What Can VoIP Do For You

What Can VoIP Do for You?

If you haven’t read too many tech magazines and reviews, you might be wondering what is causing so many people and businesses to give up their old telephone lines and subscribe to VoIP. You probably know that VoIP is actually Internet telephony, relying on the transmission of data packets over the internet, as contrasted with public switched telephone networks, which rely on an electrical circuit being established between two callers. What you might not know is the exact benefits VoIP could have for you. This article will give you an overview of the top reasons that determine people to make the switch.

The main advantage, and also the best known one, is the lower cost. Calls via VoIP are almost unbelievably inexpensive and the monthly fees are also rather low. What’s more, while most VoIP providers will offer free PC-to-PC calls, some of them will come with a service plan that features unlimited worldwide calls to a telephone for free. You just have to do some research and analyse all the offers you get, so that you may eventually choose a plan that best matches your needs and preferences.

Such amenities as 3-way calling or phone conferencing are usually rather expensive on landline telephones, but with VoIP you can benefit from them for free. They all come integrated in your VoIP service package. It’s not just conferencing, of course. Other features such as caller ID, call forwarding, voicemail, faxing, call block, “do not disturb”, and others, which cost extra on a regular landline telephone, are included in the VoIP bundle free of charge.

VoIP also means increased mobility. You probably won’t have as much freedom of movement as you would with a mobile phone, as you do need an Internet connection to use your VoIP phone. However, as long as you have that connection available, you can just plug in your converter and connect it to any phone, and you’ll be able to communicate. Since the converter supplied by your provider comes programmed with your telephone number, that means you can also preserve your number as you change your location.

Speaking of your phone number, that is also very much your choice. It’s not just that you can choose what number to have (you can even preserve your old phone number), but you can even choose the area code. If there are people living in another area who call you frequently, you can choose the same area code as theirs, which will enable them to save money when calling you.

VoIP features a high degree of service integration. You can send and receive video data as well, not only audio. You can either use your computer with a headset or a webcam, or purchase a videophone.

This integration of data and audio is a great communication facilitator. If the call centre agent and the customer both used VoIP, they would be able to communicate on the phone as well as on the PC, which would lead to a more efficient exchange of information.

f your company needs cutting edge telecommunications facilities, you should know that VoIP can give you even greater benefits if you opt for a wireless connection, as it allows more mobility and a higher degree of system integration – given that everything is actually done over the Internet. The flexibility that derives from this will always be appreciated by your customers, which means you’re likely to increase profits.

Unlike traditional PSTN connections, VoIP allows you to have more telephone users in your home or office without installing (and paying for) additional phone lines. It’s much easier to do and you spend a lot less money for it.

Software programs enable you to set up and monitor your entire VoIP network, configure services, and manage users. PSTN cannot offer such possibilities, either in terms of simplicity and speed or in terms of cost.

To conclude, VoIP is all about streamlining. Costs are reduced and all operations are simplified, to help you obtain better results with less effort.

News

What Can VoIP Do For You

Photos a go-go: Polaroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer It's easier than ever to take snapshots with your cell phone, but what do you do with them all? Polaroid's US$150 PoGo printer can put them on paper without a cable in sight. PoGo measures 4.7 by 2 ...

10 great Bluetooth gadgets - Computerworld Australia

If you are like me, then you’re one of the many millions who have cut the cord with their landline and gone all wireless. However, that doesn’t mean people don’t want phones for their homes. Of course, for them, there are many options — some ...

How Do Wireline Voice Services Measure Up? - Gigaom.com

3 hopes the phone will do for data consumption what Apple's iPhone has done for smartphone uptake: light the blue touchpaper. Speaking at a launch event in London, Kevin Russell, chief executive of 3, said: "The iPhone is a fabulous product — a ...