The Little Geeni

Voice over IP (VoIP) software is used to manage phone voice discussions across the Internet. There are numerous free VOIP Software applications ready for use on the web for download. VOIP Software is in demand because VOIP phone service is often cheaper than conventional phone service, and is becoming further sought-after for both business and personal calls.

 7 powerful benefits of a VoIP Software Solution:

1. Ease of Use – Internet telephony provides voice mail and other telephone services, and installation of simple VoIP software is easy for anyone with an iota of ability. Industry insiders forecast that, in time, Internet phone technologies and services will supersede much of the workload at this time handled by plain old telephone service.

Making phone calls over the Internet isn’t just for the technical knowledgeable anymore. Employing VoIP (or Voice over Internet Protocol) is easier than ever before, with a number of VoIP providers out there that can help considerably decrease the cost of your current phone bill.

 2. Saving Money -The greatest benefit of VoIP over the typical telephone service is the cost. It is far less expensive to furnish a customer with Internet Phone Service than it is to furnish them with regular phone service. This means the client receives better prices also.

3. Portability – You don’t necessarily need a VOIP phone to obtain portability. Some providers of computer based VOIP services offer a Web interface. This interface allows clients to log in and place calls from anywhere in the world, so long as a broadband Internet connection is available.

4. One Stop Solution – VoIP Internet phone service is being favored amongst the latest generation users as it furnishes a one stop phone solution for making long distance as well as international calls at lesser fees.

The reason why we haven’t all been utilizing a VoIP solution to make calls up to the present moment is that it requires a broadband Internet connection, and broadband has only existed widely ready for use to home and business users for a somewhat short time. However, with broadband becoming constantly more common, VoIP solutions have started to take off in a huge way.

5. Functionality – VoIP phone usefulness can also be carried out with a PC or laptop if you have the Softphone software and a headset or microphone and speakers.

To use your regular analog or cordless phone, you’ll need an Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA). Plug your phone into the ATA and the other end into your high speed broadband or DSL modem.

Your VoIP service provider or broadband phone company should be able to furnish you with one of these. Apart from that, online stores sell many popular brand names VoIP Phones.

6. Business Networking- Selecting a business VoIP phone service may be unavoidable, however selecting an appropriate service provider will allow the company to discover features that will convey immediate benefits, as well as harvesting the cost savings and scalability a VoIP service essentially offers.

Business VoIP software offers a huge collection of applications. Obtain your faxes and voicemail through your email box or web browser. Conference calling, Caller ID, Paging equipment, Handsets, Call forwarding, no problem on a business trip – take your IP phone or Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) with you and your number follows you, or configure your phone to call-forward.

7. Business Productivity – The majority of the business owners are now consciously accepting business VoIP phone service for better business productivity. Many service providers offer structured and affordable VoIP service plans together with PBX systems.

VoIP phone service breakthroughs are advanced with many PBX functions such as auto attendant and voicemail that naturally boosts any business productivity.

The auto attendant facility provides great assistance in administering all the incoming calls. This feature expedites receiving numerous calls simultaneously. Callers are now welcomed with a recorded greeting. If a caller is left unattended, the caller will be provided with a voicemail option by which they may leave messages in the voicemail box.

The choice of the virtual receptionist assists accompanying calls is provided from the establishment of the service provider. Therefore, your calls are answered in spite of off-hours and weekends in need of keeping live receptionists at your office. As a result, the advantage of a business VoIP phone service redeems your capital and increases the productivity of your business.

Finally, VoIP Software Solutions are easy to use, manage, and expand into. Features for advanced small business VoIP technology save time and money, providing an efficient choice for all.

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The use of Voip (voice over IP) is increasing rapidly year on year. It is predicted that by the end of 2009 there will be 256 million users of VOIP around the world. The advantages of VOIP in terms of scale, cost and easy of use are now commonly agreed upon. But where did VOIP begin? Who invented VOIP?

The history of Voip extends further back into the world of pre internet that most people would think. The first Voip calls where made as far back as 1973. The capability to send voice across a digital network was pioneered on the ARPANET network, the precursor to the modern Internet. It only carried data and voice between the private network of computers on the APRPANET grid but the seeds for the VOIP revolution where sown by these pioneers.

Voip continued to developed amongst a small cache of computer users who used the technology to communicate with each other in a sort of geeky version of CB radio. Any two computers connected on the same network could use voip technology but there was no widespread adoption of the technology.

The first major step towards the VoIP services that many of use to today was the introduction of the software called “Internet Phone” from a US based company called Vocaltec. The first publicly available of f the shelve internet phone software from Vocaltec was the catalyst for the explosion in VOIP use. The Vocaltec software was able to run on a home PC and utilized much of the same hardware products that Voip services use today in terms of soundcards, speakers and headsets. The Internet Phone software differed from most modern VOIP services in that it used the H.323 protocol instead of the SIP protocol that is more ubiquitous today.

