VoIP Internet phone service, you no longer need a phone to make voice calls. When you are logged on to the Internet, you can make use of your connection to call people anywhere in the world. This type of call is also cheaper, especially when you compare it to long distance voice calls.

VoIP calls are less expensive because they make use of the network that your Internet connection already uses. Also, there is no need to install extra equipment which helps lower costs. For this reason, calls made between one VoIP user to another are often free or cost a negligible fee. VoIP calls made to regular phones, or to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), cost significantly more, however.

VoIP to PSTN Calls
There are two ways VoIP users and PSTN users can converse with each other. One of the methods is known as direct inward dialing, or DID, which directly connects a PSTN user to a VoIP user. DID calling is provided by VoIP providers.

The other method for making VoIP calls to PSTNs, or vice versa, is through the use of access numbers. With this type of Internet phone service, PSTN callers input access numbers that correspond to a certain VoIP user’s extension number in order for a call to be successful. Access numbers are usually charged as local calls, making it affordable for the PSTN caller and free for the VoIP user.

Who Uses VoIP?
VoIP Internet phone service is gaining popularity, and has been used by individuals and businesses alike. Thanks to the availability of broadband Internet service to individual users, VoIP technology is now available to anyone with a broadband connection. If you want to order VoIP technology for your business, look for a VoIP provider, such as AT&T VoIP, who will provide you with plenty of options for making the most of your VoIP service. Some providers provide you with inbound and outbound VoIP calls worldwide, while some even allow you free unlimited calls to the United States and Canada.

Some providers, such as AT&T VoIP service, also provide customers with a separate phone jack for VoIP calls to increase the quality and make the reception almost the same as that of regular phone service. This type of VoIP service is fixed, and will only allow you to make calls from your home or wherever you have the phone jack installed. This allows you to keep your existing phone number while taking advantage of VoIP technology.

Providers such as Gizmo Project and Skype allow you to make VoIP calls using any computer, anywhere in the world. With this type of VoIP Internet phone service, you can contact anyone and make voice calls no matter where you are.

If you already have AT&T Internet service, all you need to do is order VoIP AT&T phone service to begin enjoying the convenience and affordability that this phone service offers. AT&T is a leading provider of Internet phone service. Choose AT&T VoIP phone services and receive the highest-quality phone service available.

Learn more about VoIP Phone Service.

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The new technology surrounding Voice over Internet phone plans (VoIP Phones) and all the different ways they can deployed in home and office environments, makes VoIP confusing to a lot of people. For home users and cell phone customers, it is very simple to use and no knowledge of VoIP technology is needed. Yet, VoIP usage is still not at the level many industry experts thought it should be. The VoIP consumer marketplace is competitive with phone companies and VoIP providers battling for the consumer’s minds and wallets. As long as consumers are content and don’t understand VoIP service and its value, the big phone companies can keep charging excessively high phone call rates and providing fewer services.

Many consumers still lack the information about VoIP phones and Internet phone service plans they need to make a shift to VoIP. Many will wait until there is a critical mass effect. That’s when a large number of people will shift to VoIP and when VoIP lingo is a common part of people’s vocabulary. Since VoIP operates seamlessly with current phone systems, it’s not a technology that jumps out at people.

Not long ago Google was an obscure web search engine that had little consumer usage. But then Google started to make noise, and it did so with the help of students and web marketers who believed it had something to offer. Now, the word Google is used as a verb and people wonder how they ever got along with its info finding magic. VoIP is starting the same way but still hasn’t found a way to move into mainstream consumer lifestyles. Rest assured though, that VoIP companies are targeting a variety of consumer demographic groups such as teens with cell phones, migrating people to Europe and North America who want to stay in close contact with their relatives back home, and businesses with multiple distant office locations who need inter-office phone communications. For regular home phone users, the value proposition they’re receiving is not as compelling. That will change too as VoIP companies research ways to make that home phone service more valuable to consumers, or to make it unnecessary to keep it.

That critical mass event happens when users believe they have a clear cost savings advantage to make the switch from using their regular telephone service to a VoIP phone service. Being able to dump the home phone would certainly provide a reduction in monthly bills, but consumers aren’t dropping their expensive land lines, even though they may have cable television and cell phone bills to boot. In telecommunications, it seems consumers are over-serviced, and a solution is needed. Internet telephony has that potential to eliminate some of the redundant services, but it hasn’t matured to the point where it can shape the phone services market by itself.

Phone companies in defending themselves, put a fair amount of effort into discussing the possible downside of VoIP and some have even put restrictions on VoIP transmissions to try to thwart VoIP service providers. Old stories of lost calls, garbled voice quality, non functional 911 assistance, and loss of privacy don’t carry much weight anymore though. Quality and technical issues are almost all resolved and the services continue to improve. So, if it’s not technical issues that are preventing widespread VoIP adoption, then what is the problem?

Need to Drop the Land Line

Many consumers won’t adopt a VoIP service until they can drop their current phone company land line completely. Despite the desire to do so, many appear to be resisting eliminating their dependence on the old lines. Most don’t want to be paying for two phone services at the same time, yet they do. A billion people on the planet have cell phones now, so that means there are a lot of phone lines that aren’t necessary, or that are too expensive given the value they offer. As long as phone companies can make customer’s land lines indispensable, or encourage them to stay put, they know their customers won’t switch to VoIP plans. So that leaves many consumers with more than one phone, a home phone and a mobile phone, and it’s costing them a lot of money.

