How Does Voip Really Work

Writen by Michael Lemm

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. By using a VoIP phone and VoIP technology you can effectively use the internet to make phone calls. VoIP does this by placing the voice calls on network which encrypts the voice in data packets at one end and encrypts it in voice calls at the other end. In VoIP, encryption and decryption is from a analog signal (i.e. your voice call) into digital signal (data packets) and again into the analog signal.

You can make VOIP calls by a regular phone with VOIP adapter or even from your computer using a simple microphone. VoIP applications can generally be used with a simple microphone and computer speakers, but IP telephones or VoIP boxes can also be used, providing an experience identical to normal telephoning. Many VOIP manufacturers are designing phones which are specially meant to work with this technology, called SIP phone, and now extensively used by growing VoIP users.

In the past year, the quality and reliability of VoIP technology has improved to the point that vast numbers of users have abandoned their standard telephone contracts entirely, in favor of VoIP. Local as well as long distance calling is available for VoIP. Rates and plans can vary from one VoIP service provider to another VoIP service provider.

Advantages of using VOIP

Using VOIP you can effectively cut down your phone bills, since you just pay to your regular internet connection and small fees to your VOIP service provider. Setting up conference calls with VOIP is very easy.

You can even set up your own VoIP network and don't need any special equipment like PBX etc. You can call to any local telephone, mobile, long distance number or any international number through VoIP phones. More importantly, the person you are calling by using VoIP technology does not need any special equipment; just a regular telephone.

Many additional features like call forwarding, call tracing, reminders, caller ID are readily available in VoIP Phones. You can even assign a local telephone number to your VOIP phone set, and just need a fast internet connection to use your VOIP service anywhere in the world.

VoIP Dilemma

VoIP applications and services require data transfer in real time. During a call an interactive data voice exchange takes place. Unfortunately, TCP/IP is not well suited for this purpose. Sometimes you have to wait for a few seconds, to hear the other side answering. But with recent developments streaming the flow of voice signals has improved. PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling quality is still not as sharp as regular PSTN calls. However, with SIP phones and a reliable high speed internet connection there is little or no difference....and sometimes the quality is even better.

SIP Phones

SIP Phones are the phones which are specifically designed to work as VOIP phones. SIP phone can be considered as a network endpoint routing voice via its IP address. This allows a DID (direct inward dialing) number to move with a user. With SIP phones you can use advanced features like voice mail to email etc. Using a SIP phone also closely resembles a regular analog phone in look, feel, function, and ease of use.

FCC and VoIP

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates VOIP Services in the USA. They are in charge to create and promote telecommnuication regulations....such as VOIP services....to benefit consumers. In November, 2004 FCC ruled that individual States do not have the jurisdiction to impose taxes on VoIP services, which made the cost of VOIP services even more attractive in relation to standard PSTN phone services.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including Business-VoIP-Solution and DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, resources, and insights.

Web Time Managing Solutions That Can Save Lives

Writen by Denis Orlov

For years, traditional applications have helped people automate business processes and get things done faster. With the current pace of technological advances, traditional applications are becoming cumbersome and less effective as they will be likely replaced soon by voice enabled applications. Remember 15-20 years ago, the most trusted/frequently used exchange media was regular mail. Now, it is email. Have you asked why? Simple. It is more efficient. Why write, use stamps, envelopes, courier or postal services when you can type and click the send button to achieve the same outcome? The same idea seems to prevail in voice applications why type and click when you can speak to the system (or at least give voice commands) and achieve the same result. What's more beautiful in the latter case is that you are not restricted to one dimensional regular web application anymore and can get things done using another one called phone. And, most of us, nowadays, are using cell phones so if we need stuff done quickly we can do it virtually anywhere without using a computer.

As phones and phone plans are becoming more and more affordable and regular phones are being substituted with IP ones, which can guarantee more or less the same rate around the globe, demand for voice applications will be steadily growing.

The real question is why wait? when they are out there waiting for you?

There are many types of online voice applications. One type is particularly interesting as it can keep people on schedule, minimize drastically the probability of forgetting important events, appointments or other events, and sometimes save lives. How you ask? Again simple. We all live busy lives. Every month, week or day we have to balance between our personal and business/career activities. As a result, simple things like paying bills, taking medications, submitting assignments on time, picking up kids from school, remembering your friends birthdays may tend to slip through the cracks of our busy schedule. All that is having a negative toll on our lives and our relationship with our loved ones, friends and colleagues.

So, you'd ask how online scheduler/reminding system could help me? Easy. First, figure out what features you are expecting from the system, your monthly budget, then register and start managing your schedule immediately. Features that you may consider valuable may be pre-recorded and synthesized reminders, recurring events, timezone independent calendar, special and stock pick events and of course reasonable prices!

The way it works for me is as follows: I defined recurring wakeup calls in the morning, pre-recorded birthday/gift reminders for all my friends and relatives, scheduled unexpected events: dental and other appointments as well as once a week I got my stock portfolio reminder. Overall, I am using about 40 phone reminders a month. How much you would ask it costs? Less than 7$. How much are you better or worse off without the system? I guess it is up to you to decide.

In summary, I think there is a value in looking into the area of voice and mixed applications and deciding to start using them sooner rather than later.

Denis is a Project Manager (PMP) with 15+ years of experience in IT. He worked as a consultant for many famous companies including TELUS, ACCENTURE, PBC and others. Now, he runs his company DBVR Systems and is a contributing partner at izRemindMe Corp. (http://www.izremindme.com). You can contact him at denrl@dbvrsystems.com.

Save Money On Long Distance 5 Ways

Writen by Mike Singh

Considering VoIP? Do you make plenty of long distance calls or just a few? Do you spend a fortune no matter what you do to lower your rates? Call after 9pm. Wait until the weekend to share your good news with those across the ocean? Perhaps you even have stopped using the services at all? You can stay connected with those that you love no matter where they are located. Have a look at the following ways to save money on long distance:

1. Do you VoIP? The first thing that you can do is to consider the service known as VoIP. This service uses a technology called voice over internet protocol to allow you to talk over the web instead of talking over your phone lines. The installation of equipment is fairly painless and the fee for the equipment is usually a one time thing. If you have a service provider that provides VoIP in your area, you may want to look into it. Why? No additional long distance fees!

2. Ready for some comparison shopping? You can compare the prices on those long distance companies that offer service within your area. Which have the best rates overall? Which will offer both high quality service and excellent prices? Narrow down your list to a few. Do some more research – check out consumerguides.com or some other online reviews.

3. Do you really need long distance? Next on your list of ways to lower your rates is to consider getting rid of any and all of your long distance all together. Many people have found that cell phones are an excellent way to make all the calls that you need to. You'll need to compare how much you use your service and how much it will cost you to use the correct, no roaming cell service. Only keep a land line for emergency reasons.

4. Keep an eye out for deals! Some will use programs such as late night and weekend calling to get the best rates available. Many long distance companies are out there that offer excellent programs. Some allow for you to purchase long distance for only a limited area. Watch for packages and deals that are always coming out.

5. Some offer a flat rate service - Look into the unlimited long distance programs that are available in your area. Many companies are offering a flat rate service. If you make enough calls this is a great way to save money

Mike Singh is a webmaster and successful publisher of why-switch-to-voip.com. He provides more articles dealing with VoIP such as disadvantages of VoIP.

Voip Calling Card Business Market Wars

Writen by Panah Rad

VoIP is one of the hottest technologies out there today. VoIP phone card business has been rewarding for early movers such as Vonage and Skype. But like any other growing market, the threat of new entrants is high in this market. As a rule in economics, companies will enter this market until there is a profit to be earned. Microsoft, Google, and AOL are just a few companies that are planning to compete in the VoIP market. But there is more to come, and the battle for the VoIP phone card market supremacy is going to heat up in the next couple of years.

The VoIP telephony business is intriguing since it allows the VoIP service providers to keep their costs low and pass on their savings to their customers. Vonage and Skype are the two most famous names in the VoIP phone card business. Vonage recently had its IPO, and the investors are optimistic about the future of this company. Vonage is planning to spend heavily in the next quarters to bolster its position in the VoIP market. Skype, now an asset of eBay, has other plans in mind. Skype understands that the next couple of years are critical for all VoIP service providers. The market is expanding fast, and a small mistake can lead to a disaster for a VoIP market leader. Skype has decided to take matters in its own hands, and it has planned out a very aggressive strategy to take market share away from Vonage and other VoIP service providers.

Skype has decided to offer free calls to the U.S and Canada to its service users for a limited time. This strategy will allow Skype to solidify its position in the VoIP market. Moreover, this move will strengthen the VoIP phone card business' barriers to entry. In other words, small companies which are thinking of entering this market are now unlikely to do so because of the difficult task of matching or bettering Skype's newest offer. In addition, this will be a huge blow for Vonage since it charges $25 a month for a similar service. Vonage is the leader in the "hard VoIP" market. It provides its customers with a piece of hardware that allows them to use its services. Vonage has been losing money for quite some time now due to its high marketing costs. With the introduction of SkypeOut, Vonage has to spend even more money to protect its VoIP phone card business. Besides, Vonage will have to convince its investors that it is not helpless against the eBay's newest wave of attacks. So eBay has certainly taken the upper hand in the fight for the supremacy of the VoIP market.