Although Internet Phone was an immediate commercial success it did suffer from a variety of problems. The lack of high speed internet access meant that the quality could be poor and the flow of voice slow. Early voip calls where like using walkie-talkies to communicate in terms of quality of signal. Another issue was the fact that the two computers that where talking to each other needed to have the same soundcards with the same drivers for the software to work. This obviously limited the use of the software and the effectiveness of the process. Much of the transmission was done via modems and was therefore utilizing traditional telephone lines and providing a service that was of a worse quality to that of a normal phone call.

Once Vocaltec had laid the foundations the increase in the use of VOIP was fairly rapid accounting for 1% of all US phone calls by 1998. Other companies began to develop software for the VOIP market and also hardware in the terms of hard phone and network switches. The expansion of broadband also aided the growth of VOIP by increasing the quality of calls and reducing the latency issues that effected VOIP at the beginning. By the year 2000 VOIP calls in the US where about 3% of the total.

The popularity of VOIP has increased since the turn of the millennium and with free VOIP provider Skype currently having registered a staggering 400 million user accounts at the end of 2008. With the growing availability of VOIP services for mobile phones it looks as if the adoption of VOIP will continue to expand rapidly.

Tony Heywood ©

Voip is the word on everyone’s lips as far as cheap and fast calls is concerned. This article aims to outline a little of the history of the development of VOIP and the companies behind its growth.

Information Technology History, VoIP

Once you’ve decided to use VoIP for your Small Office Home Office, it’s time to get set up. You’re probably keen to get going, find a VoIP provider, and start saving money on phone calls. It’s a good idea, though, to take a little time to consider some of the points on this check list. That way, you can be sure you’ve chosen the VoIP provider that’s best for you, and best for your business.

Who are the best established VoIP providers?

VoIP isn’t new technology, as such, and though broadband telephony is likely to become the way we all make telephone calls, you want to be sure that your provider is reliable and experienced.

What’s your existing broadband infrastructure?

Make sure you know how your existing broadband works. Is it cable (eg Virgin)? If so, you could cancel your cable telephone line entirely without affecting your broadband connection. If it is ADSL (eg BT), however, you can’t cancel your phone line because you’ll lose your broadband, too. You can, though use a VoIP phone line as your second phone line which you could use to make your business calls.

Do you need just one line, or two?

If you work from home, either all the time or part of the time, you may want to separate business from private telephone calls, so a second, cheap VoIP phone line might make more sense, especially if your business is growing or likely to grow.

What features will help?

Will your customers be able to get hold of you whenever they need to? Check that the VoIP provider offers inclusive features such as call-forwarding, three-way calling, ringback, do not disturb, call waiting or voicemail sent to your email address.

Call plans.

Think about what you need in terms of the business calls you make. Do you call mostly UK numbers? Or do you need to call other European countries, or mostly the US? Look at the call plans the VoIP offers. Is there a good choice? Is there one that suits you? Are calls to mobiles included?

What exactly does ‘unlimited’ mean?

Make sure you understand exactly what the VoIP provider is offering. If it says ‘unlimited’, does this mean that the calls really are unlimited to the countries listed in your call plan? Most VoIP providers will have a ‘fair usage’ policy. That is, they will give you have a generous allowance of free minutes, say 2000 (about 33 hours a month). What is the VoIP’s allowance? Is your SOHO likely to use more minutes than that? What will you pay if that happens?

What will you pay if you call countries outside your plan?

Check what you’ll be charged if you call countries outside the call plan you’ve signed up to. VoIP usually offer very competitive rates, but it’s a good idea to check. If you think you may make regular calls to a country outside one call plan, it may be a good idea to see if there’s another call plan that includes that country.

What do its customers say?

Try and find some of the customer feedback about the VoIP provider. Reviews from customers, either satisfied or disgruntled, will often tell you a lot about what you need to know about a company in terms of reliability, customer service, technical support, customer satisfaction etc.

What are the extra costs?

As well as the advertised monthly call plan, make sure you know exactly what else you might have to pay for. The VoIP provider may, for example, charge a set-up or administration fee, a line activation fee, a cancellation fee. There may be charges for equipment, too, though some of it may be free.

Is the VoIP’s website clear?

You don’t want to have to root through a website to discover hidden charges and the small print. A well written, professional, clear website, with all the charges clearly set out, is a sign that the VoIP provider is committed to professional transparency.

What’s the support like?

A phone line is one of the most crucial elements of any SOHO. So it’s a good idea to make sure that the VoIP provider offers technical support and customer service 24/7. Can you always get hold of someone if you need to? Do you have to pay for this?

What add-ons do they offer?

If or when your business starts to grow, can you adapt your VoIP phone system accordingly? Find out whether the VoIP provider offers add-ons such as a second phone line, a fax line, or the ability to make calls from your laptop.