For those who don’t make frequent long distance phone calls, the cost savings from VoIP service plans aren’t compelling enough. However, when you add the cost of the call and line features that phone companies add onto the monthly phone bill, the scenario changes. Call features such as caller ID, call blocking, call waiting, and voice mail, are free with VoIP plans. If these aren’t enough to entice consumers, VoIP companies will certainly look to sweeten the offer. Internet protocol communications are improving all the time and there will be more to offer the consumer such as; services via PDA’s, Blackberries, and IP hard phones connected to WiFi and WiMax services.

Internet Phoning Drawbacks

When VoIP users make a call to another VoIP user, the call is essentially free. However, not everyone has a VoIP-based phone to receive VoIP calls. Many only have their land line or in some cases, a cell phone. That means the call has to go from the Internet into the PSTN or public switched phone system in the destination state or country. This is where the cost of a call shows up. Usually the cost is low for terminating the call to the end user. If the caller is making a long distance call however, this nominal cost is a small sacrifice compared to what they’ll be paying on their traditional home phone service.

High speed DSL customers must have their basic phone service, so as long as they need the high speed Internet connection, they might not switch to VoIP. For cable subscribers, a land line is not needed and VoIP works very well with Cable Internet service. For cable subscribers, the land-based home phone really isn’t needed so the jump to VoIP should be an easy one for cable subscribers. If they aren’t making the leap to VoIP, it might indicate a lack of confidence in cable networks. Most people still have trouble comprehending that a voice telephone call can go through the cable company, or that it will be reliable. Cable companies have come a long way with their technology and networks and are more than capable of providing top notch phone services.

With better education of telecommunications consumers and the presentation of a solid value proposition that offers more than a little cost savings, VoIP will grow steadily. For those with international calling needs, VoIP is already the solution they’re looking for. For small businesses with lots of long distance calling, the savings are even more pronounced. What’s needed is more consumer education. With that, many will finally wean themselves from their dependence on that old analog-based land line telephone and launch into an era of cheap digital phone calls. That day is coming soon as the major phone companies are under increasing pressure to raise the price of local phone service in the face of a major shift to VoIP transmission. Critical mass will occur when price plus features create a force that overcomes consumer’s inertia.

Information Technology Grow, Internet, Phone, Services, VoIP

VoIP phone service has taken over the telecommunication world by storm! This is inexpensive and has a lot of features that are comparable to the PSTN (landlines); it is the best thing for individual users, small businesses and large businesses.

Are you tired of paying huge phone bills for long distance calls and international calls? Do you own a small business and want a low cost phone service? VoIP phone service is for YOU! You can go wireless with a VoIP phone.

Here are 7 steps that will help you switch to VoIP go wireless

1. You will need an updated computer.

You will need to have an upgraded computer that is compatible with VoIP software. When you are comparing and choosing service providers, pay more attention to see if they run their programs on Windows, MacOS or Linux operating systems. Especially, if you use Mac or Linux, don’t assume that all VoIP phone service providers will have your needs met. Some of the common features of computers that affect the ability to provide VoIP wireless are hardware, motherboards, processor speeds, memory (RAM), video and graphic cards. If your computer is obsolete, VoIP phone service may not be functional.

2. You must have a High Speed Internet access such as DSL or Cable

High Speed Internet is a must for VoIP phone services to function. There maybe a few companies that work with dial-up connection but the audio quality is not satisfactory sometimes and it is because of the lack of high speed internet service. High Speed Internet connections provide the bandwidth needed and produce great quality audio.

3. Do you need residential or business VoIP phone service?

Some of the differences between residential and business plans include faxing and email capabilities, more long distance on basic and not unlimited plans, and some companies even throw in goodies such as free yellow book advertising for business VoIP phone service plans. Again, creating a list of what you want in a VoIP service will help you better determine what your tele-communication requirements are.

4. Compare VoIP Phone Service Providers

There are many factors that affect your choice of VoIP phone service providers – the number of long distance calls, international calls, business VoIP phone service etc. Now it is time to compare various service providers. VoIP is so common that chances are you may have a friend or relative that may already be using it! So, word of mouth is good way of getting some feedback. Comparing is important and there are more details to know, so read the article at – http://www.ez-voip-phone-service.com/how-to-compare-voip-phone-service-before-buying/

After comparing VoIP phone services, you can decide which VoIP service best suits your needs. Purchase this VoIP plan.

5. Choose Your Own Area Code

A lot of VoIP providers will give you the option of choosing your own area code and phone number. Just to be clear – you can live anywhere and still choose an area code from any other place! This is a great option that is available only in VoIP services and not in PSTN (landline). This is also a good idea for business owners who want to target a particular area of customer. They can choose the area code of this particular area of customers. Now, for the customers, this call will be local call.

6. Purchase an adapter for your VoIP Phone

This is important if you want to go wireless and don’t plan on sitting near computer just to receive or make your phone calls. Most of the VoIP phone service providers send you free adapter. If you don’t receive a free adapter, then you can purchase one. With an adapter, you don’t have to sit near the computer. This will allow you to use your household phones to take calls.

7. Other Important Things about VoIP phone service

As you know, VoIP phones have very similar features such as setting up your voicemail, caller ID etc., you can configure it. In fact, there is an internet control panel that you can use to configure these features.

VoIP phone service is a definitely a blessing to the world of communication. You can make very inexpensive long distance and international calls and use business VoIP phone service for your business – small or large.

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