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How VoIP phones work
Long distance phone calls will never be the same again thanks to
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The basic premise for this
technology is to convert analog audio signals into digital data
for transmission over the Internet, a technique which...
VoIP And E911 Service
In the event of an emergency, are you capable of receiving the
emergency response from calling 911 that you normally expect
when using a traditional phone line? In the United States as
well as Canada, a 911 call placed from your telephone is...
VoIP Communications Set Up Demo With Circuit City's
 1-866-904-VoIP 893 Highway 138 W Suites 10 Stockbridge, GA 30281 December 9, 2004 Circuit City Store ATTN: General Manager/Mr. Will Hughes 1906 Mt Zion Road Morrow, GA 30360 Dear Mr. Will Hughes: Per request by Mrs. Sara, at the Circuit...
VoIP is the new communication paradigm
In a world where things happen pretty quickly, there is a quiet revolution going on around the world. It has been ten or more years in the making and threatenining to force a new paradigm shift in communication. Having its debut in Israel, and...
VoIP Telephony: Is It the Right Fit for You?
It’s everything you ever wanted to know about VoIP but were afraid to ask. That may be dramatizing it a little, but as the new technology buzz in business it may be a little intimidating for some potential users. In fact there are many residences...
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How to Choose the Right VoIP Service
The Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service is in a state of
flux, and is still a budding technology that will offer several
new features as it matures. While it is true to say that there
are many providers in the VoIP market with "unique" features of
their own, one factor is common to all: they rely on the
broadband Internet connection and do not bring the traditional
telephone providers into the scheme of things. In the process,
they offer price packages that are substantially lower than the
traditional phone connection. So how do you evaluate one service
provider vis-à-vis another, and then install the connection in
your office or home? What should be your focus in selecting a
specific provider?
Here are a few tips that will assist you in your choice.
Suitability to your specific requirements
For a start, you must weigh the features offered by the leading
providers such as Vonage, Lingo, and Skype, and apply those
features to your specific work environment and requirements. A
service provider might offer the best of features, but they
aren't any good if you cannot use them. If your priority is to
make a large volume of international calls, particularly to
Europe and Asia, Lingo is for you. Lingo is also a good option
if you travel out of the US because you can carry your US number
wherever you go and call the US at local rates. Lingo also comes
with the lowest price for its range of features. Skype is
different from Lingo and Vonage in one important respect: it
does not use a telephone as a go-between. While the Skype
outgoing and incoming calls to/from a normal telephone is still
to fan out in terms of dependability, Skype is the best option
if you and your computer are inseparable and you have friends
and family who are similarly inclined. For PC-to-PC calls, Skype
is the best voice portal, and there is no price tag attached.
Voice quality and reliability
If your first priority is consistently good call quality, and
you don't mind paying a bit more, consider Vonage. Vonage comes
with almost identical features as Lingo, but there is minimal
in-call lag and echo experience. With Lingo, be prepared to
sacrifice on the quality of calls. In the
competitive
marketplace, each service provider promises the best of service
and voice quality, and you cannot be sure about the product. If
you are investing in a monthly/quarterly/annual contract, it is
best to settle for a package that has a money-back guarantee
behind it. Both Vonage and Lingo offer trial periods.
Installation complicacies
You also need to consider how easy--or how difficult--it is to
install the service, both as a business option and for home use.
For a single user, the process is not half as complicated as for
multiple users in an office environment. You must be sure that
the saving you make from an economically viable service is not
offset by the installation costs. For example, you must keep in
mind that in an office environment, the VoIP usage will put
additional stress on your broadband connection, and you might
have to invest in increasing your Internet capability.
Broadband connectivity issues
Remember that VoIP needs broadband connectivity to be
functional. Prior to reaching a final decision on a VoIP
package, you need to do a bit of research on the bandwidth that
the service requires, and then ensure that your Internet service
provider is able to match up. If you face regular power or
Internet outages, you may end up paying for a service you cannot
put to optimal use. In such situations, it is always advisable
to retain your traditional phone line as a backup.
Flexibility to opt out
VoIP is still in a nascent stage, and the future may bring in
new providers with richer services. Therefore, it is important
not to get into a long-term contract or commitment with any
service provider; keep the flexibility-to-switch option with
you.