Can you keep your number?

If you’re starting up in business, it may make sense to get a whole new business number. But if customers already use your landline number, you may want to keep that. Check that the VoIP provider offers the option of ‘porting’ your existing number to your new VoIP phone provider.

Can you choose a dialling code?

You may want a VoIP telephone number that’s local to you. Or you may want one that’s local to your customers. Either way, find out what the VoIP offers in terms of choosing dialling codes, and check that the code you want is available.

What about emergencies?

A final important consideration is to think about how your business would cope if your broadband connection went down. If that happens, and your VoIP telephone is temporarily out of action, you need to make sure you have a back-up plan (such as a mobile), particularly in case of critical business calls or even calls to the emergency services.

Once you’ve been through this check list, you should be ready to choose your VoIP provider. It shouldn’t take long to get your VoIP phone line set up, and then you’ll be ready to start saving money by using your broadband to make and receive business calls.

Information Technology Business, Checklist, Choose, Home, Office, Provider, Small, SOHO, VoIP

It seems like technology is headed for a massive telephone
change over. The traditional Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN) is looking to be replaced by VoIP. VoIP is short for
Voice over IP. VoIP is the routing of conversations over an IP
network or the Internet. VoIP uses a packet-switched network
instead of the circuit-switched voice transmission lines used by
traditional telephone networks. VoIP does not need an Internet
connection to work. A company that has a LAN connection with all
of its computers can utilize VoIP technology.

VoIP is a great technology, but has a variety of issues with
implementation. VoIP may face problems with latency because IPs
do not provide Quality of Service guarantees, nor do they
provide their packets of information in sequential order.
High-speed Internet connections are required for VoIP and
firewalls often prove tricky for VoIP technology. To combat
this, many people use Session Border Controllers (SBC).

VoIP technology has many advantages. There are more new features
with VoIP because of the lack of an International
Telecommunications Union. VoIP is still very much an open market
for developers, so the technology is constantly being improved.
VoIP also has a lower cost than traditional sources because of
the monopolies that exist or traditional phone companies being
controlled by the government. Some users even see VoIP phone
calls as free because they do not have to pay extra for the
service. The user only pays the Internet service provider, and
therefore the usage of VoIP seems to be free. You can also take
your VoIP phone wherever you go because all you need is a
network connection to make it work. VoIP technology will also
benefit network agents who work for call centers. Agents can
help callers from anywhere in the country with an Internet
connection. Finally, because VoIP is on the computer, there is
increased functionality. Conference calls can be held,
information can be sent, and things like address books can be
updated and shared over VoIP.

While VoIP has many advantages, there are a few drawbacks to the
service. One of the biggest drawbacks is reliability. Telephone
lines have back up generators in case of power outages, so
phones can keep working. Because VoIP is connected to the
Internet, a power outage will end a VoIP call when the computer
shuts down. To combat this, users must buy an expensive
uninterruptible power supply or a generator that must then be
installed on the premises. Internet connections are also subject
to disconnection, depending on crowded networks, and the quality
of the ISP. If the Internet connection drops, then the VoIP call
will be dropped. VoIP is also a problem for emergency calls.
Because of the nature of the Internet and VoIP systems,
emergency workers cannot trace calls. In the event that someone
with an emergency has a problem but is unable to give an
address, the emergency worker will not be able to trace the call
and find the person. VoIP carriers are already attempting to fix
this problem by implementing a technical work-around. Finally,
it will be very difficult to integrate VoIP on a massive scale,
because while the standard Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) has
a common standard, VoIP does not.

VoIP has many advantages as well as some large drawbacks. The
main roadblock in the way of global VoIP adoption is
reliability. When VoIP proves that it can be just as reliable as
traditional telephone services have been over many years, then
it will start to be adopted. VoIP technology is always
improving, so the problems with VoIP today are likely to be
solved sooner than many people expect. VoIP can truly
revolutionize both the business world and home life.

Information Technology Lowdown, VoIP

VoIP phones are the phones used with Voice over Internet Protocol technology. VoIP is the technology used to transmit audio as data or Packets over the Internet to either a computer user or to a landline telephone. VoIP is increasing in popularity, as it is highly valued for its great quality, low cost, and incredible features. VoIP is gaining respect, as a viable solution for business needs as well. VoIP will allow long distance calls for either free or for just pennies compared to traditional phone services.

There are many different ways to use VoIP. For some services you will need a computer, a high-speed Internet connection, an Instant Messaging program, speakers, a microphone, a phone adapter for converting standard telephones into VoIP phones, or a VoIP phone.

When using VoIP services, you can simply use a microphone and speakers to communicate with your caller. You need a High Speed Internet connection to allow for your calls to be in real time, and you will also need a soundboard and computer that is up to date with VoIP technology.

