ArticleMap.com

Defining VoIP

When I opened Todd Cardin Answering Service twenty years ago there were not a lot of options in phone service. Today there are so many options and choices in telephony that it is mind boggling. It is confusing living with so many choices. Even those of us in the telecommunications industry find it impossible to keep up with everything. This is especially true for voice over IP. There are so many emerging companies, all with what seem to be competitive pricing, and all making the came promises of reliability and stability of a virtually new technology. The question arises, is the average consumer educated enough to make a decision about a product they know nothing about?

Many people hear the term Voice over IP or broadband telephone service and still are not sure what that means. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Using VoIP, voice information is converted into digital packets and sent over the Internet, and then converted back into analog signals before reaching the phone receiver at the other end. Pre-requisites for this service include VoIP equipment, a service provider, and a broadband internet connection. This is a growing and new technology which will surely expand as the number of broadband connections increase.

There are two types of VoIP service. The first is called hardware based VoIP. People using this type of VoIP phone services, have their phone fitted with an adapter that will connect to a high-speed Internet connection. When a call is made, it goes through your local telephone company to the VoIP provider, and then over the Internet to the other parties telephone .The second type is software based VoIP phone services, where you use a microphone headset plugged into your computer and make calls, which are routed through your cable modem, by using the keyboard. VoIP can also be run over a private data network. Many companies, the most popular being Skype, offer the latter service free. Two parties need only to be running the Skype software on their machines. The former mentioned “hardware based” solution does not require both parties to have VoIP service. A VoIP customer can place a call to a traditional phone service customer & vice versa.

The big advantage of VoIP is that voice information sent over the Internet avoids using the fixed circuitry of traditional telephony networks – avoiding the tolls charged by traditional telephone service. This advantage is reflected in the price of the service. Most companies offer competitive fees ranging from 14.99 per month to 24.99 per month for unlimited telephone minutes to anywhere in the U.S or Puerto Rico and astronomically low international rates usually hovering around 5 cents per minute.

The big disadvantage of VoIP is quality of service. While in theory because packets are sent over the best route at the time rather than through fixed routes, VoIP services would be reliable and consistent, in reality problems such as packet loss, bandwidth and plain old Internet outages make VoIP quality and reliability inconsistent. Keep in mind the internet itself is a fairly new commodity. As network enhancements and overall stability increase the reliability of applications such as VoIP service, quality of such applications will surely increase.

VoIP is the future of telephony and the quality and reliability will improve and the industry will explode even further. However, it is a relatively new technology and can only grow as the strength, speed, and stability of the internet evolve. If you were the first kid on the block to purchase a DVD player, a VHS recorder, or a BETA player, I would recommend following your life’s trend and going for a broadband telephony solution. The more conservative consumer would likely wait a year or two before making a purchase while letting the technology progress through a natural evolution. Either purchase decision you make, rest assured that this technology is not fly by night and is here to stay.

Article Source: http://www.articlemap.com

Todd Cardin is the eastern regional sales manager for Specialty Answering Service. For more information on Specialty Answering Service, please e-mail us at info@specialtyansweringservice.net or log on to our www.specialtyansweringservice.net”>answering service / www.specialtyansweringservice.net/call-center.html”>call center website. This article may be reproduced as long at it remains wholly intact.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive VOIP Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Communications | Voip

Why You Should Get a VoIP Phone - By : Jeff Glasser
What is VoIP? - By : Bill Williamson
Picking Out the Proper Conference Call Services - By : Elaine Petin
What VoIP Ratings Can Tell You - By : Torrie Cantor
Low Rate VoIP: What You Should Know - By : Torrie Cantor
How Does VoIP Work: Getting Straight Answers - By : Torrie Cantor
How You Can Save Money for Your Business Using VOIP - By : Thomas Christenson
The Benefits of Internet Phone Service - By : Tate Christee
International 800 Numbers - Great Benefits For Small Business - By :
Effective Decisions For VOIP Solutions - By : Neil Walker

	Print This Article
	Post Comment
	Add To Favorites
	Email to Friends
	Ezine Ready

Submit Articles
Member Login
i Top Authors
Most Popular Articles
Submission Guidelines
Ezine Notifications
Article RSS Feeds

Press Release
About Us
Link To Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Highly Recommended:

Sponsored Ads:

Recommended Hosting

Related Sister Site:
Submit Health Articles Now