AOL and Google are also planning to add VoIP technology to their messenger services. So, Vonage's position in the VoIP market is expected to come even under more pressure in the upcoming quarters. Whether Vonage can come up with its own knocking out punch against its rivals is remain to be seen. But, the VoIP market wars are bound to get even more interesting in the upcoming months.

Panah Mosaferirad began his career as an IT. After 2 years in the IT industry, he started an online venture on eBay and Amazon. During this period, he sold numerous items online and mastered the strategic aspects of eBusiness. In 2006, Panah Joined the Fox school of Business and Management's MBA program to study e-business management.

Panah Mosaferirad is a marketing intern for Pingo's International calling card business that provides virtual VoIP prepaid calling cards online at http://www.pingo.com/aboutus.do

Voip Does It Live Up To All Of The Hype

Writen by Jason Stewart

Commercials. Web banners. Radio spots.

There's no doubt that you've seen them all. As Voip providers ramp up their advertising campaigns, prospective Voip subscribers can't help but wonder if Voip all that great or a bunch of hype? With all of the vonage commercials with the catchy tunes, the big traditional phone service carriers pushing their own Voip services, and the larger than life posters and cutouts in the electronics stores more and more people are becoming aware of Voip.

Behind all of the cutouts, corny music and web banners is an extremely useful service which, if you need it, can save you a bundle of money. For many people, Voip truly is one of the "killer apps" of the new millenium. Whether Voip really lives up to all the hype depends on who's using it. Voip is not for everyone. If you spend little time on the phone, there is no reason to use Voip. Voip may not be for those who fear new things either. If you fall into any of the categories below than you should at least consider trying out a voip service provider to save money:

You run a business with several branch offices in different cities

You telecommute and have to use long distance calls to stay in touch with your employer/contractor

You have relatives scattered about in different parts of the country or world

You find yourself making several long distance calls per day or even per week

You want lots of calling features such as call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, call blocking and more without paying extra for each feature.

If you fall into any of the below categories, then Voip service may not be the right way to go:

You don't use your phone for business reasons

All of your relatives live close by, or you're out of touch with them

You rarely make long distance calls

You don't need or care for extra features like call blocking, caller ID, etc.

You have a dial-up connection to the internet.

While Voip is a really great technology that can save you a massive amount of money each month, it's still relatively new and has it's fair share of problems. Network congestion can be a problem while you're in the middle of an important phone call. It's a fact of life that sometimes routers and servers on the internet get busy and the pipes get clogged. There is only so much bandwidth that can go through and when this happens the call will break up or get dropped.

What happens when your internet connection goes down in the middle of an emergency? Yes, you guessed it, no 911 service on your Voip line. At this time, it's best to have either a standard phone or cell phone as a backup for emergencies. The FCC has released a set of regulatory requirements for Enhanced 911 services that Voip providers must adhere to so the 911 service through the Voip provider will not be as much of a problem as network outages.

So, should you jump right on the Voip bandwagon? Don't believe the hype, only you can make that decision for yourself. Armed with the information in this article you'll be able to decide if Voip truly is the killer app of the new millenium or if it's just a toy.

Jason Stewart is a programmer, Unix Administrator, PBX Administrator and webmaster of http://www.voip-university.com. For more articles like this and for time and money saving voip tips visit Voip University

Voip Computer Phone Warning

Writen by Dee Scrip

Warning! Warning! Warning!

Beware of VoIP internet service providers that operate on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols because they are PUBLICLY OPEN and INTERPRETABLE! This also includes, but is not limited to, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks.

In plain terms, this means, if you subscribe to, or considering subscribing to a VoIP internet solution provider who operates on these industry standards – and over 90% do -- you have inadvertently made yourself vulnerable to the criminal activities of hackers.

Regardless of the type of anti virus software you have on your computer, the publicly accessible industry standards provide a pathway by which these criminals can access your computer to plant viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and/or steal your identity.

Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, unscrupulous criminal hackers view systems operating on these industry standards as their personal "Cash Cow" because of the ease by which they can access your computer and gather your information to sell to other criminals.

Did you know that some hacker-friendly providers offer processor chips that are only sold on the Internet?

Did you know that hacker-friendly providers actually offer hacker software that enables these criminals to deliberately disable security on computers, access your personal and confidential information, as well as inject their viruses, worms, and/or Trojan horses?

For instance, "Vomit" is a free download software that was designed to convert VoIP phone conversations into a wave file which could be played with standard sound players. Hackers gleefully interpret this as a tool they can utilize to attack unsuspecting victims.

Hacker manuals are also easily accessible via the Internet. One of these manuals shows how to DoS other sites. DoSing (Disruption of Service) involves gaining unauthorized access to the "command prompt" on your computer and using it to tie up your vital Internet services. When a hacker invades your system, they can then delete or create files and emails, modify security features, and plant viruses or time bombs onto your computer.

"Sniff" is another tool (originally intended to help telecommunication professionals detect and solve problems) that criminal hackers use to tamper with the protocol and "sniff out" data. When hackers sniff out a data packet from Internet traffic, they reconstruct it to intercept conversations. This enables them to eavesdrop on conversations, gather information, and sell it to other unprincipled criminal entities.

Identity Theft

Identity theft is one of the most sinister of vulnerabilities you can inadvertently be subjected to. Identity theft is defined by the Department of Justice as

"…the wrongful obtaining and using of someone else's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain."

Identity theft is the by-product of unscrupulous criminal individuals obtaining your social security number (including those of your spouse and children), your bank account, your credit card information, etc. Your information is then sold to other criminal entities for profit. Using your information, these criminals can then:

· access your bank account funds
· create new bank accounts with your information
· create driver's licenses
· create passports

Attorney General Ashcroft stated that,

"Identity theft carries a heavy price, both in the damage to individuals whose identities are stolen and the enormous cost to America's businesses."

Don't be naïve enough to think it won't happen or couldn't happen to you!

A group hosting a website known as shadowcrew.com was indicted on conspiracy charges for stealing credit card numbers and identity documents, then selling them online. While this group allegedly trafficked $1.7 million in stolen credit card numbers, they also caused losses in excess of $4 million.

According to a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice on February 28, 2005, a hacker was convicted of several counts of fraud, one in which

"…he fraudulently possessed more than 15 computer usernames and passwords belonging to other persons for the purpose of accessing their bank and financial services accounts, opening online bank accounts in the names of those persons, and transferring funds to unauthorized accounts."

If you are using a VoIP internet service provider and do not want to be a victim of Identity Theft, then take the first step to protect yourself -- don't use VoIP internet service providers operating on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols.

Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses

On January 28, 2005, a press Release issued by the Department of Justice reported that a 19 year old was convicted for his criminal activity by "…creating and unleashing a variant of the MS Blaster computer worm." Christopher Wray, Attorney General – Criminal Division stated that,

"This … malicious attack on the information superhighway caused an economic and technological disruption that was felt around the world."

On February 11, 2005, in a Press Release issued by the Department of Justice, reported that another criminal was sentenced for circulating a worm. This worm,

"directed the infected computers to launch a distributed denial of service (DOS) attack against Microsoft's main web site causing the site to shutdown and thus became inaccessible to the public for approximately four hours."

March 7, 2005, Symantec.com posted discovery of a worm named "W32.Serflog.B" that spread through file-sharing networks and MSN Messenger – networks that operate on publicly open and interpretable industry standard codec and protocols, including P2P systems, as well as Instant Messaging systems—none of which are protected, regardless of the anti virus software on your computer. The W32.Serflog.B worm also lowers security settings and appears as a blank message window on the MSN Messenger.

If you don't want to be the next victim of the devastation created by worms, STOP using services that operate on industry standard codec and protocols, and/or services that incorporate P2P systems.

Anti virus software does not incorporate protection for Instant Messaging services. In addition, Instant Messaging services, in and of themselves, do not include protection for their users.

If you like the convenience of text chatting via Instant Messaging, then use a VoIP internet service provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature -- one that does not operate on industry standard codec or industry standard protocols that are publicly open and accessible.

Optimally secure VoIP service providers that incorporate a secure Instant Messaging feature, operate from their own proprietary high end encryption codec on patented technology that is hosted in a professional facility. Simply put, when a VoIP internet service provider operates on optimally secure platforms, the Instant Messaging feature on the VoIP softphone, is also protected with their technology.

A Trojan horse is a program that internet criminals use to interrupt and interfere with your security software and produces the following results

· Terminates processes
· Removes registry entries
· Stops services
· Delete files

Hackers, who have gained access to your computer, because of the programs and software as mentioned above, are having a field day incorporating this nasty little program into their arsenal of weapons.

As recently as March 4, 2005, a new Trojan horse was discovered that modified settings in Internet Explorer. Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows NT, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP were the reported systems that could be affected.

