A Quick Look at VoIP
When it comes to subscribing to a telephony service, people now have a choice between PSTN, cellular telephony, and VoIP. PSTN is the standard telephone, as we’ve always known it. The principle of operation relies on establishing an electrical circuit between two telephones. At the dawn of the telephone era, this connection was established by human operators manually connecting the two phone lines. Soon, automated switchboards came to be used, which were in turn replaced by digital exchanges. But the basics have remained the same.
With the arrival of mobile telephony, the face of telecommunications changed. People were now able to stay reachable wherever they went. In addition to that, mobile phones gradually became more and more sophisticated devices, incorporating complex multimedia facilities in addition to being a means of communications.
The true revolution in telecommunications came, however, when VoIP was released. The concept is fundamentally different from that on which PSTN is based. VoIP is voice over Internet Protocol. If it sounds more like a computer than a phone to you, you are perfectly right. It was first used for communication between computers, or for calls made to landline phones but originating from a computer. It relies on the encoding of voice into data packets which are sent over the Internet, which is exactly as any other kind of information is transmitted on the Web. Gradually, people started paying attention to VoIP and the first VoIP adapters appeared, enabling users to make VoIP calls from their standard telephone. VoIP phones soon followed, equipped with all the hardware and software needed to handle the encoding and decoding of voice packets.
VoIP actually appeared during the late 1990’s, but quality issues prevented it from becoming instantly popular. However, the service has seen a rapid improvement since then, and customers were not late to respond. Returning to those days, what helped VoIP attract a lot of attention was the fact that it was free. Nowadays, most of the programs that made VoIP popular have either disappeared or started to offer VoIP for a monthly fee. The fees are, however, low, and the attractive features and high quality of the service will make you congratulate yourself for trying it. It will be the first step to getting a subscription and your own VoIP line.
Free PC-to-PC calling is, however, still available with most instant messaging programs, such as Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, etc. All you need is a broadband Internet connection and a headset to connect to your computer, and you can start talking immediately. As an example of VoIP’s ability to incorporate audio, video, and data into one application, you can try using a webcam with the instant messaging program, so that your communication experience will acquire a visual dimension as well. At the same time, you can use text-based chat, thus bringing a third dimension to your conversation.
If you decide to get a VoIP subscription, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that many services such as voicemail, faxing, and various options for handling calls are included as free amenities in the service pack.
If you had a PSTN line subscription before, you can keep your old phone number when changing to VoIP. You even have the freedom to choose another area code than the one that would be assigned to you by default. If you have friends and family living in another area, by choosing the same area code as theirs you can help them cut costs when calling you.
Many popular telephone service providers, previously known only for PSTN services, are now expanding into VoIP, which serves as a recognition of the immense potential of this technology. You can review quite a lot of different offers before you sign up for a VoIP line, to make sure that you will benefit from all the advantages you can get – including the possibility of making unlimited calls for free, unbelievable as that may sound.
It is very likely that VoIP has initiated a change in the way we communicate. While there are also external factors, such as government regulations, that can have an impact on the technology’s development, it is almost sure that it will keep growing in popularity and its quality will go on rising.
News
A Quick Look At VoIP
( gigaom.com ) -- There’s not much in a web worker’s life that beats a cheap or free phone service. Perhaps a supporting role in one of David Pogue’s next iPhone video musicals might, but odds are slim. Especially for me and my voice. Or maybe ...
Read moreFour iPhone VoiP Services Worth Ringing Up - CNN Money
If you ever needed confirmation that phones are now auditory computer devices, take a look at a modern "office-in-a-box" or "all-in-one" system for small businesses and remote offices. Phones are front and center, e-mail and Web servers come next ...
Read moreNew Version of Office-in-a-Box - PC World
Security LANs & WANs VoIP & Convergence Infrastructure Management Wireless & Mobile Software Data Center Small/Midmarket Business Networking Toolshed Subnets Cisco Subnet Google Subnet Microsoft Subnet Anti-Malware Compliance & Regulation Desktop ...
Read more