Why Should You Switch To Voip

Writen by Keith Gilbert

By now, you've probably heard about the new technology called VoIP, or Voice Over IP. VoIP is a replacement for a standard telephone and phone line. It uses your high-speed internet connection instead of regular phone lines. Millions of people all over the world are embracing this new technology. Should you?

Let's take a look at the benefits and features. After all, you should make an educated decision and not just an instant decision. So why is VoIP so great?

- Price. VoIP's price, most of the time, will beat standard phone rates. Companies usually offer free long distance and foreign calling – so you could call someone on the other side of the world for the same price as a friend down the street. On the other hand, price would not be a huge advantage if you pay per minute with a standard phone and make only 2 short calls a month!

- Computer compatibility. You can use your computer as your phone instead of using a regular-style phone. Why would you do this? Well, with some computer software, you can share documents, messages, and videos (think webcam plus audio) with friends that also have VoIP.

- More features. VoIP isn't just a normal phone technology. It usually comes with many different features that you would have to pay for or couldn't even get with a regular phone service, like free caller-ID, conference calls, on-hold music, free voicemail, and more.

These are just some of the basic new VoIP features. Some companies even offer unique services and bonuses, so be sure to examine what you get so that you can fully compare between companies.

If, right now, you are thinking that VoIP is right for you, why not try it? After all, many companies offer a 30-day (or longer) money-back guarantee, so if you decide you're not happy with it, just ask for your money back!

Free VoIP Articles on VoIP Services & Solutions

Keith Gilbert is the author and webmaster of http://www.freevoiptips.com.

5 Voip Tutorial Steps On How To Make The Switch

Writen by Juzaily Ramli

Unless you have been living on Mars lately, you might have known about VoIP. VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol is a revolutionary technology that transmits voice or audio files over the Internet. As it uses the means of the Internet to get connected, many people have seized this opportunity to enjoy unlimited long distance calls and also lower monthly phone bills.

To many who have heard of VoIP, they might not know how to get started and how much they can benefit from it. Well, in order to help you get started or make the switch, below is an easy step by step VoIP tutorial that will help you get started in choosing the best plan that is right for you or your business.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

First step before switching to VoIP is in making the decision as to whether you or your business really needs VoIP service. Being human, we tend to get scared of a new technology. If you think that VoIP can be really beneficial, then switching to VoIP is something that you should strongly consider. If, however, for any reason at all you think that VoIP will not benefit you, then you are missing on the greatest invention of all since sliced bread. Ask yourself this, 'Do I really want to miss out on the opportunity to enjoy unlimited long distance calls to anywhere in the world at a lower monthly rate?' If your answer is 'No', move on to the next step.

Choosing the Right Plan

The next step is to decide which plan is the best for you, your family or your business needs. Like most things new and unsure to you, it is always wise to research for the different VoIP providers on the Internet. Get active in VoIP forums and ask questions regarding anything related to VoIP.

Chances are you will get lots of different opinions as to which VoIP provider is the best. However, bear this in mind; even though different providers offer different plans, you will soon discover that it all comes down to being the same but differently packaged plan, in order to differentiate themselves from the pack. So, how does one choose?

You might want to consider your needs, wants and features by making yourself a written list for comparison. This will help you compare the different plans provided by different service providers. In a nutshell, there are a few things you might want to consider:

1. If you want to use VoIP for personal use, such as to call your family members, you might want to consider choosing a Residential Plan. It comes in two forms which are basic (a certain amount of minutes of talk time) and unlimited (for unlimited period of talk time).

2. If you own a small business, choosing a Business Plan will provide you with amenities such as fax, voicemail, multiple phones, unlimited calling plans, and so on.

With that being said, do not forget to check out with the company to find the plan that meets your requirements, as some features included in the business plans are also included in the residential plans for other providers. So, it really depends on the different service providers and how they want to package their offer. If you have questions, write them an email or call them for further information.

Setting up the System

First of all, you have to make sure that your computer system is compatible with VoIP service. If you are using broadband Internet connection you should not worry. If you are using dial-up connection you might want to switch to broadband first. Although, there are some providers that offer dial-up VoIP nowadays.

If you choose a business plan to use for your business or a call center, the best piece of advice is to leave the installation and set up to a professional who knows what he is doing. If you choose a residential plan the setting up is simple enough for most residents to do themselves. However, it is always best to leave it to a professional.

Choosing Your Own Phone Number

First, you have to decide whether you want to keep your old phone number or pick a new one. One of the best features that VoIP offers is the ability to keep your old phone number by transferring your old phone number to your new VoIP system.

Then you can select a different area code. The advantage of this is that, if you live in another state, by choosing the same area code as that of your family members and friends who do not have unlimited long distance callings, their calls will be charged as if it were a local call. This saves them money whenever they contact you.

If you are using VoIP for your business, you can benefit a lot from this too. Let's say that your company is in New York and you have customers all over the country, by selecting your customer's area code, you can increase your sales, as well as your productivity by having a local number for your customers to call. Nobody wants to call New York if they live somewhere in Texas. They might as well call a local company in Texas.