Here's the bottom line.

1. If you are currently using a VoIP internet solution provider that operates on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols that are publicly open and interpretable, you need to make a decision:

a. Continue enticing criminal hackers and remain on their service, or
b. Take immediate corrective action.

2. If you are currently using Instant Messaging of any sort, you need to make a decision

a. Continue enticing criminal hackers and remain as a user of their service, or
b. Take immediate corrective action.

If you decide to take immediate corrective action:

1. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary high end encryption codec

2. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that has their own proprietary patented technology

3. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that hosts their proprietary patented technology in a professional facility

4. Find a VoIP internet solution provider that includes the Instant Messaging feature in their proprietary patented technology

**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include the resource box as listed below.

Dee Scrip is a well known and respected published author of numerous articles on VoIP, VoIP Security, and other related VoIP issues.

Other articles can be found at http://www.free-pc-phone.com

Here's a place you can look over to see what a VoIP internet solution provider looks like that operates on their own proprietary high end encryption codec with their own proprietary patented technology hosted in a professional facility, AND that incorporates the Instant Messaging feature: http://www.free-pc-phone.com.

An Honest Review Of Lingo Quotthe Talk Of Broadbandquot

Writen by Hamesh Brown

Lingo is establishing itself as a VoIP service in the same space as its competitors AT&T, Verizone, and Vonage. Despite tough competition, Lingo has emerged as a real contender because of the dynamism of the features they offer and, equally important, at a price that is easy on the pocket. Lingo is the most competitively priced, and this is the deciding feature for many subscribers.

Lingo works on the same principles as any VoIP service. It comes with a software and hardware package that converts sound signals to data and transmits this data through shared lines, thus getting around the charges applicable to the regular telephone network. In simple terms, it enables you to receive or make calls through the Internet. The Lingo functionality sends your calls through the Internet to your modem, and then directs the call to a regular telephone through your Lingo phone adaptor. Your Internet connection remains uninterrupted, so Lingo works seamlessly with your regular Internet tasks such as email and data access.

Lingo is widely available, with unlimited calling plans for residents in Europe and Asia. It offers an unlimited monthly business plan at $49.95, in which you can call anyone in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe, an unlimited international business plan at $99.95, an unlimited Asia plan at $34.95, and an unlimited international plan at $79.95. Lingo carries all the features that you normally associate with a traditional phone line, and has the following Lingo-specific benefits:

• An emergency call service

• Portability of your local phone number

• Flexibility of selecting phone numbers from across the US or the world

• Free Lingo-to-Lingo calls

• Online account management, and one convenient monthly bill

• A connection booster

• Money-back guarantee

The Lingo Website lists the countries for which telephone numbers are available. Unfortunately, this list is limited now, and one hopes that Lingo will build this further.

With its impressive list of features, Lingo sounds like a good option. However, if your need is to ensure consistent voice quality rather than save money, you need to look beyond Lingo because most often Lingo will give you only average sound quality. The Web interface is not particularly friendly, and the menu design leaves room for improvement.

These disconcerting factors notwithstanding, Lingo is still the lowest priced VoIP with its set of advanced features. If you are making a large volume of international calls, particularly to Europe and Asia, it is time to switch to Lingo because you will lower your telephone bill to a miniscule amount. For example, the call rate from the US to Mumbai (India) is $0.13 and to the UK (personal) $0.28.

To top it all, you have the flexibility of the Lingo money-back guarantee to fall back on. Moreover, like Vonage, there is an incentive for recommending friends and family to Lingo: you will both get a $25 credit to your account.

Hamesh Brown enjoys writing about VoIP. See http://www.voipreviewsonline.com/2005/10/lingo_review_1.html for another Lingo review.

How Voip Will Affect Every Household And Business In The World

Writen by Dee Scrip

Seattle venture capitalist, Greg Gottesman, calls it "…one of the most important changes in communications in the past 100 years."

The Boeing Company announced plans to move its 150,000 employees to an internet-based phone system, and several Seattle area residents are using internet telephones to get cheap rates or, in some cases, free international phone calls.

Using VoIP, homes and businesses can save up to 80% on current phone bills, while enjoying a quality of sound that is superior to traditional lines. The only equipment needed is a computer with sound, and a microphone or headset, which can be purchased at a local store for between $5 to $45. Upgrades to existing equipment is virtually eliminated, as VoIP can be used on dial-up (contrary to numerous published claims), broadband, wireless, or satellite connections.

When shopping for a VoIP solutions provider

• Look for secure lines and patented technology.

• Look for free PC to PC calls.

• Check for hidden costs.

• Avoid providers with unsecure lines and/or peer-to-peer programs as public listing of names and numbers, shared servers, or open platforms, as may leave you vulnerable to not only spyware, but viruses, worms, Trojan horses, unscrupulous hackers, not to mention violation of privacy.

Dee Scrip and her close friend Andy Murray operate the website http://www.whypay4calls.com. Where you can experience a 7 day free trial with a secure line on patented technology. NO contracts, obligations, or hassles!

Why Voip Is Not Going To Fail

Writen by John Savageau

VoIP is an almost constant topic in our daily dose of business and tech-related news. VoIP, or Voice over Internet/IP is really an old technology re-emerging with a new face and marketing spin. In reality, we've been using VoiP for years, just as the Internet community used email for years before it was embraced by the business and consumer communities in the nid-1990s. Whether you want to reference Voice over Internet or Voice over IP protocol, at the most simple level it is merely a matter of interfacing voice or audio input with a microphone device, digitizing the input, slicing it into packets, sending it over an Internet network to a destination address, reassembling packets at the other end - voila! you have Voice over Internet or IP.

Sound too simple? This is precisely what the telephone industry does not want you to know. It is simple, so simple a loosely knit group of people can slap together a bit of code, call it Skype, and within 18 months sign up nearly 80 million people around the world. And guess what? IT WORKS! Bet Time Warner or Verizon Hawaii wishes they had that market clout!

Now, much like the Internet itself, the user community is defining and writing the future of global voice communications in the privacy of their own homes. Not in Palo Alto, not in Bangalore - in simple bedrooms and informal hobby shops scattered around the world. Hard to believe your next personal or business communication system may be written and published by a high school student in Uruguay.

Get this... Whatever lobbying telephone companies may attempt in trying to prevent VoIP applications through use of tactics such as E911 non-compliance, taxation, regulations, etc., there may actually be no way for governments to ultimately regulate VoIP. The only way for the phone companies and government to ultimately control voice applications may be to simply shut down the Internet. Otherwise there will be a new application born every day which is designed to go around temporary blocks established by companies wishing to filter VoIP from their networks. Why do I say that?

Consider email. Many Post and Telecommunication Administrations (PTAs) around the world initially attempted to control use of email within their countries. Many reasons were given, such as national security, infringing on the rights of the state-owned monopoly post office, and a thousand other reasons why email was not acceptable within the "special" situation within an individual country.

The result? The community got creative and bypassed their governments. Instead of accessing email from local ISPs and email hosting providers - they simply got accounts on Yahoo, Hotmail, or other freemail service and accessed email through a public web browser located in a different country. The email debate is no longer an issue. This will soon be the case with VoIP.

Here is another interesting idea to consider. In the case of email, now nearly any desktop computer can be configured to serve as an email host - simple stuff, even for a relative beginner. With public domain VoIP servers now on the street such as "Asterisk" your next door neighbor high school student could potentially be the next telephone company. So as soon as the regulators start going after Vonage and the rest of the public VoIP companies, another hundred free phone services ala Skype, compatible and interoperable with a thousand other free phone services will emerge.

A full understanding of the concept of presence will further enlighten the masses on this approach. Just think of the potential impact on traditional voice services if Yahoo, AOL, MSN, and other instant messaging or presence service providers with VoIP aspirations actually meet the growth expectation telecommunications analysts! MSN's instant messenger claims to add nearly 30,000 users each day!

So what can the average telephone company do to defend themselves from VoIP? Probably nothing. The Voice over Internet/IP "train has left the station." The best chance they have is to concentrate on building physical networks, partner with one or more VoIP and presence management companies, and resign themselves to the position of a telecom infrastructure provider. A bit of concentrated lobbying may delay VoIP diffusion within a geographic location, but VoIP is a truly disruptive technology which will have a major impact on the way we communicate in a global network and society.

VoIP is in our future

John Savageau is the Senior Vice President, Operations, at CRG-West. CRG-West operates major telecommunication facilities such as the One Wilshire Building in Los Angeles and Market Post Tower in San Jose. Contact John Savageau at savageau@pacific-tier.com

Using Voip With Your Cell Phone

Writen by Mark Woodcock

Before many of us came to rely on cell phones to make long distance phone calls, our only option was to commit to a long distance phone company. Long distance carriers charged what were at times exorbitant by-the-minute fees to make calls to friends and loved ones often living only a few hours away. When cell phones came into prominence, they brought with them service plans that gave us such luxuries as free night and weekend calling anywhere domestically. Alas, even cell phones had their drawbacks, in that their reception was often broken up, and calls could be dropped unceremoniously. When along came VOIP, a new choice in long distance phone calling was on the horizon. VOIP has many different options, and now it seems that we have the choice of combining VOIP technology with cell phones. The prospect of VOIP cell phone service brings with it the potential for even more freedom and convenience, along with lower prices. Or does it?

