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Posted on 03.21.06 by Admin @ 1:59 am
Making the Switch to Voice Over IP
Copyright 2006 Dave Markel
VoIP is very cost effective as the monthly fee is lower than regular telephone networks. More than that, VoIP also integrate call forwarding and call display, options that are extra charged by the phone companies. Thus more and more people are attracted by this idea and tend to replace their phone lines with VoIP. Before taking such a decision it would be a good idea to keep some things in mind.
You might lose your old number once you switch to VoIP. This is not necessarily to happen, especially if the VoIP provider offers local phone numbers but it would be wiser to check this aspect with both your future VoIP provider and current phone company.
Due to its characteristics, a 911 call from a VoIP connection can’t be tracked down and thus the operator won’t be able to determine your location if you are unable to speak. Actually in order to make emergency calls you will have to register your address with your VoIP provider. Therefore it would be best to keep a standard connection in case you ever need to make an emergency call. This drawback could be solved in the future as the protocol undergoes constant development.
Apparently, these drawbacks are no reasons not to switch to VoIP as thousands of people decide to try the Internet miracle. The first step to making your first VoIP call is choosing the right provider for your needs. Most offer by default call display or call waiting and forwarding but the thing you really have to be careful is the fees providers charge for overseas and long-distance calls. Consider the people you use to call when choosing your provider.
VoIP providers also offer additional phone numbers most of the times. Therefore, you can choose to have numbers in different cities. The advantage of this option is that people living in those cities can call you for the cost of local calls.
Analogue Telephone Adapters or ATA are special devices that allow you to use your standard phone with the VoIP service. Although they can be acquired separately, most of the times ATAs are supplied by your VoIP providers. The basic equipment needed for VoIP calls is an IP phone, a broadband modem and a router. Computers can be bypassed although they make accessing the VoIP account easier while modems and routers can be incorporated into stand-alone units.
Connecting to a VoIP account is an easy thing. You just have to plug the IP phone into the router and the router into the modem. Also, service calls don’t require any preinstalled equipment.
About the Author Dave Markel is the owner of a Voip Services Blog. Visit it at http://voip–services.blogspot.com Filed under: VOIP Advice Comments: None |
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Posted on 03.13.06 by Admin @ 1:43 am
The Increasing Popularity Of Wireless VOIP Phones In The Workplace by Mark Woodcock Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) phones have been commonplace in the workplace for several years now. As the technology begins to make its way to the average consumer’s home, it’s only fitting that some newer and more exciting technology begins to replace existing VOIP systems in business and industry. That is where wireless VOIP phones enter the picture. Capitalizing and building upon the efficiency, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness of standard VOIP technology, wireless VOIP technology has made its entrance in many types of businesses, giving employees everywhere more flexibility and communications options. And it looks like the technology is here to stay. The use of wireless VOIP phones is an obvious and smart thing for retail businesses, schools, and even hospitals to consider using. No longer is there a need for an organization to have separate systems for work (computer-based) and voice communications (telephone-based). Business-related work and communications can be all-inclusive. Wireless VOIP phone systems give employees, especially those tied to a phone throughout their work day, the freedom to move about within their office building or complex, and still have the ability to communicate with customers and business associates. For businesses and other organizations that already have an IP communication system in place, it is the next logical step to move to wireless VOIP phones. They operate in the same way as standard VOIP phones, except that they function on a wireless local area network (WLAN). By staying in range of a wireless connection at the site, a user can make and receive calls just as they can with standard VOIP phone systems. There are many specific types of organizations that can benefit from the use of wireless VOIP phones. Hospitals, for example, allow employees who spend a lot of their time on the telephone communicating with physicians, insurance companies, and with other hospital personnel within the building will see the huge benefit in being able to move freely within a workspace, carry out necessary communications, and accomplish more than one task at a given time. Retail stores also will see a huge advantage to using wireless VOIP phones, for much the same reason. The freedom to communicate with customers and business associates over the phone, while still being able to travel throughout the workplace has the potential to show an increase in work efficiency and time management. Schools can also benefit by using this technology. By