You can also use VoIP technology by using Instant Messaging services that have voice options enabled. These include Yahoo Messenger with Voice, ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger, MSN, and even Google has started their own VoIP messenger. To use these VoIP messengers you will need a microphone and speakers connected to your computer.

VoIP phone adapters are another means of communicating with VoIP. A VoIP phone adapter will connect between your standard telephones, and your Internet modem. Your phone adapter will come with installation and user instructions. Generally, you will need to power off your computer, then connect the adapter to your Internet modem and then plug your telephone into the adapter’s phone jack. Power everything back up and you should be good to use your phone. You will need to make sure that you have VoIP service previously installed.

You can also purchase a VoIP phone, specifically designed for use with your VoIP service. VoIP phones come in both corded and cordless forms. VoIP corded phones come with many features. You can purchase a desktop phone that includes speakerphone, Call Waiting, Hold, Speed Dial, Transfer, and programmable keys such as Menu, Dial, Volume, Transfer, Cancel, and Headset or Speaker mode.

You can also purchase a 2 line VoIP corded telephone. Some of the features that come with a phone like this include Three Way Conferencing, phone to phone, or phone to PC, or phone to gateway direct dial. These phones are perfect for small businesses or for use in the home office.

Another popular choice in VoIP phones is the cordless VoIP phone. These cordless VoIP phones are not the same as VoIP wireless or VoWi FI phones. VoIP phones are similar to cordless standard phones. They will work in your house, but not outside, apart from your basic VoIP service.

There is another option and that is called VoWiFi. VoWiFi stands for Voice over Wireless Fidelity. This is the use of VoIP over a wireless connection. A VoWiFi phone operates by using a wireless network’s access point. The advantages of using VoWiFi, is that you can easily pick up network signals or “hotspots” for free. However, VoWiFi will not work if it is out of a wireless range, and immediately you will be terminated from your call. If you have a wireless network that you are local to, you will find VoWiFi to be a great advantage and extremely cost effective.

Because of issues with network connectivity, there are Hybrid phones available. A hybrid is a cross between a cellular phone and VoWiFi. A Hybrid will place your call when you are in your cellular network range, and then, to prevent roaming charges, can pick up free VoWiFi by entering a hotspot. This is a great combination of two technologies and time will tell where the hybrid phone will evolve in the future.

One thing is certain; VoIP is an advancement in telecommunications that is here to stay. Whether you use your computer, and Internet Messaging program, a VoIP phone adapter, VoIP cordless or corded phones, VoWiFi or Hybrids the future points to VoIP as the telecommunication method of choice.

Information Technology About, Know, Phones, Should, VoIP

There is a lot of buzz about VoIP Internet phone service. On the consumer side everyone is getting a lot of exposure to Vonage commercials as well as triple play offers from Cable Companies. From a technology standpoint, VoIP is now much more mature than in its nascent days when Internet telephony meant a scratchy voice conversation over two computers. Whereas VoIP has been used by Telcos to carry voice traffic over long portions of their networks for years, it is now positioned to become the standard technology used to carry voice traffic over the last mile from every consumer’s home. Increased broadband penetration and advances in VoIP technology make this possible, and now there is a long line of VoIP providers out there looking for a piece of the action. They range from giants like Verizon and Comcast to relatively small unknowns. For the first time in the history of telecommunications it is possible to be a telephony provider without the huge barriers of capital needed for switches and network operation centers (NOCS).) nor the regulatory barrier of being a Local Exchange Carrier. So will the industry be marked by many small nimble players? What is the likelihood of survival for small consumer VoIP service providers?

The Cable TV companies have a strong position in the telephony market. They already have a large embedded base of customers. They also have a local presence, with field installers regularly driving around neighborhoods and customer service locations in every town in which they have a franchise. Having the field installers is a major advantage since they can install VoIP service and also hook up inside wiring so the service experience is no different than before. Therefore a person doesn’t have to be the least bit technically inclined to adopt the service, thereby opening the market to the masses. The pure-plays like Vonage just can’t reach the mass market like this.

Cable companies also have huge brand awareness in their markets. What is also potentially important is that they are perceived as a utility company and people are used to getting phone service from this type of entity. There is a familiarity and comfort level of going to a utility company for phone service.

They also have tremendous strength in both billing and customer service. While some may hate the cable company because they have lengthy time windows for showing up for an installation, may show up late, and may keep you on hold at the call center, the Cable companies are in actuality very good at managing the complexities of their operations. For example, RCN entered some markets years ago as an alternate cable provider thinking they could leverage people’s dislike of the cable companies’ service record and do it better; instead they ended up realizing how very complex it is and ended up doing it worse. If a company wants to scale as a major VoIP provider, they will have to manage the complexities of billing and customer service. The cable companies have been down this road already.