Normally, VOIP service is available in three modes: ATA, IP phone, and computer-to-computer. All of these services are common and available for use at your home computer. ATA, or analog telephone adapter, lets you connect your regular home telephone to your computer and use it for VOIP service by converting analog sound bits into digital data. IP, or Internet protocol, phones are telephones that are specially designed for use with VOPI service. These phones look just like a standard home phone, but are wired differently to be VOIP capable. You can have a cordless IP phone that allows you to move freely through your home or office as you talk. Computer-to-computer VOIP is achieved by installing software that you can get through a provider. You make long distance calls from your computer, and talk through a microphone that is hooked up to your machine. All of these services are convenient in their own ways, but do not have quite the portability that cell phones offer. That is why the idea of VOIP cell phones is so appealing. Potentially, it is the best of both worlds: portability and low cost phone service.

Cost savings is by far the most attractive aspect of VOIP. With typical VOIP, you can expect to pay anywhere from $19.95 to $34.99 per month for a service that consists of many features, including free domestic calls, dirt cheap International calling rates, Caller ID, Call Waiting, 3-way Calling, among others. This, of course, is in addition to your current monthly ISP charge, which for broadband is usually around $40 per month. The combined cost for your ISP and VOIP services is likely to still be less expensive than if you were to remain in service with a traditional telephone company. However, this is not necessarily the case if you were to switch your cell phone over to VOIP as well.

Providers that offer VOIP cell phone services usually charge a monthly fee in addition to a per-minute fee. If you don't use your cell phone often enough to meet or exceed your current allotted plan minutes, then it is simply not cost effective for you to subscribe to VOIP cell phone service. VOIP and cell phones go well together for those customers that regularly exceed their plan minutes or make International calls on their cell phone on a regular basis. And, if your Internet connection if prone to outages, you could experience the same dropped call occurrences that you might often get with a standard cell phone service.

There is no doubt that VOIP is a reasonably priced and convenient way to bundle all of you communications together. VOIP service is improving all the time as technologies moves forward, which will allow providers to offer more reliable and even more affordable service down the line. Currently, VOIP cell phone service is in its infancy, and the kinks are being worked out. If you do the math, and feel that your monthly cell phone bill would benefit from a reasonable VOIP service plan, then it is worth the switch. If you do not make International calls on your cell phone, and you rarely or never go over your plan's allotted monthly minutes, then you are probably better off sticking with your traditional cell phone service for now than putting out more money for VOIP cell phone service.

About The Author
Mark Woodcock is a director of 3 Internet Companies, is a published author and has written many articles on a widespread number of topics. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to http://www.voip-services-provider.com.

Take Your Home Or Business Phone With You When You Travel

Writen by Allan Ramsay

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service uses a broadband Internet connection (DSL or cable) instead of the Bell System circuits to carry your voice to any telephone in the world via the Internet. If you're not familiar with VoIP phone service, you'll be interested in this new technology that's giving traditional phone companies a run for their money.

Not only is VoIP phone service reliable, it costs 50-60 percent less than conventional telephone service. And most VoIP services give you free long distance calling throughout North America from any phone in the USA.

When you order VoIP phone service you receive a small "Analog Telephone Adapter" box that connects your telephone to your high speed Internet connection. This little adapter box, about the size of a paperback book, is linked to your phone number. Unlike a conventional telephone, where the phone number is fixed in place where the copper wires terminate in your home or office, with VoIP "the phone number is in the adapter box."

This opens up some fascinating possibilities.

Imagine that you are traveling away from home or the office, on vacation or on a business trip. As you pack your bags, why not slip that little adapter box into your luggage? It weighs just a few ounces and looks something like a computer modem. Remember: that adapter box contains your phone number. So wherever you take it, you're taking your phone number with you!

Now you've arrived at your hotel in a distant city – perhaps even in a foreign country. Most hotels and motels today offer high speed Internet access, and that's all you need to hook up the adapter box. If you carry a laptop computer with you, that's fine. But you don't even need to turn it on to use VoIP phone.

Sit down at the desk and connect your VoIP adapter box to the hotel's high speed Internet connection. Wait about 45-seconds while the box gets ready. Reach over, unplug the hotel telephone from the wall and plug it into your adapter box. Pick up the phone and – behold – you've got dial tone.

Because your long distance is free, you can call anyone in the US or Canada without toll charges, as long as you're in the USA or Canada. Need to check on the spouse or the kids at home? Dial them up. Need to call the boss? A customer? Dial away. You've got free phone service, courtesy of the hotel's high speed Internet connection.

But there's more. Because you're carrying the adapter box with you, your friends, family and others can call you at your normal phone number and you can receive the call in your hotel room. Folks back in your home city don't even have to spend money on a long distance call.

You'll recall that the FCC ruled a year or two ago that phone numbers must be "portable." That ruling led to a rush of people who chose, for example, to move their home phone numbers to their cell phones, abandoning traditional landline service. That "portability ruling" saved people millions of dollars in landline service fees.

Carrying your VoIP adapter box with you is an entirely different kind of portability, and it's unique to VoIP phone service. One of our associates based in Atlanta actually carried an adapter box to Moscow, Russia, where he plugged it into a broadband Internet connection. He proceeded to dial an Atlanta number to speak to his wife from eight time zones away with no long distance charges whatsoever.

The telephone industry is evolving and VoIP services are leading the way. If you've not yet experienced the flexibility, economy and quality service you can get from VoIP, perhaps it's time to jump on the VoIP bandwagon and join the evolution.

Allan Ramsay is a 25-year veteran of the I.T. industry and principal at http://www.VoIP-USA.net, providing voice over IP phone service, landline, long distance plans, cellular phones, cellular calling plans, broadband access to the Internet and a host of Internet and telecommunication services to residential, SOHO and small business customers nationwide.

Choosing A Voip Provider

Writen by Ron King

There are 2 basic VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) provider options: free services or paid providers that charge a monthly fee. Making that choice depends on how you plan to use VOIP.

If you just want to chat with friends and family over the Internet, a free service may be adequate. If you're looking for a true alternative to normal phone service, however, consider a VOIP service with a paid package deal.

Package Choices

There are so many choices. To determine which is the best service for your money, you must decide which services you need, and whether you want to quit your existing telephone service completely.

Most VOIP providers offer package plans with free calls to a designated geographical area. Nearly all providers offer free call waiting, call display, and conference call services.

Even though the basic package for a similar fee is the same with most providers, there is a great rivalry between VOIP service providers, with each striving to offer services that set them apart from their competitors. To make the right choice, you'll have to check several packages to find the best for your needs.

For example, if you make a lot of overseas calls, a package that includes international calls makes sense. Or if you receive most of your calls from a specific city, get a package that offers a specific phone number that allows people to call you at that local rate.

Service and reliability are other critical factors when selecting a VOIP provider. This information is available from reviews on the internet or by asking your friends which providers they use. One suggestion is to find a provider offering a money-back guarantee.

Find out how much bandwidth is required for a particular VOIP service. If the information is not available from the company's web site, send an e-mail to verify that your broadband connection is suitable for their VOIP service. Usually 128 kbps on the upload side is sufficient.

Problems

Emergency calls are 1 of the technical drawbacks with VOIP, because it's hard to determine your physical location on VOIP calls. 911 calls may not be routed to the correct call center, and if they are, operators can't establish your location if you are unable to communicate. The Federal Communications Commission, in the United States, is demanding that VOIP service providers find a solution.

Providing phone service during a power outage is another technical problem. Since VOIP requires electrical current to operate modems, in a power outage the VOIP phone line goes dead. One solution is to use a computer with a battery backup. Another is an electrical generator to provides emergency household electricity.

Finally, you may want to retain your existing phone service after signing up for VOIP. Not all providers offer this service, so if it's important, verify that ability in advance.

Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Visit voip-solutions-now to learn more about this subject.

Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

Ip Telephony Voip Amp The Syllogistic Fallacy

Writen by David M Roberts

To the telephony novice, the world of modern communication can be an intimidating place. In a world so acronym-laden and thick with trade-jargon, it can be tough to know just what it is that you're reading about in the first place. If you're a small business-person, it's even worse (and let's face it, who else is reading this?): not only are you supposed to be familiar with these technologies, you're expected to be able to make informed decisions regarding their use and implementation.

Faced with the daunting array of telecommunications options, you've turned to that trusted informant and advisor of the contemporary techno-savvy citizen, the Internet. A quick search for 'IP Telephony' or 'VoIP' will reveal that it's easy to find virtual heaps of "information" about VoIP or IP phones (try it now!), but it will also present as many problems as it solves. On the one hand you've got the technical articles that immediately lose the reader in thick forests of acronyms that only the technologically initiated can sift through, and on the other (in much greater abundance) you'll get hundreds of thousands of matches (seriously, try it) which at best are links to places to buy something and at worst are thinly veiled advertisements, clumsily disguised as informative articles.