Installing the Features and Accessories

As mentioned before, different VoIP providers offer different plans. Therefore, it is important that you always check with the service provider of your choice for a detailed listing of all the features provided by them. For residential customers these include Call Forwarding, Caller ID, Call Block, Do Not Disturb and Voicemail. For small businesses these include free fax lines, multiphone users and web integration. So, choose your VoIP provider wisely by taking into consideration the features and services that best fit your needs.

As VoIP technology advances, many other features will be introduced on the market, not to mention accessories that you can incorporate with your VoIP service such as VoIP phones, headsets and videophones.

Choosing the right VoIP plan is not that hard. All that is required is a little bit of research yourself and choosing the one that fits your requirements. You can always upgrade it later once your requirements change. One thing for sure is that VoIP technology is continuing to advance and revolutionize the way people communicate. It is such a shame if no one is taking the advantage of this great service. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and jump on board the VoIP wave.

Juzaily Ramli started writing about VoIP upon discovering that a lot of people have no idea of how to switch to VoIP.

His site on VoIP tutorial is dedicated to exposing to the world about the wonders of VoIP technology and how to join in the VoIP revolution.

Find out more about free VoIP, business VoIP and the benefits of VoIP at his website http://www.voip-revolution-info-site.com

How Safe Is Your Voip Service

Writen by Ugur Akinci

The day begins and ends. Do you know where your unused VoIP (Voice-Over-IP) minutes are?

That's a fair and urgent question we all must ask ourselves after a Florida businessman down in Miami is accused of stealing the unused minutes of unsuspecting VoIP customers and reselling them to pocket a cool profit of $1 million dollars.

VoIP technology allows people to carry phone conversations over the Internet, and usually at rates much cheaper than the regular phone companies. The VoIP company that I use, for example, allows me to talk within the United States for 1.8 cents a minute. A lot of overseas destinations, including China, cost between 2 to 5 cents a minute.

The alleged crime in question involves hacking into a company's network and using its IP connection to route the stolen VoIP calls without paying any network fees.

The Florida man is accused of selling 10 million phone minutes and is facing 20 years in jail and a fine of $250,000 if the charges are proven to be true.

Seems like after the ubiquitous e-mail viruses, IM spam and denial-of-service attacks, now it's VoIP's turn to bear the brunt of these criminal attacks to scam the consumers and held businesses hostage.

Seshu Madhavapeddy is the chief executive of Sipera Systems of Richardson, Texas, which markets security applications to protect against similar VoIP attacks. Quoted by eWeek.com, Madhavapeddy said the threat is very real and the people "need to know that older data-oriented security systems will not adequately protect their VoIP infrastructure."

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Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation.

He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 100 companies for the last 7 years.

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a Member of American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI).

You can reach him at writer111@gmail.com for a FREE consultation on all your copywriting needs.

You are most welcomed to visit his official web site http://www.writer111.com for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

While at it, you might also want to check the latest book he has edited:http://www.lulu.com/content/263630

Select The Best Voip Provider

Writen by Alen Wilson

Consider the following points before selecting the best VOIP provider:

Comparison of call charges of various VOIP providers:

The most important benefit of VOIP usage is cost savings, which motivates you to use VOIP. So, you should analyse the VOIP call rate list to ensure maximum cost advantage. Some VOIP companies offer plans with minute-rate charges while some offer plans for unlimited usage.

Another factor that you need to consider is the amount of time for which you may use the service in a month. If you do a lot of calling, you need a package from a provider with cheaper rates for heavy usage but if you are a light user, then the provider who offers a smaller package at lower cost will suit you better.

List the value added calling features offered by different providers Look at the value added features offered by various VoIP providers. Some additional features offered are caller ID, call waiting, call transfer, repeat dial, return call, 3-way calling, etc. There are some advanced call-filtering options that allow you to make a choice about how calls from a particular number are handled. You can forward a call to a particular number, send the call directly to voicemail, give the caller a busy signal, play a message, etc using this feature. But not all VOIP providers have this offer. So, select the one that offers the features that you need the most.

Check the availability of Local Area Codes in Your Region

Consider the states where the VoIP provider is providing local area codes, while choosing the service. The provider may claim to provide you with a number that you can use from anywhere but if the number isn't local, then most of your calls will be long distance. In that case, people in your local area will have to make long distance calls to talk to you. So you need to check the availability of area code in your region. Also, some providers offer access only to a limited number of country codes.

Confirm call coverage to other providers

Some VOIP providers offer services where calls can be made only to other VoIP users while others offer the facility for both VoIP users and those with regular phones. Many offer free calls to those who use the same service provider. So check these offers with respect to the associated costs.

Check the Availability of Access to Emergency Services

Confirm whether VOIP providers offer access to emergency services like 911. These emergency services should be able to trace your call to your physical location so that they can be of use. Confirm which providers are offering this facility before making a choice.

Determine the Quality of Service

Before selecting a VoIP provider, confirm which service provider has good quality of sound and interface. Take a look at published reviews for various VoIP services or talk to other users of the same service.

Find out the ease and cost of installation

Lastly, find out what are the needs for setting up and installing the service. See if there are any additional costs or hidden costs. After you have worked on these points, go ahead and start using the service and enjoy the benefits of VOIP.

Alen
xpert4u.co.uk
UK mobile phone directory