Here is what could be the biggest factor to why the Cable companies will be most successful at VoIP and ruin the chances of other smaller entrants – They provide a broadband connection. Since this is required for VoIP, the incumbent provider has the first dibs on providing voice service. Also, since broadband connections have high margins and VoIP has low margins, broadband providers could treat voice service as a loss leader to get and keep customers on their high-speed connections. NetZero, for instance, is giving away free telephone numbers and low priced VoIP service presumably with the hopes of signing on users for their ISP. Voice service could in fact become so commoditized that it will be given away with broadband service the same way email is today. If this becomes a reality, there would be very little market opportunity and a bleak survival outlook for smaller pure-play VoIP service providers unless they could offer a differentiated value proposition.

The Local Phone Company also shares many of the same advantages as Cable in that they have strong brands, ability to bill effectively, established customer service, and field technicians. They also should provide the greatest comfort level to people for providing a phone service. However, the Phone Companies have dismal showing compared to the Cable companies who have the greatest number of VoIP subscribers. Verizon VoiceWing and AT&T CallVantage each have only 5.5% of the 2.9 million pure-play VoIP subscribers (Telephia Q2 2006). Those 320k subs are dwarfed by the Cable Companies like Time Warner Cable who alone had 1.6 million VoIP customers as of October 2006. Why have the Phone Companies had such a dismal result? Internal confliction between POTS and VoIP is one reason. They can not put emphasis on a low margin VoIP product in their core offer and have struggled to create an effective bundled product strategy with advanced services. They are also expending more resources and internal focus on better broadband offerings than DSL and trying to break into video services. Nonetheless, they still hold second and third positions for share of pure-play VoIP subscribers and have deep pockets, which will allow them to far outspend a small VoIP provider to get mindshare.

Vonage, with 53.9% of the 2.9 million pure-play VoIP subscribers, is spending a ton of money to get mindshare and customers. This is good in that it raises awareness of the product category, which helps a smaller pure-play. However, it also presents a huge challenge for smaller providers to compete head to head for customers when a single provider has such a dominant voice.

There are a number of challenges facing a smaller VoIP provider. Small providers have to compete for share of voice against companies that are spending a lot of money. As far as the business case goes, VoIP has relatively small margins and the ROI for marketing campaigns and generating brand awareness is a challenge. Yet without spending money on marketing, it is difficult to capture customers.

Then there is the challenge of the market size. Pure-play providers don’t have local installers and technicians, which limit the market to those who have the technical savvy to set up the service or the willingness to do so. If the target market is defined as people who have the technical savvy to set up VoIP on a home network, then this market is comprised largely of younger people. This group is increasing mobile based and has little use for a landline phone. Also, consider how the overall telephony market will change over the years. People in college now that will be graduating over the next couple of years and getting apartments are 100% mobile based and have never had a landline phone. Thus the market for pure-play VoIP will be shrinking as fast as it grows.

However, there is still an opportunity for small VoIP providers in this challenging market. The opportunity is to focus on niche markets and leverage specific advantages of VoIP that are particularly important to specific customers segments. In such segments, word of mouth advertising is a viable strategy if the service can meet a strong need. This solves the dilemma of investing in media to build a strong brand and maintains better profitability.

ReVoS Internet phone service is an example of a small VoIP provider taking just this strategy. They are focusing on a niche segment of people who make a lot of international calls. ReVoS offers VoIP service, which includes unlimited international calling to over 40 countries including the standard VoIP product offering for $24.95 per month. They have also developed a VoIP product that works over a mobile phone that doesn’t require a broadband connection. This is geared to people of international origin who, by the way, have the greatest propensity to use cell phones of any demographic in the U.S. This niche makes sense since carrying long distance call traffic is an inherent strength of the VoIP networks. Also these customer groups are better reached through a niche strategy and would be missed by mass-market strategies. This market is comprised largely of people living in the U.S. who have moved here from other countries. These are tight communities where word of mouth can flourish and the value proposition is strong when saving people money on high cost international calls. This is an example of how a small VoIP provider can successfully compete against much more formidable competitors such as the Cable Companies and Vonage.

However, the future of the telephony industry and the role that VoIP takes still needs to be fully defined and there are many uncertainties. There is a long list of unknowns, which include such things as Google getting into Voice and whether Microsoft includes a softphone and VoIP service as a standard part of their operating systems. Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) is another technology wildcard that could change the shape of the competitive landscape. The overwhelming penetration of mobile phone service and mobile carriers’ ability to steal the show with a FMC offer is very real. This may be the competing technology that upsets the MSOs stronghold on VoIP. The question then becomes which bundled product offer is greater 1) Broadband and VoIP or 2) Mobile phone and VoIP. Another thing to consider is how Wireless VoIP (wVoIP) could change the competitive landscape and underlying telephony ecosystem if municipal hotspots and/or WiMax take off.

