For many years after the onset of IP telephony, the dark cloud with VoIP voice calls was always quality and reliability. It was not only the physical aspects but from a reputation standpoint, nothing was more damaging to IP telephony than those two issues. It was almost like the individuals on each end of the call were testing cheap walkie-talkies. Thankfully, those days are long gone. Many improvements have been made in recent years gone by where VoIP voice calls are concerned, and it has finally begun to offset the finickiest of attitudes that were founded in the quality of landline services that had spoiled the user.

Unfortunately, prior to a solution ever being developed, all that was ever heard were the complaints, never the reasons or the solutions. However, all is well now with quality and reliability factors, and they continue to improve. But have you ever wondered what actually affects the quality of VoIP voice calls? The following content discusses those things that have any effect on the quality.

Bandwidth – this is probably the biggest contributor or detractor of voice quality with VoIP voice calls. It is the key to voice quality and probably the biggest reason why dial-up and VoIP telephony are not good bedfellows. As long as it is not “spotty”, a broadband connection usually performs equitable where voice quality is concerned. Additionally, the sharing with too many other communication applications also affects voice quality. One of the biggest drawbacks with VoIP voice calls is the dependency on sufficient bandwidth.

Equipment – VoIP hardware can have a tremendous impact on voice quality of VoIP voice calls. Typically, the cheaper the hardware the poorer the quality, but that isn’t always the case — just most of the time. Before investing your hard earned money into that nifty VoIP phone, make sure that you get a good idea of quality factors with the phone itself, the router, and if applicable the ATA (analog telephony adapter). Read all the reviews you can get your hands on and even visit some forums when you get the chance.

Phone Frequencies – you can often experience interference with other VoIP equipment due to the frequency of your VoIP phone. The quality VoIP voice calls is very subject to frequency issues. There have been numerous instances where people who are using 5.8 GHz phones have experienced voice quality problems. In most of these instances, downgrading to a 2.4 GHz phone (which operates at a lower frequency) solved the voice quality issue that was plaguing the user.

Weather Conditions - voice quality of VoIP voice calls can be terribly distorted by static which results from thunderstorms and the effect they have on static electricity in the atmosphere. Additionally, the voice quality can be affected by the following climatic conditions as well:

• electrical impulses
• heavy rain
• strong gusts of wind

Characteristically, this static intrusion is not so noticeable when downloading files or surfing the internet, but when you’re listening to a voice it is very annoying. Usually, all that is needed to get rid of static is to unplug your hardware (i.e. the ATA, phone, and router) and then plug it back in after waiting 20-30 seconds. Normally, this alleviates the static problem with VoIP voice calls.

Location of your hardware – during voice communications, interference is like a poison for voice quality. Noise and other related problems are known to occur when different pieces of VoIP equipment interferes with each other, and this in turn damages the voice quality of those VoIP voice calls. As an example, if your ATA is too close to your router, there could be voice quality problems. This is an electrical feedback issue and can usually be resolved by moving the pieces of equipment farther apart.

Small and medium sized businesses around the world have enhanced their communications abilities and reduced their costs by using VoIP solutions. Not only have costs been reduced, but efficiency and productivity levels are up as well. This in itself is a major benefit to companies who have had cost issues with their phone service and have had issues with employee productivity. Per-employee productivity has increased in most companies primarily due to the factors that VoIP solutions provide businesses and individuals with.

VoIP service providers have experienced certain obstacles as they began penetrating the SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) market. Spending their monetary resources in order to assess client networks and plan the deployment thereof, is one of the major problems as VoIP providers are unable to do this.

Additionally, call quality and call set-up problems require the presence of a technician on-site, and the importance of “lifecycle management” with VoIP solutions can be an issue at times. Once the concepts are in place VoIP service providers no longer have to worry about call quality and set-up problems. So what exactly do we mean by “lifecycle management?”

Lifecycle management solutions in conjunction with VoIP solutions enable certain services to be availed to the SME market sector. It involves several aspects or functions such as maintaining service quality and a no hassle delivery of VoIP solutions to clients. In the past performing these functions over different networks has generally been a nagging problem. Service providers have always been concerned with major areas, specifically ease of deployment and scalability. Mostly lifecycle management solutions are used within the context of an SME organization takes care of these two areas.

