Since the beginning of VoIP technology for mass use, the industry has been changing to meet the requirements and mostly people agree that it is for the better. The major reason is due to its cost effectiveness. Making international calls at a low cost, if you have subscribed to a low cost VoIP provider has made it a favorite way of communication. In many instances, long distance calling is free, while for international calling costs may be very low for per minute dialing and comes to be cheaper than most cellular phone service as well.

Studies have estimated that nearly 1,000 people change their service providers and most of them are subscribing to VoIP services as a second support. The business owner is the primary user of low cost VoIP providers as a business portal for their office/home needs. Even parents are using VoIP service to provide for children’s communication use as the service is cost effectiveness of the service.

Broadband phone reliability is relatively new technology, and in the technologically savvy world, when it’s new, there are always a few bugs and glitches. To be the case with internet phone service and the VoIP provider. As far as the reliability issues are concerned, your land line service is still the leader of the pack in this case. However, with VoIP improving in leaps and bounds, these “bugs” should be worked out fairly quickly. When you have a power outage or your internet service is down, you can’t use your PC to make calls. Since the land line with standard phone service gets its power to operate through the phone line itself, the issue of electricity is a non-factor.

One of the biggest selling points with the VoIP provider, besides their cost factor, is the phone number portability issue. In most instances, you are able to keep the same number you had with your land line service. In some cases, the VoIP service provider may give you a completely different number, but that number will be yours for the life of the subscription to that service. Also, portability is not a standard free feature with most VoIP providers. There will usually be a slight cost associated with this feature.

Another benefit is the ease with which you can switch over to a VoIP provider. Business owners are reluctant to make changes with their communication systems when newer technology is available. This is because they are oftentimes required to change their entire system in order for the new technology to be adapted and put into place. This is not the case with inexpensive internet phone service because it is easily adaptable to the current system that has been in place, and the savings are literally immediate.

VoIP service has been developed with expansion capabilities. You won’t have to suffer with those growing pains that are prevalent when a company is growing. To summarize then, there are three major advantages to having service with a VoIP provider:

1. cost factors – less expensive
2. ease of installation and adaptability
3. capabilities/provisions for expansion

So what about the disadvantages and why should you be cautious about going with a VoIP provider? To begin with, and most would agree that this is the big negative that you have to deal with, it takes a lot of power to run this type of application. If there is a service interruption, you’re a dead duck. Unlike regular phone service which can operate if there is no electricity running, this is not the case with VoIP service.

Another key disadvantage relates to the placing of emergency phone call. The 911 system relies on the traceability of your call in order to reach you as quickly as possible should an emergency exist. VoIP calls cannot be traced and therefore cannot lead rescuers to your aid.

Additionally, there are some other minor annoyances involved with switching your phone service to a VoIP provider, but the bottom line is that the advantages supposedly still outweigh the disadvantages.