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A Layman's Look At VoIP - Should You Or Shouldn't You?
“As business people we manufacture shin pads, or we distribute cat food, or we evangelize, but should we be considering VoIP? Will it make us more money, or save us time?”
So what’s all this VoIP hype anyway? I mean we all know that our voice...
Intentions Behind the VoIP Industry
Most VoIP
providers have now realized what a lucrative industry
they've chosen to enter, and are trying to beat other providers
in the areas of cost and functionality, in order to catch a
large market share in the coming months and years.
...
Is VoIP the 'Next Big Thing' in Telecommunications?
VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol has been simmering for the past few years. This year the market has heated up. Many large businesses have jumped on the VoIP bandwagon and have realized savings of 50-percent or more off their phone bills. VoIP...
Take advantage of internet phone calls (VOIP)
Voice Over IP (VOIP) is a relatively new technology. Voice Over IP allows people to leave behind the old and very traditional analogue phone networks and now adapt in favor of the very new and very progressive Internet-based calling system...
Unlimited Long Distance Calling with VoIP
To compete with the growing VoIP internet phone
service market, traditional land line companies are now adding unlimited long
distance calling plans to their offerings. In my area, this service is being
advertised for around $40 per month. If...
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Voip - Voice Over IP and Business: Is It For You?
VoIP allows users to make phone calls using their high-speed Internet connection. This
translates into free, or very low cost long-distance calling. Because VoIP uses the power of
the Internet, traditional phone companies are left completely out of the loop. Of course, now
that the idea of VoIP is catching on more and more, traditional phone companies are developing
and offering their own VoIP options so as not to be left out. From the consumer's point of
view, this competition is keeping options open and pricing low. For businesses, this is
particularly good news, since many VoIP providers will want the business of business--this is a
huge market, which providers are aware, of, so the savvy businessperson will take advantage of
this, conduct thorough research, and seek out the best possible option to meet the company's
needs.
What are the Pros to Using VoIP?
Cost is a number one factor. If your business does a high volume of long distance calling, this
can be an extremely affordable way to go. Another positive is that the future of long distance
calling is VoIP. As time passes, more and more options will be available and the market will
become even more competitive. It is also easy to use, although a business set-up will be more
complicated than a home set-up.
What are the Cons?
One disadvantage that many users report is that there tends to be an "echo" when using VoIP.
How much of a disadvantage this is may depend on the user. There can also be a slight lag at
the beginning of the conversation.
Another potential disadvantage is that the technology is fairly new. As VoIP becomes standard,
improvements will take place. In the meantime, it is up to each business to determine if this
is a way to go.
Also, because VoIP operates through your Internet connection, should you lose Internet service
for whatever reason or power, you will not have phone access until the service or power is
restored.
Is VoIP Right for my Business?
As with any business decision, you should examine your needs and available services before
making a purchasing decision. VoIP may produce substantial savings, but it could also produce
substantial headaches. Whether or not your company can navigate potential glitches with
minimal
interruption is something you need to determine. Many traditional service providers offer
competitive pricing, and the security of the existing structure may not be worth the potential
problems with VoIP. It is also necessary to price and compare the technical requirements; will
your existing structure support VoIP, or will the investment in technology offset the potential
savings?
VoIP Business Options
On the bright side, because VoIP is a growing service, many companies provide business
solutions and the offers and pricing are competitive. One thing to consider as you compare
options is contract terms. Because the technology is expanding, it is wise to avoid any long-
term contract, as a better option may come along in the meantime. A variety of companies offer
business solutions. The following list is just a few:
•Sprint: http://www.sprint.com/business/products/categories/voip.jsp
•Lingo: http://www.lingo.com/voip/business/unlimited_internet_phone_ service.jsp
•Quest: http://www.qwest.com/largebusiness/products/voip/
•Pipex: http://www.pipex.net/products/voip/
How to Get Set Up for VoIP The technology required will depend on the service you choose. There
are three types of VoIP methods.
•ATA stands for analog telephone adaptor. It connects to your computer or Internet
connection and uses regular phone.
•IP phones are special phones that look like traditional phones, but they connect with
an Ethernet connector.
•Computer-to-computer is an easy way to use VoIP and long distance calls are free; you
only pay for the software. While this method can work in a business setting, it may not be the
best solution, even though it is very cost effective.
VoIP requires a high-speed Internet connection, and for business purposes, your set-up needs to
be able to handle the additional use that VoIP incurs. Essentially, there is no "one size fits
all" set-up guide for business VoIP options. The service you choose and your company's
individual requirements will determine what you will need.
About the Author
Andrew Kelly is a Technology Consultant who helps keep businesses at the leading edge of technology.
For more great tips and resources on everything voIP visit:
http://www.voipvoiceoveripcenter.com
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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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