On the Internet, as in the rest of life, nothing is free. The problem is that every company would love for you to believe that the "quality" content they churn out is an act of pure altruism for the benefit of the consumer at large. I won't insult your intelligence by pretending that I don't have an ulterior motive. But today, friends, is your lucky Internet-browsing day! That fact that I'm not pitching any particular brand of anything gives me the rare opportunity to furnish information that I think you might actually find useful. Now that I've gained your trust, let me proceed.

So what exactly is IP Telephony, and how is it differentiated from VoIP? If you refer back to your hypothetical search, you'll find that most companies simply don't distinguish between the two – it's just another synonym that their copywriters can use to avoid using the term "VoIP" too often. But there is a difference. IP Telephony, in it's strictest sense, refers to the use of VoIP, likely in conjunction with other products and services, in a company's communications network.

Let me put it another way. If a company is advertising VoIP and raving about what it can do for your business, take a good look at what it is they're offering to sell you. All that VoIP means by itself is the capability to send voice data over digital lines. This could be as simple as a media gateway, or an IP enabled phone. IP Telephony depends upon VoIP, but VoIP is not IP Telephony.

Don't get me wrong - this is a powerful tool, but by itself it is by no means the business revolution that is so often billed. If all you're looking for is a way to cut down long-term telephone costs a little, that maybe all you need. Most companies, however, are looking for something a little more useful.

All the fancy extras that you'll hear about – vemail, virtual call centers, mobile technology integration, and so on – are actually facets of an IP Telephony platform. IP Telephony refers to the actual service – the package deal from a provider including software, hardware, and knowledge that gives you something more than an advanced phone or a specialized router. When you really think about it, the idea of a company offering to sell you VoIP is an absurd one. That would be like a company advertising TCP/IP or trying to sell the concept of packet switching.

Most websites advertising VoIP are simply trying to capitalize of off a trendy buzzword. It is rare to find an actual IP Telephony platform for sale other than the industry standard (which for reference is Avaya IP Office), though they do exist. One such is a small business-oriented virtual call center affair by the company GotVMail called VirtualOne.

But of course, it's not that simple. There is no standard differentiation in the terms observed by all technology providers (there seem to be few standards on the Internet at all), and this will inevitably lead to confusion. Many companies are as already noted simply trying to sell you an expensive phone by impressing you with the word VoIP, but some more legitimate businesses simply refer to their entire IP Telephony platform as "VoIP service." Frustrating. It would be nice if we could trust companies to be honest with us, but it's simply not the case. In the end, the burden of research falls squarely upon the consumer. Good luck.

David Roberts is a telecommunications and technology writer for voip-avaya.com where he struggles to make informed buyers out of the mindless masses of online consumers.

Broadband Phones For Dummies

Writen by Jason D. Barrett

What is a broadband phone? How does a broadband phone work? Where do I find broadband phone service? How much can I expected to pay for a broadband phone and broadband phone service? These are the questions I have asked and set out to answer in this article.

What is a broadband phone? A broadband phone is essentially a telephone that makes calls to another telephone via a broadband connection.

How does a broadband phone work? When a phone call is placed the call is routed by a private branch exchange (PBX) from a company like AT&T, SBC, or Sprint. The difference is that the data from the phone call, which is the voice data from you speaking, is transferred back and forth through the internet using a technology called voice over IP (VoIP). A traditional phone transfers data over phone lines.

Where do I find broadband phone service and how much does it cost? A list of broadband phone service providers and their lowest monthly rates is below.

Broadband Phone Service Providers
Lingo - $19.99
Net2Phone - $14.99
SpeakEasy - $83.90
Voice Eclipse - $12.95
Voice Pulse - $14.99
Vonage - $14.99
ZingoTel - $14.95

I hope I have been able to answer some of your basic questions concerning broadband phones and goodluck with your future broadband phone endeavors.

Jason D. Barrett is currently focused on writing articles for InfoBriefs.com (Brief reports on several topics), ChildInsure.com (Child Insurance), and ScoutTechnology.com.

What Are The Benefits Of Voip Voice Over Ip

Writen by Tony Tate

By now everyone knows that one of the benefits of voip is cheaper local and long distance calling. As a matter of fact voip is by far the cheapest telephone service you can acquire if you have high-speed Internet. Another benefit of voip is not a lot of fees and taxes attached to your phone bill. For instance, with Packet8 the cost is $19.95 per month for unlimited local and long distance calling. With tax the cost will come to approximately $22.50.

What is VOIP?

Voice over IP is the ability of an IP network to carry telephone voice signals as IP packets in compliance with International Telecommunications Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) specification H.323. VoIP enables a router to transmit telephone calls and faxes over the Internet with no loss in functionality, reliability, or voice quality.

Other Benefits of VOIP

Long distance service is another benefit of voip. There is not a separate charge for long distance calling with voip. Most of the time your local phone company doesn't offer long distance calling without extra cost. With Voip you usually get unlimited long distance calling with your service.

Along with the long distance benefit of voip you also get call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail, and a lot more. With voip you even have the benefit of virtual phone numbers. This means that some companies offer you the ability to add phone numbers for any area code you want. For instance, say most of your family lives in a different state than you do. You can set up a virtual phone number with their area code. This way you save them the cost of a long distance call. Also with some voip phone companies if you call someone who has the same service the call is free.

By far the biggest benefit of voip is the cost. Because voip works over the top of your High Speed Internet connection and not through regular telephone lines there is no high cost for phone service. It's kind of like sending and email only it's audio and you use your telephone. Your voice is converted to digital information and sent in small packets over the Internet, then converted back to audio on the receiver side. Because of this technology voip companies are able to offer you telephone service for a lot less than the local phone company.

Go ahead give it a try. You will be glad you have experienced the benefit of voip.

Pay as you go cellular - service is the only way you should go. Pay as you go service offers freedom, cell phone with no credit check and much more. Go to pay as you go cellular for more info.

Voice Over Ip The Future Is Now

Writen by Rick Parrott

Computer Phone, IP Phone or Internet Phone, all are names for a method of communication called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Voice over Internet Protocol, what a mouthful! Really all it means is you can make telephone calls over the internet using your computer and your broadband connection.

VoIP gives you freedom. You can shop around and get the internet connection you want, then shop around and find a VoIP provider that best meets your needs. Increasingly you are able to get both from a single provider.

Here is how it works.

Just like on an old-fashioned phone, you pickup your telephone and dial the number of the person you wish to contact. Your computer or a special module connected to your network sends your request over the internet to the computer or telephone exchange you are attempting to contact. Then the phone at their end rings.

In more technical terms, computers on the internet communicate using a set of rules called TCP/IP. TCP/IP tells us that data needs to be sent across the internet in small pieces called packets. These packets are sequentially numbered so that the computer on the other side can put them together in the right order.

An internet phone uses the same process. Your voice is converted to a digital signal, like the sound from an old record when it is recorded on a compact disk. It is then broken into packets and transmitted over the internet to the destination computer. Just like your data. Once there your computer assembles the packets in the correct order and sends it to your telephone.

Voice over IP offers several advantages over traditional telephone systems.

• VoIP is usually less expensive than your old telephone service.

• Internet telephony (Yes that really is a real word!) makes offers such as video phones possible.

• VoIP allows you to reduce costs by eliminating the need for a dedicated landline.

• Businesses can benefit from VoIP by lowering their telecommunications costs while presenting the appearance of a larger organization. You can have number with just about any area code. This means your office could be in Dallas and you could have numbers with area codes from Los Angeles and New York. This would make your business seem larger and more prosperous.

• Individuals benefit by gaining choices and lowering costs with services like free long distance.

Unfortunately, like every thing else VoIP has some disadvantages.

• First, you need to have access to a broadband connection such as cable or DSL. This can be a problem for people in rural areas, but there are some exciting alternatives coming down the pipe soon!

• Another problem is that some internet services have a problem with latency. Think of latency as the delay or echo you used to hear when you made a long distance call. A clean internet connection is vital; fortunately, most internet services have upgraded their networks to minimize this problem.

• Some VoIP customers do not have access to 911 services. This too is becoming less of an issue with the advent of Enhanced 911 Service legislation passed in many states.

• Many telephone directories do not list Internet Phone customers. Is this really a disadvantage?

Despite the few disadvantages, Voice over IP is poised to explode. As non-traditional providers such as your cable company increase their market share, your communications needs can be integrated into a single package. This will bring consumers many of the benefits enjoyed by almost 90% of corporate America (INC.com - Anne Stuart).

Have you ever heard of wireless broadband? This is where your internet service provider broadcasts their internet traffic over the air. A card on your computer receives and then transmits your traffic back to the provider. It is called WiMax. You can be any where from three to thirty miles from the antenna and surf the internet.

If you can surf the internet, you can make VoIP phone calls. Wireless broadband and VoIP could allow you to have a true mobile office. Think of the possibilities. You will not have to make trips to an internet café to find a connection, or pay hotel connection fees.