Whatever the future the holds, the economies of the telephony industry are likely to place a few large carriers in control of the majority of the market. People want simplicity in their lives and the winners will be those who provide the most seamless solutions to people’s basic communications needs. For smaller VoIP providers to survive and make profit, they will need to meet strong niche needs that get overlooked by the mass adoption strategy, have a well defined and differentiated value proposition (Recall ESPN Mobile’s problem), efficient operations to control cost and low margins, low churn in order to compensate for limited total average revenue per subscriber (ARPU) absent a larger bundled product strategy, and the ability to benefit from viral marketing within the target markets. With all of this in place, there is a chance of survival for small VoIP providers.

Information Technology Consumer, Provider, Small, survive, VoIP

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.

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As technologies mature and more households gain access to high speed Internet, consumers will come to realize that it is simply more efficient and cost effective to send packets of voice over the Internet than over a point to point circuit switched land line. Long distance charges become a thing of the past, and international calls are pennies a minute if not free to some countries.

VoIP solutions are readily available to anyone with a high speed Internet connection, and the only hardware needed is an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) and a phone. For most consumers, utilizing a calling plan from a VoIP service provider is the best solution. Most VoIP service providers will provide the ATA hardware (or software) for free, and monthly charges range from free on up.

Peer to Peer VoIP

The least expensive VoIP solution would be using a computer on a peer to peer network. Offered from such VoIP service providers as Skype or the Gizmo Project, the software is free to download and calls within the network are free worldwide. Calls to PSTN numbers are charged at a low VoIP rate. Peer to Peer VoIP is a software solution, meaning that no ATA is required, and your phone is a pair of earplugs and a microphone plugged into your computer. The downside is that call quality is lacking compared to some of the hardware VoIP solutions available.

The “Pure Play” VoIP Service Provider

Over the past few years, a new generation of upstarts has introduced themselves into the residential VoIP arena. Probably the most successful (at least popularity wise) would be the VoIP service provider Vonage. Thanks to their lavish spending on advertising, the technology of VoIP is becoming mainstream, and the general public is beginning to realize that if the circumstances are right, Voice over IP can be a viable cost saving alternative to the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS).

Vonage, Packet8, and SunRocket are just a few of many companies that are pure-play VoIP service providers. They have no interest in selling you cable TV, conventional telephone service, or cellular minutes. Monthly plans range anywhere from $7.00 to $40.00 and calls are free in the U.S., Canada, and in some cases Europe. International rates vary with many countries as low as 2-3 cents a minute.

These are the companies that have pioneered residential VoIP for the consumer and with their low monthly calling plans, the companies that will keep the giants in the Telecommunications Industry honest.

Telco’s as VoIP Providers

Just as deregulation and the advent of cellular technology in the past, VoIP is poised to revolutionize the Telecommunications Industry. And the large telephone companies, even the cellular phone companies are entering this new era kicking and screaming.

Telco’s like AT&T, the regional Bells and others are happy to provide broadband internet access through DSL, but very few are willing to unbundle the internet service from their conventional telephone services. They could do it technologically, and a few local phone companies are offering DSL on the “local loop”, without the wire with the dial tone. The fact is, having a broadband connection that requires you to also buy a conventional telephone connection pretty much defeats the purpose, thus making VoIP through DSL impractical for most people.

That said, the Telco’s see the writing on the wall and are slowly beginning to implement Voice over IP telephony. AT&T and Quest Communications offer residential VoIP solutions starting at $25.00 and $30.00 respectively, just slightly higher than a pure VoIP service provider. All of the basic features such as call forwarding, speed dialing, and 3-way calling are included, and premium services like virtual phone numbers, conference calling, and call filtering can be had for an additional charge. International rates seem to be somewhat higher than pure play rates, though only by pennies.

VoIP and Cable Companies

If anyone is in a position to win the Telecommunication wars, it’s the cable companies. Massive consolidation in the cable industry has led to huge privately owned networks that in many cases make it unnecessary to route calls over the public Internet. Quality of Service issues can be handled in house, and after all, companies like Cisco Systems pretty much built the Internet and are largely responsible for the development of Voice over IP Telephony.

Cable companies as VoIP service providers have the ability to bundle voice with high speed data and digital cable TV, and are even now running introductory offers of all three for 99.00 a month in some markets. But be careful, introductory offers end and VoIP plans with the cable companies are some of the most expensive to be had.

While VoIP service providers like Comcast and Time Warner generally receive good reviews for sound quality, monthly calling plans cost $40.00 and $45.00 respectively. Not bad when looking at a $70.00 phone bill from Bell South, but over twice as much as a pure-play VoIP service provider. No doubt, a good reliable broadband connection through a cable modem is the ideal VoIP solution (wireless notwithstanding), but you don’t have to use your cable company for VoIP.

In the end, it all depends on whats important to you. If all you need is to call a friend in China on the same network, then a peer to peer VoIP service provider is for you. If you live in an area where it’s offered, a telecom VoIP solution promises lower bills than their conventional connections, provided you can drop the land line.

