|
|
|
5 Reasons Your Business Should Switch to VoIP
Today, many businesses are choosing to unplug and go with VoIP
technology. There are many advantages for using VoIP including
cost effectiveness, greater productivity, and the incorporation
of data, audio, and video all intertwined in one...
VoIP - A Layman's Look - Should You or Shouldn't You?
So what's all this VoIP hype anyway? I mean we all know that our
voice can be delivered to the four corners of the globe over
telephone lines. (Actually, I missed that part of second grade
math where they taught us that a ball has corners,...
VoIP - Calling Options With Voice Over Internet Protocol
One of the reasons VoIP is so poplar is it affords users
multiple methods for placing a phone call. Here are some choices
you have when you use VoIP services:
Buy an IP phone
You can purchase a special phone that looks much like...
Ways to Use VoIP Technology
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, uses your broadband
internet connection to place phone calls. By converting your
voice (or analog) signal into a digital signal, this makes for a
more efficient way to talk on the phone and can save you...
What In The World Is VoIP?
VoIP is the acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol. You may
have also heard VoIP referred to as Internet Voice, Voice Over
The Internet or IP Telephony.
VoIP is a technology that lets a person use a broadband Internet
connection to make...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
VoIP Small Business/Home Business Advantage
Small businesses, home-based businesses, and self-employed
individuals have been turning to internet telephone service
(also called broadband phone or VOIP) in droves. What is the
attraction? As a self-employed, telecommuting,
small-business-owning freelance writer, I can provide some
insight.
I switched my business to internet phones early in 2005. Despite
a few hiccups, I'm not going back to landlines. Internet phone
service has too many advantages, which I'll describe for you. I
also have some tips for avoiding possible rough patches.
VOIP Internet Phone Small Business and SOHO Advantages
VOIP Advantage No. 1: Look bigger.
* If your small business has to seem large, a virtual PBX with a
dial-by-name directory might help. These systems cost thousands
to install. But many VOIP companies let you rent this service
for less than a hundred dollars a month.
* Give each member of your team their own outside line. With
most VOIP companies, each line costs around $10.
* Get one or more 1-800 numbers at around $10/month.
VOIP Advantage No 2. Freedom of movement.
* Freedom to travel. When I went to Sacramento to visit a
friend, I ended up extending my stay to a whole month. I
couldn't have done that without regular phone access. With VOIP,
my Massachusetts number follows me wherever I go.
* Tropical adventures. I regularly work with a virtual assistant
company that takes phone calls on their Quebec phone number
everyday. That wouldn't be so strange except they're in the
Philippines. They're using the same small business VOIP phone
service sold right here in North America. True, VOIP companies
don't generally guarantee their services will work outside the
country of purchase. But the internet is the internet, whether
in Fargo or the South Pacific. With the growth of broadband to
virtually every non-pariah nation on earth, your second office
really could be in a tropical paradise--or year-round ski
resort. Isn't that the freedom you hoped being your own boss
would bring?
* Telecommuting. Feel a cold coming? Work from home! With VOIP,
even the receptionist may be able to telecommute!
* Voicemail by email. You don't have to be by the phone to get
voicemail. This is the perfect service for busy people and email
addicts. Bonus: the message (in a file similar those used on MP3
players) can be stored
indefinitely.
Internet Phone Advantage 3. Cost
* Make lots of calls? Many VOIP providers' unlimited-calling
plans cost just $20 to $80 a month.
* Features such as call waiting, caller ID, hold, call
forwarding, and multiple ring-to numbers are usually costly
extras with landline service. With most VOIP services, those are
built-in features.
SOHO VOIP: Tips for Making it Work for Your Business
SOHO VOIP Tip 1. Test internet phoning out before committing.
Yes, some VOIP connections are so scratchy and patchy they sound
like cell phones. That's usually because of a problem in the
internet connection. Such problems may not be apparent in
ordinary web browsing and file downloading. Go with a service
that has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Try VOIP out where you
live and work. Make sure to try inbound and outbound calls.
Small Business Internet Phone Tip 2. Phoning from a laptop.
With VOIP telephones, you don't need a computer. But you can use
your computer as a phone. A piece of software called a
"softphone" uses your computer's speakers and microphone. If
your laptop is running too many programs at once, calls will
deteriorate. Higher-end laptops shouldn't have this problem.
SOHO Internet Phones Tip 3. Go with an established VOIP company.
You don't want to lose your telephone service and possibly your
number. Yet only a few VOIP companies have roots before 2000.
Choose a service with deep enough roots to survive a VOIP
industry shake-out.
Small Biz Internet Phoning Tip 4. Choose a provider carefully
before putting the number on your business cards.
Switching VOIP companies is at least as much of a pain as
switching landline phone companies. In fact, there is typically
no outward number-portability. You can bring a number in, but
good luck taking it with you. Researching in early 2005, I found
no nationwide VOIP services officially offering outward number
portability.
Choose a VOIP provider with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Test
the service out thoroughly. One thing is likely: you may want to
switch VOIP providers, but you won't want to go back to
landline.
About the author:
Joel Walsh, freelance writer and small business owner,
recommends you check out Packet8, an established: VOIP service povider:
http://www.packet8.net
|
|
|
|
|
| Voice over IP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Encyclopedia article with background information, technical details, and the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP. |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Voice-Over-Internet Protocol |
| An overview of VoIP from the Federal Communications Commission. With news, FAQs, factsheets, and findings. |
| www.fcc.gov |
|
| voip-info.org - voip-info.org |
| A wiki that covers VoIP software, hardware, service providers, reviews, configurations, and standards. |
| www.voip-info.org |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| VoIP - Internet Telephony |
| voip, Internet Telephony Magazine. ... Internet Telephony is the leading VoIP magazine in the world covering all topics VoIP. ... |
| www.tmcnet.com |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
|