According to the Insight Research Corp, Voice over IP is expected to surge to a $197 billion industry by 2007. Internet phones are appearing in more and more homes almost daily. This gives proof to the expected growth of the industry.

Take full advantage of the choices made available to you by this competitive industry. Do your research and choose your Internet Phone provider carefully, then enjoy the freedom and flexibility offered by this exciting technology.

Parrott Writing Services, a San Antonio Texas company specializing in web content, ghostwriting, website optimization, online/offline ad copy and technical writing to small businesses.

http://www.rickparrott.com

Send an email to EBOOK@sasecure.net for a FREE electronic copy of my eBook on Computer Security!

Voip Technology Shows Significant Promise For Call Center Operations

Writen by Michael Lemm

Before plunging into VoIP head first, it's important that businesses understand just what they are "talking" about when they begin looking at VoIP technology for their call center operations. Understanding these subtleties will ensure proper planning and appropriate decisons. The first key is to realize that "VoIP" is the basic term where cost alone seems to be the driving incentive. But IP Telephony is so much more. Unlike VoIP lite, IP telephony is not simply about cost savings. The benefits of IP Telephony to call center operations include rich applications, enabling mobility, increased productivity, and enhanced business continuity.

DEFINITIONS

VoIP is the basic transport of voice in a packet form on an IP-based data network. It is the transmission of telephony over a data network and offers little in the way of features and functionality. IP Telephony uses VoIP but is a software application suite offering rich feature applications. These often-modular applications lend themselves to cost-effective integration with other applications that share the IP network. Voice and Data Convergence may be defined as the integration of voice and data applications in a common environment. Of particular significance is the integration of communications applications with key business applications. The latter are usually tied to business processes, which are central to an organization's operations.

IP telephony lends itself to contact centres for the ease of integration with sophisticated multimedia applications as well as computer telephony integration, intelligent call routing and distributed or virtual contact centre applications. The merging of voice and data applications, such as Unified Messaging, is perhaps indicative of where IP telephony as a voice-based application leaves off and convergence starts.

Voice and data convergence may be construed as the coming together of voice and data in a common environment. This simplistic definition belies the significance of convergence. The reality is that converging voice and data enables the integration of voice communications applications (such as teleconferencing and speech access) with key business applications (such as sales force automation and supply chain management). These business applications are predicated on business processes that are the lifeblood of most organizations. By marrying these applications on any network and on any device, the door is opened to deriving new levels of business value.

THE PROMISE OF VoIP

In recent years the number of companies looking to up grade their call center infrastructure via implementation of VoIP technology has grown dramatically. Merging voice and data on a single network and deploying an IP-based contact center platform allows companies to route calls to home and satellite offices more efficiently. This approach is delivering on the promise of helping companies grow their business, apply productivity enhancing applications, and expand call center operations easily and cost effectively. Scaling for growth to new remote service centers is a smooth transition as each is treated as an add-on node to the existing IP network.

Companies can add remote staff to call center queues when needed and can retain key employees by letting them work from home. The entire process can utilize one application to manage all media for routing and reporting across agent locations. An additional benefit is the ability to deliver business applications over this new network when necessary.

Potential hurdles to implementing pure VoIP include preparing the network with switch and router upgrades, replacing all the desktop phones, and upgrading adjunct systems such as voice mail. These are not insurmountable issues and can either be accomplished all at oce (shotgun) or in a phased in approach. However it is accomplished the business benefits far outweigh any initial challenges.

It's safe to say that the great migration to the IP contact center is well underway. While there are many approaches, vendors and users agree that the decision is not driven by the technology, but rather by business applications that the technology enables. While companies may appear to take very different paths to VoIP, each is able to make the right decision for their current and future business needs from a myriad of solution options.

THE MIGRATION TO VoIP

In general, however, the migration is happening very slowly. Art Schoeller, an analyst at The Yankee Group, says, "The move to IP in the contact center is inevitable but not imminent. The transition from TDM to IP, catalyzed by Cisco, is much like the transition from analog to digital systems, which was catalyzed by Rolm. Like that transition over 20 years ago, this transition will take time. And this one is more complex."

Where this transition seems to have found it's lead is among smaller business entities. Most IP contact center installations have occurred in small to midsize businesses (SMB). Many of these SMBs use home agents and remote offices. SMBs tend to be more willing than larger companies to take risks, many are growing, and they are reaping the benefits of flexibility and agility. Seeing this untapped potential larger businesses are begining to follow suite albeit at a somewhat slower pace.....so far.

As of now there are fewer large installations in place, and they are generally multisite, often with overseas positions (including outsourcers). The major system vendors such as Avaya, Cisco, and Nortel all say they have pure IP installations of 2,000 seats or more. That's impressive...and it works. It won't be long before the pace and numbers of installations among larger companies grows significantly. They won't long be able to deny the benefits offered and the potential positive impact on process and cost efficiencies.

"The industries making radical changes are the ones who are suffering the most pain from economic and market forces, such as teleservices [outsourcers], airlines, telecom and high-tech companies," says Lawrence Byrd, a convergence strategist at Avaya. "These companies are seeking substantial cost savings from infrastructure consolidation, for example reducing 30 separate [automatic call distributors] to one or two, moving away from the complex and expensive network routing architectures of the 1990s, and intelligently routing the right customer to the right agent, wherever they are."

"These companies understand that they must make more significant investments in network optimization, as well as changes to their business processes and how they manage their people. But they are willing to do so for the payback offered. IP telephony in the contact center is the technology enabler for such transformation," he says.

THE TRENDS FOR VoIP

Today, many of the large call center installations - those exceeding 200 seats - are hybrid solutions, some sites are TDM, some are IP. Companies use IP trunking between sites and IP to some desktops, for example, at new sites or sites where the switch has been upgraded. The traditional PBX can serve as a gateway, converting between TDM and IP.

Businesses with multiple locations are turning autonomous sites into satellite sites, significantly reducing the numbers of servers, applications and licenses required for functions such as routing, reporting, Computer Telephony Integration (CTI), quality monitoring and workforce management.

Another trend is higher adoption rates in Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific. North America is generally slower to adopt IP contact center technologies because of more conservative and risk-averse decision-makers, and more large installed systems. However, of Cisco's 1,500 installations worldwide for example, approximately half are in North America.

Yet another trend is for companies to adopt VoIP in the enterprise first and then in the contact center. Gartner analyst Bern Elliot says IP system sales already have overtaken TDM system sales for corporations, but "IP adoption in the call center will lag." Elliot predicts that traditional TDM-based call centers will remain the dominant architecture for new system sales in North American until mid-2006. IP-based call center systems comprise approximately 10% of new system sales today.

LEASONS LEARNED

Businesses leery of IP contact centers typically express concerns about security, quality, reliability and scalability. Early implementers say they faced challenges, primarily with quality of service, but they used assessment, configuration, testing and monitoring to successfully address those issues. However, the rule of thumb is that if you've done what you need to do for your network for other applications, running phones on IP is not a leap of faith.

Many early implementers say voice is more secure and more reliable over IP than it was in a TDM world, and the enhancements to their networks for voice also have benefited their data applications. For example, many clearly saw the potential benefits for growth, flexibility and disaster recovery.

When a significant disaster occurs and a business must trigger its disaster-recovery plan, it is a relief to easily be able to add seats at other sites and reroute calls quickly, with no effect on service. It is also reassuring when system continuity enables the following of the rigorous security processes applied to all other applications for your voice and call center applications.

Many companies have found that TDM is just too expensive for what they want to do. Often they'll discover that a pure IP solution offers their company lower total cost of ownership than TDM, with additional savings over time by avoiding proprietary hardware. Frequently they'll also see benefits from virtual operations across sites and CTI in hours instead of months. Also seen have been savings on wiring, moves, adds and changes, and networking of remote locations, while buying flexibility for the future including multimedia enhancements.

THE FUTURE

The breakthrough in adoption of IP in the contact center will occur as more companies share evidence that it is low risk, it works, and there are quantifiable business benefits. Any initial trepidation will soon disappear as companies recognize that VoIP is a technology that's right for them.....and whose time has come for the call center industry.

Tip....for assistance in finding just the right fit in a VoIP solution for your call center operation take advantage of the FREE consulatative services at Business-VoIP-Solution.com.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

How Using A Voip Phone Service Can Cost You Your Life

Writen by Titus Hoskins

VoIP Phones are all the rage. These Internet phones are becoming increasingly popular with the general public as well as among the technologically gifted avant-garde i.e. geeksRus. Chances are high you know someone who uses one or you may even use one yourself.

But did you know it can cost you your life?

We will get to this life-threatening issue later but first you should have a basic understanding of what a VoIP phone is and how it works.

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. These phones are also commonly referred to as Voice over IP or Voice over Internet. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol is a way of using analog audio signals, like on your regular phone, and turning these signals into digital data that's transmitted over the Internet instead of over conventional phone lines.

How does it Work?