For those that have cable modems, the choice of VoIP service providers is vast. For the monthly cost of another broadband connection, cable companies will come out to install the equipment and rewire every jack in your house. And they are just a service call away. Alternatively, the pure play VoIP providers offer the lowest rates around, and the quality is usually just as good.

Just remember, it’s all in the pipe. Calls will be as clear as your VoIP service providers’ network is uncongested.

Information Technology Consumer, Provider, Residential, Service, Solutions, VoIP

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By S. Maurer

On this digital Century the business and Data Technology administrations is radically moving to the Next-Generation of Business Administration. For that reason, this series of articles will exhibit essential tips from us and also we included very fews from public sources about this specific affair or this advanced method of doing business. In spite of the event that very fews tips are public domains, if asked for that the source will be always mentioned.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Integration into global telëphone number system: While the traditional Plain Ancient Teletelephone System [POTS] and mobile phone networks share a common global average [E.164] which allocates and identifies any specific telephone line, there is no widely adopted alike customary for [VOIP] networks. Some allocate an E.164 number which can be applyd for [VOIP] as well as incoming/external calls. However, there are often different, incompatible schemes when calling between [VOIP] providers which use provider specific short codes.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: A call to the U.S. emërgency services number 911 may not automatically be routed to the nearest community emergency dispatch center, and would be of no employ for subscribers outside the U.S.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: VoIP to [VOIP] telephone calls on any provider arë typically free, whilst [VOIP] to PSTN calls generally costs the [VOIP] user. Free [VOIP] to PSTN services are rare. A notable provider is [VOIP] User.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: If a subscriber with a residence phonë number in a U.S. area code calls someone else in his residence area code, [IT] will be treated as a community call regardless of where that person is in the world.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Signaling protocols: Session Initiation Protocol [SIP] definëd by the IETF, newer than H.323 H.323 defined by the ITU-T Megaco [a.k.a. H.248] and MGCP both media gateway control protocols Skinny Client Control Protocol proprietary protocol from Cisco MiNET proprietary protocol from Mitel CorNet-IP proprietary protocol from Siemens IAX the Inter-Asterisk eXchange protocol used by the Asterisk open source PBX server and associated client software Skype a proprietary peer-to-peer protocol used in the Skype application Jajah a proprietary peer-to-peer protocol used in the Jajah SIP and IAX compatible webphone Jingle open peer-to-peer protocol based on XMPP [Jabber] and being harmonised with the ‘substantially equivalent’ Google Talk protocol. Several different speech codecs can be used for stream audio compression. Commonly used codecs for [VOIP] traffic contain G.711, G.723.1 and G.729, all ITU-T-specified.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Many of the largest carriërs employ H.323 in their core backbones, and the vast majority of callers have small or no belief that their POTS calls are being terminated over VoIP. So really SIP is a useful tool for the “district loop” and H.323 is like the “fiber backbone”.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Incoming telephone calls can be automatically routëd to your [VOIP] phone, regardless of where you are connected to the network. Take your [VOIP] phone with you on a trip, and anywhere you connect to the Internet, you can receive incoming calls.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: As the popularity of [VOIP] grows, and PSTN users switch to [VOIP] in incrëasing numbers, governments are becoming more interested in regulating [VOIP] in a manner corresponding to legacy PSTN services.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Some cost savings are duë to using a single network to carry voice and data, especially where applyrs have existing under-utilized network capacity they can use for [VOIP] at no additional cost. Some Internet connections are asymmetrical, i.e. the upstream data rate is significantly lower than the downstream data rate. This places a final absolute throttle to the transmitted data rate and thus voice quality.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Users of Instant Messënger based [VOIP] services like Skype, Gizmo Project or Yahoo! Messenger can also travel anywhere in the globe and create and receive call calls. Drawbacks [VOIP] technology still has a infrequent shortcomings that have led some to believe that [IT] is not ready for widespread deployment. However, many manufacturer analysts predicted that 2005 was the “Year of Inflection,” where more IP PBX ports shipped than legacy digital PBX ports.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: “Dual mode” handsets, which allow for thë seamless handover between a cellular network and a WiFi network, are expected to aid [VOIP] become more popular.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Mass-market telëphony: A major development starting in 2004 has been the introduction of mass-market [VOIP] services over broadband Internet access services, in which subscribers constitute and receive calls as they would over the PSTN. This requires either a software client for the machine or an analog telephone adapter [ATA] for connecting a telephone to the broadband Internet connection.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Very low cost [or freë in many cases]: [VOIP] is causing deep changes in any enterprise’s communications in the whole world

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Corporate and telco usë: Although infrequent office environments and much fewer homes employ a pure [VOIP] infrastructure, telecommunications providers routinely employ IP telephony, often over a dedicated IP network, to connect switching stations, converting voice signals to IP packets and back. The result is a data-abstracted digital network which the provider can easily upgrade and employ for multiple purposes.

