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What's The Story With Voip?
By James Johnson, Sat Dec 10th
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Unless you've been residing in a cave for the last couple ofyears, you've probably at least heard the word "VoIP" even ifyou didn't realize what all the excitement is about.
VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and it's goingto change the way you think about making long distance phonecalls. Basically, VoIP technology turns analog audio signals(like the sounds you hear when talking on your regulartelephone) into a digital signal (which is then transmitted overthe Internet.) So why is VoIP revolutionizing the industry?Because it means that by acquiring your hands on some of thefree software that's available right now, you can totally bypassyour telephone company, and start making long distance phonecalls for free!
Here's what's got the phone companys buzzing: This revolutionarytechnology has the ability to completely change the phone systemof the entire world! Maybe you've seen television commercialsfor one of the pioneers of VoIP - Vonage. Vonage brands itselfas the "broadband telephone company", and offers enticing perksto customers who switch to its service, like low-cost 800numbers, very cheap international rates (fees are waived fromthe American to Canada, and how about .03 cents a minute to callParis?) But Vonage isn't the sole company who is interested.AT&T is setting up VoIP calling in many areas of the U.S. andthere are more major players on the scene as well, such asSkype, who is relying on viral advertising to get the word out.
One of the really interesting thing about VoIP is that there'snot just one way to make a call. There are actually three:
ATA - is the most commonly used VoIP method right now. Using theATA (analog telephone adaptor), you connect your regulartelephone to your computer or Internet connection. The ATA is ananalog-to-digital converter and it takes the analog signal fromyour phone and converts it into digital data and transmits itover the Internet.
This is how Vonage does it, and AT&T 's CallVantage will bedoing it. The ATA is free with their services. And utilizing anATA is so simple that anyone can do it. Open the box, plug thecable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket,and you're set. Based on your computer, and where you live, andwhat type of Internet connection you have, you might have toalso install the software onto your computer, but even mygrandmother knows how to do that these days.
IP Phones - They look just like the phones we're used to. Theyhave a handset, cradles and buttons. But an IP phones use anRJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phoneconnectors. It connect directly to your router and all thehardware and software is already built inside to handle your IPcalls. Look for Wi-Fi IP phones to be available in the nearfuture, which will allow you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fispot. (Can you see the power of that? Just take your IP phonewith you when you travel, and stop in at any Internet caf�,hotel or other location where you can use your Wi-Fi laptop, andyou can "phone home" wherever home happens to be!
Computer-to-Computer. This is arguably the easiest way to useVoIP. Not only do you not have to pay for long distance calls,there are several
corporations that are offering free orlow-cost software right now for you to make use of the VoIPtechnology. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakersa sound card and a broadband or cable DSL Internet connection,and your loved ones sound as if they're in the next room. And,except for your normal monthly ISP fee, there is no charge forany computer-to-computer call...no matter how far.
And guess what? Chances are, you've already been using the VoIPtechnology without even being aware of it, any time you've madea long distance telephone call recently. Many of the major phonecompanies are already applying VoIP technology to reduce theirown bandwidth . It's a simple matter of routing thousands ofphone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway.Once received on the other side of the gateway, the calls aredecompressed, reassembled and routed back to a local circuitswitch.
IP telephony is the wave of the future. It makes sense in termsof ROI, from both an economic and infrastructure point of view.It may take some time, but sooner or later all of the currentcircuit-switched networks that are in use now will be replacedby packet-switching technology. More and more businesses arealready installing VoIP systems. And as the technology makes ourway into our everyday language our lives, and our homes, it willcontinue to grow in popularity.
According to Forrester Research, they predict that nearly 5million U.S. households will have VoIP phone service by the endof 2006. The 2 biggest benefits for home users so far are priceand flexibility.
There are some advanced features that make VoIP something worthlooking into. With some carriers, you can set up call-filteringoptions, and actually have some control over how calls fromcertain numbers want to be handled. For example, you can: �Forward the call to a particular number � Send the call directlyto voicemail � Give the caller a busy signal � Play a "not inservice" message � Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline
With most VoIP services, you can also check your voice mail onthe Internet, or attach messages to an email that is sentdirectly to your computer or handheld. (By the way, if you'reinterested in any of these features, not all VoIP companies arecreated equal, so do a little looking around first, becauseprices and services do vary).
The second benefit that makes VoIP so attractive for home andsmall business users is the flexibility. Using VoIP you can makea call anywhere you can get broadband connectivity. Since the IPphones or ATAs broadcast information over the Internet, they canbe administered by any provider. For business travelers, thismeans they can take their phone or ATA with them on the road,and never miss a home phone call!
In a way, VoIP is just a "better mousetrap." But it looks likeit's one mousetrap that's here to stay.
About the author:James Johnson the author of this article discovers and presentsinformation so you can become more knowledgeable in the subjectsyou are searching for. I hope you find this article helpful.More information on VoIP is available at
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