VoIP solutions play an extremely important role in the monitoring and reporting of all the numerous statistics surrounding VoIP service and calling. Deployment methods are relatively simple and solutions can be scaled progressively in order to monitor market dynamics and trends. This is all necessary information for the numerous SME’s in that it provides them with an efficient system of tracking what is cost-effective in their broad communications infrastructure as well as what is hurting them financially.

VoIP solutions and their providers are continually improving the integration process so that has a no hassle switch over to VoIP technology from the standard telephone network. Many VoIP service providers have grown dependent upon lifecycle management solutions in order to integrate the deployment and scalability of VoIP solutions.

Corporate business solutions that pertain to communications and their communications infrastructure are an essential part of the everyday operations of the organization. The latest VoIP telephony innovations are being implemented within VoIP solutions. These highly specialized services are a major contributor to the growth and the diversification of many SME’s. And this is becoming knowledge to SME’s on a global scale. For this reason, VoIP technology will continue to cater to SME’s as well as individual users.

Finally, there are a multitude of options afforded the SME by virtue of the many VoIP solutions that are now available on the market. VoIP carrier services facilitate specific needs of the businesses especially where cost-effectiveness is concerned, ensuring companies against exorbitant telecommunications charges. Therefore, it follows that a minimal level of impact to infrastructure costs is ensured as well.

In addition to the fact that integrating communications networks has become so cost-effective for businesses, certain additional advantages of VoIP solutions are afforded the SME’s. These advantages go a long way in facilitating the corporate processes and leaving a very favorable impact on the client’s psyche. Integrated multimedia messaging and other voice services (sometimes very specialized at that) are two services that both the corporation and their clients benefit from on an ongoing basis.

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.

If you’re in business, then you know what cost-effectiveness is and what a critical factor it can be to the lifeblood of that business. Additionally, if you operate a business that is call-center oriented, and a large portion of the calling involves international calls, then you already know what a nightmare that monthly phone bill from you landline service can be. Here’s a suggestion. Dump that landline service and get with the VoIP program. It won’t take you long to realize what a savings there is when you see your VoIP billing.

A cheaper phone service using VoIP technology, the office PC’s, and of course, a broadband internet connection, seems to be the way to go with the SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) because of this cost-effectiveness which shows on that monthly VoIP billing. However, you’re a little concerned about the bugs and glitches that always seem to accompany these newer types of technology. Here are five helpful tips that will enable you to have a better phone experience, as well as help improve your VoIP network where business operations are concerned.

Helpful Tip #1 – Before you order your VoIP service, make sure that your current network can handle voice capabilities as well as normal data. Having separate networks to handle data and voice is very expensive, both with the initial act of installation and with monthly expense. Besides the issue of saving money, you will be afforded a more uniform and level of communication when you can run data and voice over the same network using a cheap internet phone service with VoIP billing.

Helpful Tip #2 – Before you start up your VoIP service, make sure all the right management tools are in place. Investing in a cheap internet phone service will not be of any benefit to you and your business if you haven’t installed the proper software to manage and monitor incoming and outgoing calls. Monitoring voice quality is also a task that should be performed so you can adjust echo and noise factors more easily. Finally, it doesn’t hurt to monitor your VoIP billing from a cost standpoint as it should be considerably less than your prior landline service.

Helpful Tip #3 – Configuring QoS (Quality of Service) will give your voice traffic the priority with your VoIP service and VoIP billing. QoS allows the prioritizing of certain types or classes of traffic. In a VoIP network, you should always prioritize voice over all the other types and classes of traffic.

Helpful Tip #4 – It’s imperative that each and every one of your employees/ staff members get trained properly to use your cheap internet phone service. Even having the best network, service, software, and inexpensive VoIP billing mean absolutely nothing, if your staff isn’t educated about the new technology so, the things that your employees need to be skilled at or understanding of are:
• basic technical savvy of the hardware and software involved with the system
• communication processes that are well defined
• data flow of the system

Reason #5 – Before you fire up that VoIP system, make sure your network is safe and secure. All cheap internet phone service and VoIP billing providers continue to share in the same dilemma even though significant improvements are on the horizon. VoIP is in the process of developing encryption support, but until it is developed thoroughly and then implemented, hackers can interrupt the data stream and steal secure information such as login information, system passwords, and even credit card numbers. Take steps to protect both your data and voice traffic by using encryption before you start using VoIP.