What is [VOIP] Telephony System Management?: Single location of calling: With commercial sërvices such as Vonage, [IT] is potential to connect the [VOIP] router into the existing central telephone box in the hoemploy and have [VOIP] at every phone already connected. Other services, such as Skype & PeerMe, typically require the use of a computer, so they are limited to single location of calling, though handsets are immediately available, allowing them to be used without a PC.

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There is increasing awareness of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in the Australian marketplace of late, and understandably so. VoIP has the potential to revolutionise the way we communicate.

Much of the hype has been around residential VoIP, rather than business VoIP communications. It is crucial to understand that major differences exist between residential and business grade VoIP solutions. Relying on a residential grade VoIP service can have disastrous effects for a business, including loss of sound quality in phone calls and down time where your business’ ability to communicate may be cut off entirely. The integration of a business grade VoIP solution has many cost and efficiency benefits for Australian Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs).

The most obvious advantages of a business-grade VoIP solution are the reductions in call and line rental costs, however, there are many other significant business advantages for SMBs of all sizes to realise:

* Increased productivity by integrating VoIP with the computer desktop and allowing features such as Click2Dial from Outlook

* Increased business metric capabilities from detailed reporting on inbound and outbound call patterns

* Vastly improved and centralised personal attendant and reception capabilities allowing visibility of all staff extensions in a consolidated view, simplifying transfers to extensions and voicemail

* Awareness of an individual’s location as ‘available’, ‘busy’ or ‘out of the office until 2pm’

* Increased efficiency from converging the voice and data networks (operating both voice and data on the one network)

To decide how best to integrate VoIP with your existing voice and data infrastructure you must have a clear understanding of your business drivers and the results you wish to achieve.

VoIP Gateways

Ideal times to consider the introduction of a VoIP solution are during an office relocation, or during times of high growth. An excellent entry level solution for businesses who wish to experience the benefits provided by VoIP is to connect their phone system to PSTN via a VoIP gateway device. A VoIP gateway device is a simple piece of hardware that allows the basic integration of VoIP with a traditional phone system, most often without having to physically change any configuration.

Pacific Internet’s VoIP gateway is connected via a business-grade broadband service and will send calls destined for external locations (whether local, national, mobiles, international or another VoIP service) across the VoIP network and into the traditional phone line at the destination point. It is Pacific Internet that maintains connectivity to the traditional phone line. This scenario allows for the seamless integration between the two networks (PSTN and VoIP) and a traditional phone system to co-exist with a VoIP solution. The advantage of a gradual migration to a total VoIP solution is that it allows you to immediately appreciate some of the benefits of VoIP, without the upfront cost of replacing your entire existing voice infrastructure.

Connecting to Traditional Voice Networks via VoIP

A number of scenarios are available to connect your phone system to the traditional PSTN via VoIP, the most common of which are:

* Full replacement of traditional analogue or digital lines for all inbound and outbound calls, providing for standard geographic Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers to be allocated to the VoIP service, for example, 02 9999 9999 for Sydney, 07 3333 3333 for Brisbane, 02 4900 0000 for Newcastle

* Partial replacement of traditional analogue or digital lines for all outbound calls

* Installation of additional VoIP lines to sustain call overflow during unexpected or regular peaks in outbound calls traffic

* Additional lines for calling only specific, designated prefixes. For example, making all outbound calls to mobiles via VoIP.

Each of these scenarios can be configured to either work automatically or to require manual user selection with most phone systems. For example, if VoIP is being installed solely to make all outbound calls to mobiles then the phone system can be set-up via Least Cost Routing (LCR) to automatically use a VoIP line when an individual calls a mobile.

An important consideration when integrating your traditional telephone system with VoIP is to very clearly understand current calling behaviour. For consideration are items such as:

* How many simultaneous inbound calls does the business receive?

* How many simultaneous outbound calls does the business make?

* How many spare PSTN ports (or trunk ports) does the telephone system have?

* Are the spare PSTN ports for analogue lines or for digital (ISDN) lines?

* If there are currently insufficient spare PSTN ports, can the phone system be cost-effectively upgraded with additional cards to provide sufficient port capacity?

Once you have a clear understanding of your current call behaviour and phone system, you can accurately determine how many VoIP lines are required and the resulting demands this will place on business-grade broadband service. You must consider bandwidth requirements, segregation of voice from data, and Quality of Service (QoS).

As your VoIP provider, Pacific Internet, can make qualified recommendations on the best configuration to achieve your desired business benefits. Integrating VoIP with an existing business data network and phone system takes a significant amount of careful planning and it is crucial that this step not be overlooked, however, it is an ideal way to test a VoIP solution and immediately start to appreciate some of the cost and efficiency benefits that VoIP can provide.

Information Technology Australian, Internet, Marketplace, Over, Protocol, Voice, VoIP