A Voip Phone Service can work on any computer that has broadband connectivity. If you have a headset/microphone, along with a Voip phone system set-up or software program installed on your computer, you can place calls from your computer or laptop to anywhere in the broadband-connected world. Assuming that your friends have the same software set-up or have a Voip Phone Service from many of the commercial providers, you should be able to communicate, i.e. talk to each other.

It basically works by sending small packets of data from one computer to another over the Internet. And since it uses the Internet, the route these data transfers take is as varied and as wide as the Internet itself. You call a phone number and the data is sent to your VoIP company's call processor. The call processor connects you to your friend's phone and a session is formed between your computer and your friend's computer. Your call can now be handled as if it were an e-mail or a web page but each system must have the same protocol in order for you to communicate or talk.

This may be over-simplifying things a bit, but this method is less expensive than a conventional phone system.

Many VoIP companies offer many services that a traditional phone company will charge you an arm or leg for! These include: Caller ID, Call transfer, Call waiting, Return call, Repeat dial, and Three-way calling. And because it is over the Internet you can check your voicemail via the Web - you may even attach messages that's sent to your computer or handheld.

VoIP Phone Services have many advantages over the traditional system, mainly its cheap price and availability or access. As the broadband world increases, VoIP phones may become even more popular.

So what's the Problem with using VoIP Phones?

There are some major hurdles Voip Phone users should be aware of and it is where the life saving advice comes in.

The VoIP Phone is only as good as the Internet system or computer you're using. There may be down times, for example, if you lose your power, a Voip phone will not work, whereas a regular wall phone or conventional phone will. In many natural disasters, be it a blizzard, tornado or hurricane, the power is sometimes the first utility that fails. Communications often become critical in these situations and being stuck with only a powerless VoIP phone may pose a problem. Assuming, of course, you don't have your VoIP Phone hooked up to a portable Wi-Fi battery operated laptop!

You must also keep in mind that your laptop or computer must be able to handle the phone calls, other programs running on your system may disrupt or distort your voip signals if your computer is overloaded or not powerful enough.

Next, perhaps the most important concern, Emergency 911 calls are a real challenge with VoIP. VoIP phones uses IP-addressed phone numbers and not NANP phone numbers. There's no way to tell the geographic location with an IP address; thus routing the emergency call may pose a problem for 911 operators. Obviously, this is not good in an emergency of any kind!

No doubt this hurdle will be fixed in the very near future as Voip Phones become more commonplace and integrated neatly in the wireless Wi-Fi systems/networks around the world. But for now, it is something every VOIP Phone user should be made aware of and prepare for in the case your VOIP phone becomes your only lifeline.

Another challenge, as more and more voip phones come online, there is no world-wide standard in place. This would include hardware and protocols that would make this system work anywhere in the world.

Despite these hurdles and challenges, many believe VoIP Phone Services will eventually replace the traditional phone lines over time. But the revolution is just starting! According to the Forrester Research Group only 5 million U.S. households will be using VoIP phones by the end of 2006.

However, it doesn't take a Crystal Ball or even the Forrester Research Group to tell us we are becoming more and more of a 'wireless world'. VoIP Phones will find themselves 'center stage' in our ever increasing technologically enhanced universe. No doubt, neatly blended into some fully loaded portable, Video/VoIP Phone, XM radio, Search Engine, Wi-Fi, GPS Emergency Beacon, Computer Handheld Contraction. As long as we can keep our 'heads attached' until this technotopia item comes along, we should be ok.

Hey, when Google finally decides to build that Google Box, maybe someone should suggest they load it up with a few extra goodies. Can we talk?

.....

The author runs a modest website on Bizware and Business Solutions - including a section on VoIP Phone Services. VoIP Phone Services
Get a few Free Marketing Tools for your business. Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2006. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

What Makes A Voip Phone System Work What Is Voip Protocol

Writen by Hugh McMarlin

The phone services offered by your local phone companies use circuit-switching technologies. In basic terms a copper wire is used to complete a circuit and to connect two people talking on the phone. A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system works by the use of packet-switching technology.

This VoIP protocol technology does not use a copper wire to complete a circuit, but instead the voice signals are broken down into tiny "packets" of digital data and then are sent over the internet and reassembled on the other end and a crystal clear voice message can be heard just like we are used to, but the cost to you to do this at least 50% less than what your regular phone company will charge you!

There are many companies that are now on the cutting edge of this technology. They all offer packages with call waiting, call conferencing, caller ID, and much more at no additional costs. One company offers you a basic free service to use VoIP from computer to computer worldwide and another company offers VoIP services when you travel! All bases,so to speak,of your VoIP needs are now available in the marketplace!

To make the switch from the old (or analog) phone system to the new VoIP (or digital) phone system is a snap! Don't let this new technology scare you off! All you need to do is have a broadband internet connection (DSL or Cable) and the correct hardware as provided by the particular VoIP carrier that you choose. All VoIP Carriers offer easy ways to make the switch including keeping your present number. The hardware needed is usually a phone adapter and a router that you plug into your computer and regular phone.

Your VoIP phone company will supply you with the needed hardware and tell you which plugs go where. It takes a few minutes to plug in the plugs! Before you know it you will be making calls at a 50% savings over your old phone service with unbelievable clarity!

Hugh McMarlin has many online endeavors and his informational VoIP site, http://www.voip-carrier-4u.com is his latest. Read his latest articles on FREE VoIP You can also learn more about the pros and cons of VoIP by reading his article on the Pros and Cons of VoIP

Is Voip Internet Phone Service Right For You

Writen by Debbie Jacobsen

Thousands of people each month are subscribing to VoIP service and having their regular telephone line disconnected. Internet phone service is a HUGE deal for us consumers, as it provides us with a super cheap alternative to traditional telephone service, and gives us something very important: CHOICES! Perhaps for the first time in our lives, we are no longer required to use our local phone company for telephone service – isn't that great?

VoIP is not for everyone, though. There are some requirements and drawbacks to internet phone service that may or may not influence your decision to switch. Most people consider the potential issues associated with VoIP to be minor, and find that the low cost and free features of broadband phone service far outweigh any negatives.

In order to understand the drawbacks of VoIP, it helps to understand a bit about what it is and how it works.

A Brief Introduction to Internet Phone Service

VoIP is the most popular acronym used to describe internet phone service. It stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, which is a technical term describing a standard set of rules that define how voice signals are transmitted over the internet. Some other common terms used to describe VoIP are "broadband phone service" and "IP phone service". As the term VoIP implies, INTERNET SERVICE IS REQUIRED in order to use VoIP.

A small device called a "VoIP adapter" is used to perform all of the complex functions required to make it possible for voice signals to be transmitted over the internet. The adapter is connected by network cable to your broadband modem or router, and another cable is directly connected to your telephone. There are other hardware configurations, but this is the most basic one. No phone jacks are required.

During a telephone call, your conversation goes through the VoIP adapter and is routed over the internet to its final destination. This is why VoIP is so inexpensive - it doesn't rely on the telephone companies expensive network and switches. With VoIP internet phone service, you can call any phone anywhere in the world. The person you are calling does not have to also be using an internet phone.

Potential Issues With VoIP

Although internet phone service looks and acts just like regular phone service, there are some technological differences that can cause issues with your service from time to time.

• E911 Dialing is a "must have" for anyone using VoIP as their main phone line. This allows emergency calls to route to the closest 911 dispatch office and identifies your location to the emergency operator. Although in 2005 the FCC mandated that all VoIP companies provide E911 service to all subscribers, not all VoIP companies are offering this yet. It's important to choose a VoIP provider that has E911 service available in your area – your life could depend on it. You are responsible for keeping your E911 address current in order for this service to work properly. If you move and forget to change your address with your VoIP provider, emergency services will not be able to locate you.
• A "live" internet connection is required in order to use VoIP, because calls are transmitted over the internet. This can present a problem when your internet service is down. Broadband is also required by most VoIP providers, because internet phone service needs to have enough bandwidth in order to work properly. Be sure you have reliable broadband internet service through a reputable provider if you're planning on using VoIP as your primary phone.
• Power is required in order to use internet phone service. Without power, your cable/DSL modem won't work, and your VoIP adapter won't work – you will have no phone service. If you live in an area that is prone to power outages, this might be a big issue for you.
• Existing phone wiring will not work with your new VoIP service unless you make some modifications. Traditional telephone wiring is designed to transmit to/from the phone company switch, not the internet. If you want to use your existing phones and phone jacks with VoIP you need to disconnect and reroute the telephone wire coming into your house. This is a fairly easy task but beyond the scope of this article. If you use an expandable cordless phone system with VoIP however, this totally eliminates the need to fool with any wiring.

Is Broadband Phone Service Right for You?

These are some of the more common issues that you need to be aware of before making the switch to VoIP internet phone service. As with most things, there is usually an easy workaround that can minimize or prevent any problems. With 10 million VoIP subscribers in the United States alone, it's obvious that the downside of VoIP is not keeping people away. When you consider the tremendous cost savings, free long distance calling and all the free calling features you get with internet phone service, most find that it's no problem dealing with a few occasional inconveniences.

