[ What Is A VoIP Phone? ]
                             by: Peter Nisbet

In spite of the growing popularity of IP telephony, there are still many people who do not know what a VoIP phone is. What is the difference between a VoIP phone and an ordinary phone?

As far as you are concerned, probably not a lot. You can still use your own landline phone if need be, though in its simplest form there is no VoIP phone handset as such. Just a microphone and speakers will do. All you need is some software which is supplied by the provider.

You can use your normal land-line phone. Just like digital TV requires a box, either set-top or included in the set, VoIP needs a box which you can either buy yourself, or get from your VoIP provider. Once you connect your phone to the box and the box to your internet connection, you have your VoIP phone system using your own phone. Due to the connection speeds involved you have to have broadband or another high-speed internet connection.

Your telephone conversation passes through the internet in packets in the same way as any other file does. As you speak, your analogue voice signal is digitized by the VoIP software into binary form, and the digital stream broken up into small 'packets' which are sent through the internet. These packets each take their own fastest route through the internet, from computer to computer, till they reach their destination. This is the way that all files are sent through IP.

The problem with a streamed signal, such as a VoIP phone conversation, and a packet system, is that the packets do not always arrive in the correct order. This is due to the releative amount of internet traffic each packet comes up against, and the fact that they can each take different routes. Also, some packets are lost, or 'dropped'.

Modern software is becoming increasingly better at arranging packets in the correct order (often through slight time delays which allow them to be rearranged) and covering up 'dropped' packets. VoIP phone conversations are therefore more audible now than they were in the early days of VoIP phone systems.

As I said, you can use your computer microphone and speakers to make and receive conversations, but you can also get a dedicated VoIP phone if you prefer. It's all a matter of choice and does not significantly affect the services you can have.

Some of the services supplied free with VoIP phone systems are:

* Caller ID
* Call waiting
* Call forwarding
* Voicemail
* Conference calls
* Call transfer
* Group pick-up

Once you have your box, any calls you make to another VoIP are free – anywhere. For calls to non-VoIP phones there is a charge, but this is generally lower than normal land-line charges.

Your phone number relates to the adaptor, so you can take this with you and use it on any computer with fast internet connection. You can also buy a VoIP phone to go with your laptop and make telephone calls anywhere at any time; just as you can with a mobile, but at a fraction of the cost, and usually free to any other IP phone. This is an excellent inexpensive solution for businesses with a network of offices – all calls between them will be free throughout the world.

Another cool feature is virtual phone numbers. You can get local area numbers allocated to your regular phone number, so that if your family live in LA and you are in New York they can ring your LA local number with their landline and speak to you in New York at local rates. How cool is that!

A VoIP phone is now an attractive option for anyone, both as a cheap alternative to a mobile phone and as a complete replacement for a landline.

                            [ Cut Your Business Overhead With VoIP ]
                                        by: Michael Brito

Business expenses play a significant role in impacting company profits and keeping these costs in line is crucial to the long term success of any venture. With fuel prices rising, interest rates surging, and salaries escalating, many business managers are finding it increasingly difficult to contain costs without resorting to implementing higher prices for products and services. However, the new global economy warrants that businesses do everything in their power to hold prices in line otherwise an overseas competitor could quickly step in and offer the same service for less. So, just how can managers remain competitive against such difficulties? By replacing their traditional corporate phone system with a VoIP driven PBX system. Let’s examine how this new way of communicating is positively impacting the bottom line of companies across America.

Traditionally, company phone systems have been a costly, but necessary way for employees to keep in touch with each other as well as with their customers. These Private Branch eXchange or PBX phone systems were originally credited with helping to lower overhead costs for companies as they eliminated the need for separate phone lines for every employee at every location. Yet, costs for maintaining these systems have remained a significant part of the cost of doing business for small and medium sized businesses.

Until recently, businesses had no choice to help them reduce telephone related expenses: Enter Business VoIP.

Much like the internet telephony systems available to consumers in their homes, business VoIP services are springing up to serve small and medium sized businesses everywhere. Just like home phone connections, business VoIP calls are routed through internet wiring for a much cheaper alternative than the traditional phone system. Indeed, yearly cost savings averaging 50% are being realized by companies who have made the switch over to business VoIP.

With Business VoIP, providers have taken the traditional PBX systems and updated them for the 21st century. Gone is the need for a receptionist to screen and redirect calls, the VoIP PBX system can be set up to do that for you. Calls can be rerouted to different offices, to cell phones, to locations far a field. Furthermore, certain “extras” that could significantly add to the cost of monthly phone expenses are routinely incorporated into various Business VoIP packages including: call waiting, caller identification, three way calling, conference calling, and more. Important options such as voice mail forwarding to email account, typically not offered with traditional PBX systems, are one of several popular features of business internet telephony systems. A user friendly panel allows for easy web portal management permitting the Business VoIP manager [typically, an existing employee] to monitor the system and make changes quickly and efficiently.

In addition to the substantial month to month savings realized by Business VoIP users, start up costs for a VoIP PBX system are as much as 90% lower than traditional PBX systems. This “lower cost of entry” combined with the significantly lower monthly usage expense is behind the current boom in internet telephony for small and medium sized businesses.

Truly, a greater number of businesses across America will be giving serious attention to what business VoIP PBX systems have to offer for them. Combining very low start up costs with demonstrably lower administrative expenditures will certainly continue to fuel the rapid rise in interest for select VOIP PBX providers. In these days of rapidly rising costs, internet telephony is a welcome and necessary cost saving alternative for small and medium sized businesses everywhere and certainly will help users remain competitive in the global marketplace.

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