providing staff, faculty, and security with wireless VOIP phones, student data is accessible over the phone, school emergencies can be handled much more quickly and efficiently, and teachers can communicate with one another whether in a classroom or in the cafeteria or on the playground. The advantages of using this technology are apparent. Besides the freedom it provides, wireless VOIP phone systems allow organizations to combine communications to include phone communications, email, and text messaging, allowing them to work together in one system. This efficiency is a time saver, as well as a money saver. Speaking of saving money, organizations will find that they can avoid lengthy contracts with phone companies in favor of wiring systems that give the businesses more options. There is a downside to this seemingly ideal technology. In a wireless VOIP phone system, the number of calls that can be placed by callers at a time is limited. An access point in a system can’t handle more than a few calls at a time. This limited capacity, therefore, has resulted in the inability for many types of businesses to use wireless VOIP phone technology. Businesses and industries that require huge volumes of communication on a constant basis would simply overload a wireless network. Despite this limitation, technology will no doubt catch up in the near future, and be able to provide wireless VOIP phone service to every level of business and industry, no matter how large. Wireless VOIP phone systems are an exciting technology for the business world to embrace. Freedom, flexibility, efficiency, as well as potentially huge cost savings are but a few of the advantages this form of multi-level communication has the ability to provide its subscribers and users. Many organizations have currently incorporated wireless VOIP phones into their daily workplace with great success, including hospitals and schools. Wireless VOIP phones are a smart consideration to make in order to stay on the cusp of technology. Learn the essential information for picking the Voip provider / services at Wireless Voip Phones Filed under: VOIP Advice Comments: None |
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Posted on 03.13.06 by Admin @ 1:42 am
Eliminating the Phone Bill with VoIP by John Allen I expect I’m part of the majority when saying my communication costs seem to have grown exponentially. Expenses for phone, fax, cell phone, high-speed internet, cable, satellite, etc., have all combined to seriously raise the bar on what I can get done, but at a correspondingly higher cost. Seems like I ought to be able to get rid of something! I could get rid of my phone bill (landline) by relying on my cell phone. A lot of folks do just that and it works great for them. However, some of us still need something like a landline - usually for business. Another alternative I’ve been watching evolve, is Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP for short. This basically means using the Internet to talk on the phone. This has been around for a while now, but until recently, required one or both parties to be logged onto a computer. It was kind of novel, and having free long distance was a definite plus, but for day to day use, was obviously a pain. However, VoIP is finally coming into the mainstream, offering serious competition to traditional carriers by providing VoIP using your regular hand-held phone. Keep in mind you need a broadband connection to utilize these services - either DSL or cable, but since I’ve already got cable, it’s a no-brainer. Savings over my last phone bill is $64 a month, which goes way past what I need to satisfy my Starbucks habit! Even better, is since I bundled high-speed internet service with my existing cable, I cut that cost by about $30 a month. Yes, life is good! Several providers offer their broadband service starting at about $15 a month for their basic plan. That usually includes about 500 minutes of local and long distance calling throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, along with all the expected features like caller id, call waiting, call forwarding, yada, yada, yada. For unlimited calling, premium plans cost about $25 a month. Plus, most offer decent international rates, and no contract commitment. There are several players to consider, including Vonage, Verizon VoiceWing and AT&T CallVantage. They all have similar plans in the same price range, some with additional features. Existing customers of specific providers can sometimes save more costs by combining other services. As you’ll observe when researching, most of the major players, are now starting to compete in this space, and they bring serious credentials, which will translate into stability and reliability going forward. One of the biggest motivators for me, after price and reliability of course, is that all these providers disclose all the taxes and fees up front on their websites - try getting that out of “ma bell” - like pulling teeth. And, those taxes and fees are minimal - like a couple bucks compared to over $10 with the “other guys”. Do yourself a favor and take a look - you might save some bucks. John Allen writes on a wide variety of topics. Visit his blog at http://www.downsizedlife.blogspot.com to read more or obtain feeds. He can also be reached through his website http://www.j2trading.com which focuses on finding unique gifts. Filed under: VOIP Advice Comments: None |
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