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Voip Phone Service What Is It And How Does It Work

Writen by Greg Anliker

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and is the process of placing a voice call over the Internet using Internet Protocol (IP) Packets. Packets are bits of data that are passed, or routed, from node to node, until they are received by the final digital device (node). The final Node then turns the packet of information back into an analog voice stream that can be heard over a regular telephone.

While both types of phone service, VoIP and Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), rely on switching the telephone call through the quickest connection. The POTS telephone call creates a static, dedicated connection, traveling over the same exact route in both directions. This connection stays open until the callers break the connection. The packet switched phone call over the VoIP system actually contains the complete destination address of where it is going, and each packet can take different routes and different amounts of time to reach their destination.

To make a VoIP telephone call, the user has to have two things, a high-speed Internet connection (256kbs or higher) and a broadband telephone adapter. The telephone adapter plugs into the users existing system, either directly into the modem, or into a router. Many of the new broadband phone adapters have a router built into them, so that the user just plugs it directly into their high-speed modem and they can then plug their computer or router into the broadband phone adapter.

In most situations, it is best to have the router built into the broadband phone adaptor, so that if the user is making a telephone call and on the computer at the same time, the router knows to give most of the bandwidth to the phone call, thereby reduce lag time and the frequency of dropped calls. While the new VoIP phone systems are a hundred times better that the ones seen just two or three years ago, they can still drop calls when confronted with a slowdown in the network between the caller and the person receiving the call.

So, while the new VoIP can save the average user a lot of money, VoIP telephone service is still only practical for home and small business users, since the stability isn't there that is required by large business ventures. Anyone who is thinking of switching to VoIP should remember that anytime their Internet service goes down, so does their phone service.

For more information on VoIP phone service is available at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ip-telephony.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VOIP_Phones.

To see a complete list of VoIP Phone companies and what they charge for service in the United States, visit http://www.calling-plans.com/broadband-phone.html.

Greg Anliker http://www.calling-plans.com

15 Point Checklist For Choosing A Voip Service Provider

Writen by Tommy Goldman

One of the new telecommunication buzz words these days is VOIP, or Voice over IP. This new technology allow you to place telephone calls using your high speed internet connection anywhere around the world using software or hardware provided by various VOIP service providers.

With so may VoIP service providers to chose from, questions should be asked to determine the best value for your or your business. The following is a quick 15 point checklist to ask when looking to sign up with a Voice over IP service provider:

- Evaluate your hardware and determine if additional hardware is required. Certain VOIP service providers give the option of using VOIP adapters, which they provide or can be purchased in retail store, or the option of using VOIP software, also known as a soft-phone. In most cases a dependable router, high speed internet connection and a standard telephone is all that is required. It is a good idea to also perform a broadband speed connection test.

- Hardware provided: Does the company provide the VOIP adapter or do you have to purchase, rent or lease the equipment. If you do purchase the equipment, are you locked in with that particular service provider? Many companies also allow to bring your own hardware to use with the service.

- Unlimited or package plans. Unlimited plans usually provide you with no limit calling within a certain territory, like Canada and USA. These plans can be a bit pricier, but well worth the value. Package plans usually consist of a certain amount of minutes per month with additional charges after the package minutes have been used. Weight your options here and try to determine the amount of local and long distance calls you currently make.

- Number portability and changing your current phone number to a VOIP service. Questions to ask are how long does the process take and is it possible to transfer the telephone number that you currently have.

- Features. How many features are included? Common features are voicemail, caller ID, call blocking, 3 way conference calling, call return, call forwarding and more. Many companies will have these features included in their monthly service price.

- Virtual numbers. Many VOIP companies allow you to purchase additional virtual numbers for a minimal monthly fee. What cities are available and what are the charges?

- Voicemail. How can voicemail be access and how many voicemail accounts do you get. In most cases, you will get one voicemail account with the ability to access your messages through the phone, online account manager or through email.

- Does the company run their own network or are they a reseller? In most cases you can simply ask the service provider and they will tell you. In a reseller scenario, the pricing may be cheaper, but need to analyze what features and service is provided as well.

- Contracts. Some companies will want to lock you in for a yearly term or monthly term. Pay attention to the terms of the agreement and see if there are penalties for getting out of a contract. Some VOIP companies offer month to month contracts or pay as you go plans as well with no penalties for canceling service.

- Sign up incentives. A few VOIP service providers offer incentive to sign up: free phones, free first month of service, discount off service price. Evaluate this carefully, some companies offer great sign up savings.

- Promotional coupons. A few VOIP companies offer coupon or discount codes. When choosing a provider, perform a Google search for the company and the keyword 'coupon code'. The savings can be anywhere from 2-10% off or $5-$15 off the service price.

- Long distance charges. Calls to Europe or Asia may vary from provider to provider, especially to mobile or cell phone users. Determine what international calls you usually make and research the international pricing for each VOIP provider

- Are you able to travel or move with your phone number? In most cases you will be able to use the service wherever high speed internet connection is available, check to see what the options are with the service provider.

- E911. How does the service provider access or set up 911 service and are there any additional charges for the usage.

- Technical support. Is technical support provided by email or by a 1-800 number? Some companies charge for technical support, while many operate support during normal business hours.

Because VOIP is becoming the alternative to traditional telephone service, your will see minor and major differences between the broadband phone service providers. At times the differences may seem minor, but over the long run, choosing to make calls with VOIP will save you a substantial amount of money, which in the end is a major difference! Best of luck.

Tommy Goldman is a freelance consultant in the VOIP industry and regular contributor to the VOIP service directory home to VOIP reviews, articles and forums.

Voip Phone Systems A Step Above Traditional Phone Lines

Writen by Alen Wilson

The words are; cost effective, portable, and flexible. And hey it comes with array additional new features too! No it is not our regular PSTN phone connection. The buzz word here is; VoIP phone systems.

It is the technology that transfers your voice from over the internet using specially designed call signal protocols in a much efficient manner. Efficient in terms of its low cost, the number of additional features that it offers, the convenience with which the call can be placed from anywhere at any time and for as long as you want!

The advent of the internet, bought the world closer. And it swept each one of us by our feet and today we are completely dependent on it for our day to day activities. Walking a step closer VoIP system has been developed! And it will completely revolutionarise the traditional way of making phone calls.

It's smart, convenient, cost effective and absolutely relevant with the times we live in. How much on an effort is it, to switch on your laptop and make a call! Practically nothing! While at the same time it offers us a chance to talk for as long as we want without having to worry about the long bills!

Traditional analogue phones are a lengthy network of wires used to facilitate calling from one end to the other, and while a call takes place that particular wire system is dedicated to that one call. This is the reason; phone bills are higher on international calls. While VoIP Phones System work on the broadband connections. Once a call is dialed the analogue voice data is converted into small packets of digital audio data and transferred using special internet protocols from one end to the but delivered to the person in a comprehendible analogue format

Truly VoIP telephony is a step above the traditional phone lines and not far from now it would completely change the way we make long distance calls!

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Voip Solutions

Writen by Steve Valentino

In a traditional PSTN, the quality of service of the calls and continuous connection are very dependable; so, in order for people to switch to IP telephony, the same quality considerations must be maintained or excelled. With IP telephony consisting of distributed elements, the entire architecture has to be strategically managed to provide good service while at the same time reducing the overload and maintenance costs.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, solutions include components such as end-user devices, PBX, gateways and gatekeepers, IP network and several protocols that take care of the issues and operations of a transaction. When a call is initiated, there are distributed arrays of routers, which manage the call functions such as identification of the destination, maintenance of the connection between the IP and PSTN, billing management, and alerts about the incoming transaction.

In this competitive VoIP market, VoIP solutions must be able to meet needs such as high-speed interface, predictable performance, quality of service and security. These factors drive application development and infrastructure deployment. The routers should be able to handle thousands of calls through increased bandwidth, and they should also match the interface speeds in order to forward the IP packets. The quality of service is maintained in the router by addressing concerns such as exact sequencing of the packets so that the call is clear and meaningful. Security features are to be implemented to prevent hackers from accessing the infrastructure. This is managed by enumerating the routers, which function as gateways and controllers as private addresses, so they are not accessed through the public Internet.

A robust infrastructure deployment is complemented by application development that adheres to various protocols that are mostly governed by International Transmission Union (ITU) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Several protocols are available, and the necessity of the implementation depends upon the product groups. Signaling System Seven (SS7) is a protocol that manages the establishment and termination of calls. H.323 is a product-based communication protocol that signals the call to the IP network and the end user.

RTP protocols address the concerns of real-time receipt of calls so that the calls arrive in the same sequence. Media Gateway Control protocol coordinates the actions of gateways. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) handles the setup and tear down of multimedia sessions between speakers.

With a combination of infrastructure and protocol, VoIP solutions enable the customer to establish calls at a fraction of the rate of PSTN lines, while at the same time maintaining quality.

VOIP provides detailed information on VOIP, VOIP Providers, VOIP Phone System, VOIP Solutions and more. VOIP is affiliated with Wireless IP Phones.