Suffice it to say, it doesn’t matter if you’re not a mechanic, however you still have to know how to drive the car. A cheap internet phone service with VoIP billing in your business should not create barriers between your data staff and your voice staff since they will both be using the same system together.

SIP telephony is yet another great benefit for PC users. There are other VoIP signaling protocols, but SIP is characterized by its proponents having their roots in the IP telephony sector rather than the telecommunications sector. Despite the fact that SIP calls technology works in conjunction with a variety of signaling protocols, it is only involved in the signaling aspects of communications.

When asking about SIP calls, despite the fact that the technology typically applies to two person calls, it is also available for larger companies to use both as an inter-office up to and including international applications. For many organizations, this proves to be a very cost-effective move in switching over to a VoIP provider. They are not only afforded the ability of making calls using the internet and their network, but it is now possible for them to have clients, employees, and partners in attendance by virtue of conferencing calls. This means on a local, regional, national, and international basis.

So what exactly is SIP? SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol and is a specific protocol affording the user the ability to use their telephone for traditional telephone calls simply by using an internet connection. Anymore, it seems like anyone you talk to is experiencing this type of calling technology and people are turning to SIP calls technology in increasing numbers all the time.

In fact, on a global scale, approximately 15,000 people every month are switching over to some type of VoIP phone service in order to make SIP calls. The nice thing about the technology is that you use your PC so no extra phone lines are required. Additionally, whatever equipment is needed is relatively inexpensive and in some cases, the VoIP service provider includes some of the necessary equipment in their start-up package.

The concept of SIP calls is so appealing because it comes with many of the same features that you have enjoyed with the standard landline telephone service. With the traditional phone service, you have call forwarding, call waiting, missed call notifications, and voicemail (to name a few). With SIP, these features are very inexpensive and in most situations they are included in your subscription price.

When dealing with SIP calls, not only do you get the aforementioned features, but you get so much more such as calling from websites, Instant Messaging, video conferencing, and also voice e-commerce. It is no secret that many VoIP service providers take advantage of SIP technology for the signaling capabilities to provide their services. Certain businesses such as airports, colleges, and hotels are taking advantage of SIP calls and VoIP service. In airports and hotels, movies-on-demand are now being provided using SIP technology. Colleges are now switching over to this from their standard landline service.

All you need in order to start making SIP calls is a broadband cable or DSL internet connection and a SIP provider. Once you have these things, you are on your way to enjoying the conveniences and the reduced costs that you benefit from by using VoIP service for your calling needs.

VoIP is so simple and easy to use, and there are just so many options involved with it. SIP calls can also be made when you are away from home, as long as your destination has internet connectivity. And that is a bonus for the traveler in that most of the better hotels and motels you stay at now have internet connectivity. So many business people travel with their laptops anymore when they are off on business that it has become a necessity that the hotel or motel has the convenience for its guests.

With businesses whose calling is based on a global scale, saving on costs becomes even more crucial since VoIP systems avail the business of huge cost-cutting capabilities. Cutting down communications costs always takes a top spot on management’s financial agenda. IP telephony calls is the perfect route to take for businesses that operate using global communications as part of their business format since it has revolutionized the communications industry and now businesses can avail themselves of the benefits.

Considering the fact that the majority of the companies in the US (and other countries as well) have their businesses “wired” to some type of networking, it makes sense that businesses would be jumping on the IP telephony calls bandwagon themselves. Additionally, when you consider the fact that cutting costs is a common goal with all businesses large or small, it becomes inevitable that they would at least investigate the features and benefits that converting over to VoIP communications brings them.

Regardless of the issues at hand, and whether IP telephony calls are made by individuals or used in business, there are a few areas that rarely get covered regarding VoIP service and technology. VoIP is more popular now than ever, and many people are wondering if and when that growth and popularity will ever stop. Suffice it to say, as the technology keeps improving, so to does the amount of people taking advantage of it.

There are certain advantages involved with IP telephony calls that don’t happen with the more traditional phone calls. One of the major advantages is that you can have your calls routed to your VOIP phone wherever you are due to the mobility and portability factors. Simply connect your VOIP phone to the Internet and you can get all your important calls without missing any of them. And let’s face it — how many major hotels and motels do you know of that do not have internet connectivity available to their guests anymore. It’s a rarity at best.

