Welcome To VoIP

Welcome to VoIP

Times are changing – does that sound familiar? It should, because times have actually always been changing. They changed when the first printing press was invented, when the first steam engine was made, when the telephone first made it possible for people in remote locations to communicate with each other. Then, they changed when television was invented, when satellite communications were made possible, when mobile phones finally allowed people unlimited freedom of movement, when e-mail marked a new era in written correspondence. These are just a few of the many examples we could find. And to all these, we can add a very recent one: VoIP.

People and businesses are beginning to consider VoIP as the best solution for handling their telecommunications. The U.S. government has reportedly planned a budget of about $65 billion for switching to VoIP in 2006. That should serve as a very strong guarantee that VoIP is on the rise.

One of the things that make our times different from the past is that cutting-edge technology is no longer offered by a few monopolies. There are quite a few companies offering VoIP services, in a variety of plans suitable for residential users, small and medium-sized businesses, and even for business-to-business transactions.

Among the main reasons that determine individuals and companies to consider the migration to VoIP is the fact that this technology enables them to reduce costs considerably. Tax laws that regulate PSTN communications do not apply to VoIP. Businesses are attracted by the unlimited long-distance calling plans that most VoIP providers offer. Having multiple phone lines becomes inexpensive with VoIP, unlike with PSTN, where the installation of additional phone lines can cost you dear.

Furthermore, VoIP allows seamless integration of audio, video, and web-based applications. Such services as faxing, call forwarding, call block, caller ID, which are charged extra in the case of a regular landline phone, are included as free features in the VoIP package. This is a very attractive amenity for both small business and residential users. You can easily set up and configure these services through a web-based control panel.

With VoIP, you can choose a different area code than that of the area where you actually live, which can enable other people to reduce their costs when calling you. If you have a VoIP adapter or a wireless VoIP phone, you can come close to the mobile telephony experience, as you will be able to use your phone with the same number wherever you have a broadband connection. Add to this the fact that you don’t have to pay roaming fees, and you’ll wonder why you haven’t subscribed to VoIP sooner.

The fact that it lets users choose their own area code and that it’s not location-dependant makes VoIP the perfect choice for outsourcing and call centres. It no longer matters where employees are, they can function as a team spanning the whole globe. The virtual office helps reduce costs, and the fact that employees can be located in different time zones enables 24-hour service. Having mobile employees is also becoming less costly, since they can stay in touch with the rest of the team without the need for cell phones.

People are becoming more and more computer-savvy nowadays – the PC is now a standard presence in more and more households. This rise in the number of computer owners has probably also been determined by the attractiveness of the Internet. People want better and faster connections and many of them are replacing dial-up with a broadband subscription. It is a short step from that to becoming familiar with one of the many instant messaging programs that offer free VoIP calls between computers, such as Yahoo Messenger, and additional low-cost calls from their computer to a regular phone line, such as Skype.

Convinced by the advantages of this new technology in telecommunications, a lot of people have already completed the migration from PSTN to VoIP. Those who aren’t yet familiar with it will probably not stay uninformed for too long, as the VoIP providers now enjoy a high profile.

It is likely that VoIP still has many attractive developments in store. The wider and wider availability of broadband connections will have more people signing up for a VoIP subscription. When do you plan to do it?

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