Internet telephony is the future, and even some traditional
telephone service providers have conceded this by initiating
VoIP packages of their own. The choices are many, and growing.
As the user, it is finally up to you to use the right package to
your best advantage.
About the author:
Hamesh Brown enjoys writing about VoIP. For more information,
see this review of VoIP service.
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| Voice over IP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Encyclopedia article with background information, technical details, and the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP. |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Voice-Over-Internet Protocol |
| An overview of VoIP from the Federal Communications Commission. With news, FAQs, factsheets, and findings. |
| www.fcc.gov |
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| voip-info.org - voip-info.org |
| A wiki that covers VoIP software, hardware, service providers, reviews, configurations, and standards. |
| www.voip-info.org |
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| Howstuffworks "How VoIP Works" |
| Voice over Internet Protocol lets you make free long-distance phone calls using your computer. It’s essentially a phone network that uses the Internet ... |
| www.howstuffworks.com |
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| VOIP.ORG.UK - The UK resource for IP telephony |
| UK resource with the emphasis on small businesses and home users. Includes news, reviews, and forums. |
| www.voip.org.uk |
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| Packet8: VoIP Internet Phone Service Provider and Voice Over IP ... |
| Packet8 offers VoIP Internet Phone Service and Voice Over IP Telephony phone systems. |
| www.packet8.net |
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| Voip |
| 1-800-TRY-VOIP; Voip.com: do more, pay less. Use a broadband connection and your voip.com adapter to make and receive calls using a regular phone. |
| www.voip.com |
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| Vonage - Leading the Internet Phone Revolution |
| Use your high-speed Internet connection to make all of your phone calls with Vonage digital phone service. Plans start at $14.99 per month. |
| www.vonage.com |
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| VoipBuster - The Free* Calls Company |
| Free* phone calls with the VoipBuster. Call your online friends for free as well as a special selection of popular international destinations. |
| www.voipbuster.com |
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| The VoIP Weblog |
| OK, VoIP customers, the $24.99 a month party is just about over. ... The issue definitely kept me from switching to a VoIP service for over a year because I ... |
| voip.weblogsinc.com |
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| IVR Platforms / IVR Hosting / IVR Development |
| Get to market quickly with our A to Z VoIP platforms and services >> ... Our IVR and VOIP hosting, turnkey platforms, and developer services - powered by ... |
| www.voxeo.com |
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| VoIP |
| Connecting a business to a VoIP network doesn’t require a big, expensive integration overhaul. Quintum’s VoIP access solutions are designed with “integrated ... |
| www.tmcnet.com |
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| VoIP - Internet Telephony |
| voip, Internet Telephony Magazine. ... Internet Telephony is the leading VoIP magazine in the world covering all topics VoIP. ... |
| www.tmcnet.com |
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| Convergence & VoIP - Network World |
| The Convergence & VoIP research center is your source for the latest convergence and VoIP news, analysis and research links from Network World. |
| www.networkworld.com |
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| VoIP News - Enterprise, Carrier, Small Business VoIP Information |
| VoIP news, trends, experts, product reviews. Carrier and enterprise-class voice over ip. |
| www.voip-news.com |
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| O'Reilly Network -- What Is VoIP |
| Ted Wallingford looks at why the VoIP technology, the key ingredient in Vonage, Skype, Cisco CallManager, and a host of other technology products, ... |
| www.oreillynet.com |
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| What is VoIP? - A Word Definition From the Webopedia Computer ... |
| This page describes the term VoIP and lists other pages on the Web where you can find additional information. |
| www.webopedia.com |
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| Access >> VoIP | CNET News.com |
| EarthLink expands VoIP service. Eight more cities will get access to Net phone service that requires no ... Verizon sues Vonage for VoIP patent infringement ... |
| news.com.com |
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| Pages tagged with "voip" on del.icio.us |
| All items tagged voip ??? view popular ... SunRocket Internet Phone Service · save this. by dbrogdon to VOIP ... saved by 18 other people ... 3 hours ago ... |
| del.icio.us |
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| VoIP (Voice Over IP) Solutions - AudioCodes |
| VoIP, VoP Chip Processors and Voice over IP packets solutions developed by AudioCodes, leaders in the VoIP market for VoIP equipment and VoIP technology. |
| www.audiocodes.com |
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