When you’re dealing with IP telephony calls, there is the issue of peer to peer internet telephony. This is just a fancier name for the way in which local, long distance, and international calls are made. Calls get routed directly to the computer that is receiving them. The key factor with peer to peer telephony is that central servers are not used for transferring the calls via the internet. The peer to peer concept can refer to any entity that makes IP telephony calls — individuals, businesses, government agencies, etc. The biggest reason behind the peer to peer concept is the fact that it can be used for any purpose by anybody.

Moving from the positive aspects of IP telephony calls, we move to one of the negatives — “SPIT”, or Spam over Internet Technology. As with any product involving computers and the internet, you can’t escape the malady of Spam. And with VoIP technology it refers to junk mail in the form of voice mails over IP telephony. Computer experts employed by one of the major landline and cellular providers recently coined the term SPIT. Like its close relative Spam, SPIT takes full advantage of the ability of technology to automate routine tasks quickly and at a negligible cost.

As far as businesses are concerned, it isn’t hard to imagine why increasing numbers are making the switch to IP telephony calls. The six biggest reasons for companies to switch over to this type of are as follows:

1. better business continuity
2. cost-effective use of corporate resources
3. improved mobility
4. improved productivity
5. operational cost savings (typically 30%)
6. reduced capital expenditure

Certain broadband providers, especially cable companies, are predicted as the winners in this scenario as their businesses stand to gain the most revenues as consumers make the switch over to IP telephony calls. It appears that every day, there are more improvements to VoIP technology, hence the continual growth in consumer popularity.

The concept of internet telephony VoIP was born out of a need for more cost-effective communication options for the individual, and until recently, this was very much the case with the internet user as well as those who continually shuddered in fear of opening their monthly telephone bills. However, within the past few years, business owners worldwide are beginning to realize the huge benefit that it has to them as well.

VoIP transmits audio and voice files over the internet and the signals can be received over the internet, a VoIP telephone, or a standard landline as well. The standard landline needs to be plugged into an ATA (analog telephony adapter) but this is a minor expense and most internet telephony VoIP service providers issue these in the initial start-up package that you receive once you have signed up with the service.

The state of art VoIP service providers in the internet US VoIP industry had to comply with regulations that seemed related to the traditional telecommunications companies were adhering to till today by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). With this enforcement, VoIP providers must:
• Develop special services catering to the requirements of people with disabilities
• Aid law enforcement agencies permission to conduct surveillance related to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA)
• Pay regulatory fees that are liable and universal service contributions
• Support local phone number portability which becomes essential

If you are looking for internet telephony VoIP services for your business, it is best to look for the features that your businesses will benefit from. These may include unlimited audio and web conferencing, easy and budgeted messaging services, comprehensive business solutions, reliable hosting services, superior voice quality, high quality IP phones, and “Road Warrior” mobility. Business customers also look for adaptability (with PBX), how easy is it to set-up and cost-effectiveness in the long run.

As it stands at the present time, there are numerous VoIP service providers that can provide a business with systems that achieve cost-cutting goals using internet telephony VoIP. Normally, there are three basic requirements in order to implement the service:

• Broadband cable or DSL connection for internet access
• VoIP hardware (VoIP telephones)
• Subscription to a VoIP service provider

With businesses whose calling is based on a global scale, saving on costs becomes even more crucial since VoIP systems avail the business of huge cost-cutting capabilities. Cutting down communications costs always takes a top spot on management’s financial agenda. Internet telephony VoIP is the perfect route to take for businesses that operate using global communications as part of their business format since it has revolutionized the communications industry and now businesses can avail themselves of the benefits.
Since more and more users are switching daily from standard telephone calling to internet telephony VoIP, the global PSTN network is crying out for some government intervention in numerous countries to start regulating VoIP in the same way that standard telephone companies are being regulated. The phone company monopolies that still exist in other countries are the main entities pushing the equal regulation issue with one purpose in mind — to stifle the competition.

Considering the fact that the majority of the companies in the US (and other countries as well) have their businesses “wired” to some type of networking, it makes sense that businesses would be jumping on the internet telephony VoIP bandwagon themselves. Additionally, when you consider the fact that cutting costs is a common goal with all businesses large or small, it becomes inevitable that they would at least investigate the features and benefits that converting over to VoIP communications brings them.

Internet telephony VoIP may not be the “do-all-be-all” of telecommunications, but the technology is improving continually, and it stands to reason that more and more businesses will be switching on a regular basis.

VoIP service carriers/providers have become the solution to modern day telephony needs, and VoIP technology could not have hit the scene at a more opportune time. With all the individuals, home businesses, and corporations out there that pay huge phone bills every month, VoIP telephony is like a breath of fresh air to most of us that are currently using it. As a result of the gaining popularity of VoIP phone service, the time to eventually bid a fond farewell to public service telephone networks, or PSTN’s, may be getting closer than you think.

PSTN’s use optical fibers, whereas VoIP telephony employs “packet switching” over the internet to carry one’s voice. This enables the user to conduct conversations globally if they so choose, with greater functionality and at a greater savings compared to standard telephone service. Additionally, businesses are now saving tremendous amounts of money on telephone costs by incorporating VoIP telephony into their communications infrastructure. So everyone benefits, whether it’s on a residential or a commercial basis.

Businesses that convert to this new communications technology are required to have their own network of VoIP gateway switches that connect the users inside the company with a PSTN. Business clients of VoIP telephony service providers are afforded a variety of support functions as well. Hardware devices are offered so that call quality and call volume can be monitored by the powers-to-be, and even when one is sitting in their office they can call conference without leaving their friendly confines. These self-contained private networks, as well as all the other perks are made possible by employing VoIP telephony.

There are also VoIP wholesalers. These are service providers who make their money by selling time on extensive networks to other providers or non-involved third parties. To carry this further and to expand connections around the world, these third parties will provide (at a price of course) pre-paid calling cards that are affiliated with other VoIP service providers. In this way, VoIP service providers are enabled to maximize the use of their own networks while enabling VoIP telephony capabilities to many more end users of the technology.

By availing yourself of the technology that service carriers provide, you are able to enjoy many of the latest features such as call forwarding, call waiting, conference calling, and voice mail — just to name a few. VoIP telephony is available on a business or corporate scale as well as for residential purposes. These plans include free call options as well as cheap long distance and international calling. In some cases, long distance starts for as little as $0.03 per minute. Additionally, there have been savings of up to 50% on calls to Europe and 80% on calls to China and Japan.

VoIP telephony is very cost-effective whether it’s for business or residential use and provides the user with the same conversation and voice quality as what you get with the PSTN service providers. The companies that deal with wholesale VoIP service providers are backed with the modern solutions that satisfy VoIP telephony needs and requirements.

For years now, the traditional PSTN providers and other traditional telecommunications operators have been utilizing their infrastructure to provide special calling services by virtue of intelligent network architecture. Most of the problems that VoIP telephony faces today involve router congestion which may have something to do with the fact that the audio quality is not completely on par with standard telephone service. Though VoIP voice quality and connectivity have improved radically since the onset of VoIP telephony in the telecommunications market, it still has a way to go to equal the quality of PSTN voice quality.

The concept of the VoIP telephone is growing in popularity in leaps and bounds, primarily because the technology itself is so cost-effective and it works so easily. These phones are just like your standard telephone except for two key differences — the cost to use the service and the service provider. VoIP is internet driven so your call goes through your internet connection. Some VoIP telephone calls are free, depending on the equipment and service the person on the receiving end has, but the real savings are in long distance and international calls. Sometimes the savings are 80% or more over what you had been paying with your landline service.

Another key factor with VoIP telephony is that voice quality is now better than ever before and most calls sound as clear as what you experience with your landline service. The days of static-laden calls and even dropped calls are long gone, and improvements are continually being made to the clarity and quality of the calls. Even the quality of long distance and international calls is better.

With a VoIP telephone, you can receive calls from anywhere in the world since they are routed directly to your phone. It’s a simple matter of maintaining your internet connection. Instant messaging is also facilitated with your phone and the VoIP services that you subscribe to.

In addition to the above, there are considerable business applications as well. Call centers are thriving worldwide using VoIP telephones and the cost savings are immense for these businesses compared to their former telephone services. So the technology is benefiting businesses as well as the individual. The bottom line is that a VoIP telephone enables you to enjoy the benefits that VoIP technology provides the user.

So what equipment is needed in order to enjoy VoIP phone service? Besides your PC and a broadband cable or DSL internet connection, you may need some of the following equipment or accessories:

• VoIP Hardware – a VoIP telephone which can be plugged into a broadband router and a network
• VoIP adapters – if you are using an analog telephone, you will need an ATA or Analog Telephony Adapter
• Softphone – a software-based phone that operates using your PC and internet connection, as well as a USB phone or handset
• Subscription to a VoIP service

In some countries (such as the UK), you may need an RJ11 adapter in order to convert a standard BT connector to an international one. RJ11 adapters can be purchased along with a VoIP telephone adapter. If you need to purchase a broadband router, make sure that it has built-in VoIP and can be used as a VoIP phone adapter. You can purchase a router like this online.

Where the business applications are concerned, VoIP telephones are helping corporations change their policies regarding global communication issues as well as putting them more in touch with their international business associates and partners. The biggest benefit here is that you have the capabilities of using your VoIP telephone anywhere in the world while getting cost-effective rates. Some of the calls may even be free of charge. The calls can be automatically forwarded to your VoIP phone no matter where in the world you are. This enables the user a great deal of functionality as well as mobility.

It can be said that a VoIP telephone is definitely a thinking person’s kind of technology you are enabling the entire world to move closer to you as you move through it. After all, VoIP service and technology have changed the telecommunications landscape for the better as well as the way in which people communicate with one another.

Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP is a phone service that utilizes a PC and is internet driven. It is also referred to as a broadband phone, and your VoIP service can be either computer-based or landline-based. When you use your PC to make a call, you are normally employing the use of the PC’s speakers and a separate microphone, or you use a headset that has earphones and a microphone attached. There are also phone-based services wherein you use a regular phone or a VoIP phone. The difference is that the call is sent out over the internet instead of copper wiring. A phone-based VoIP service is used in similar fashion to that of your normal landline service.

So what are the benefits of VoIP service compared to standard landline service? Well, initially the cost is up to 60% cheaper overall, and this continues to be the biggest selling factor of the technology. Additionally, VoIP service comes with all the standard features of a landline phone except without the majority of the cost.

Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Caller ID, and even Conference Calling are all viewed as standard features with some VoIP service packages. There are several providers who now offer unlimited local and long distance calls with their plans, therefore providing the user with even greater savings overall. You don’t even have to purchase a long distance calling card. Probably the most attractive feature of a VoIP service plan is that so many of the providers out there are now offering unlimited calls to other people who subscribe to the same service. You can also talk as long as you want without incurring any additional fees.

VoIP service is best suited for the individual or business that makes a lot of long distance and international calls and is desirous of decreasing their monthly phone bills. The other attractive feature is that you have the ability of being able to carry your phone number with you anywhere in the world when you do a lot of traveling.

In today’s world, individuals and businesses alike are always in pursuit of a common goal when it comes to communications — faster and cheaper service — and VoIP service is the vehicle that enables that goal. There are certain service providers that are charging less than$25 per month for unlimited local and long distance calls.

Home business owners are another group of smart consumers that are taking advantage of the technology because they also recognize the cost-effectiveness of VoIP service. In addition to this, those users that are already taking advantage of this technology realize that VoIP is the future of communications on a global level.

Current statistics show that in the US alone in 2004, there were roughly 1.2 million VoIP subscribers. It is estimated that there will be nearly 24 million by 2009. In the Asian and Pacific Regions, there are 12.8 million users with a projected growth to nearly 93 million by 2012. By 2011, it is estimated that there will be 1.2 billion VoIP subscribers globally and will account for over $150 billion (USD) in revenues. It is estimated that 1.5 million people every month are subscribing to VoIP service.

Despite all of the above, it is amazing to know that many consumers do not realize that so many features come standard with VoIP service, and they just assume that there will be additional charges in order to have the same features as what they currently have with their landline service provider. Of course, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The other issue that consumers need to be aware of is the fact that many of the VoIP service providers out there want your business, so they have gotten very competitive. As a result of this, the consumer is advised to shop thoroughly and not just subscribe to the first VoIP service provider that catches their eye.