An Introduction to VoIP

If you have an ear for the latest computer craze, technology fad, or nifty gadget, then youรขโ�ฌโ�ขve probably heard about VoIP. What is VoiP? Letรขโ�ฌโ�ขs start by defining what exactly "VoIP" means. VoIP stand for Voice over Internet Protocol. It comprises an emerging set of applications and protocols that allow you to make telephone calls over the internet. The popularity of VoIP has really been catching on and is already starting to replace existing telephone networks. Some people have cancelled their traditional phone service and now exclusively use VoIP.

You may have thought that VoIP only worked from computer to computer, and that was the original intent. Of course, you can use it this way, but VoIP has been further developed into a telephone network in its own right. Using VoIP, you can call any phone anywhere in the world, and can receive calls with phones connected to the internet or a LAN (local area network)

Background

VoIP was born back in the "stone age" of the internet, that is, 1995, when Israeli computer enthusiasts made the first voice connection between two computers. That same year this technology was developed into a software package called Internet Phone Software. All you needed to talk to another computer was a modem, sound card, speakers, a microphone, and, of course, a computer. VoIP was born.

This software compressed and digitized the audio signal and then sent the data over the internet in discreet "packets". These voice connections could only occur between computers that had the software installed. Like many new technologies, it wasnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt very pretty at first. Sound quality was poor and vastly inferior to the audio quality of a standard phone network, which, by the way, isnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt really that good either, in "hi-fi" terms.

But of course, this was just the beginning. The technology continued to be developed and by 1998 gateways had been established allowing PC-to-phone connections. Later that year, phone-to-phone connections were possible using the internet to transmit the audio. The phone-to-phone connections still required a computer to initiate the call, but once the call was established, callers could use a regular phone set.

VoIP Today

VoIP is fast becoming a big business, with the major telcomรขโ�ฌโ�ขs getting on board offering VoIP service. Service is available for both commercial and residential use, ranging from PC-to-PC service, all the way up to phone-to-phone.

Internet phones (or "ip phones") are available that plug into a USB port or directly into the PCรขโ�ฌโ�ขs sound card. These phones look much the same as that old thing sitting on your desk, with number pads and customizable ringers. Itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs even possible to bypass the computer entirely by plugging the phone into your broadband or cable modem. We find it especially ironic that to bypass the traditional phone network you can plug an ip phone into your broadband modem which is connected to, of course, your phone line.

How does VoIP Work?

The first thing that needs to happen is that your voice needs to be converted into bits and bytes, otherwise known as digitized. Your voice is "sampled", a process that divides the analog sound into discrete bits of data that are assigned a numerical value. Once digitized, the data can then easily be compressed.

This digitized and compressed data is then split up into packets of about 1500 bytes for easy transmission over the internet. Along with the raw voice data, these packets contain information about the packetรขโ�ฌโ�ขs origin, the intended destination, and a timestamp that allows the packet to be reconstructed in the correct order. Once these packets arrive at their destination, they are put back together (in the right order) and converted back into analog sound so the party at the other end will understand what youรขโ�ฌโ�ขre saying.

Now, this is a lot of stuff that needs to happen at, essentially, the speed of light. To avoid significant delays from occurring, a broadband connection is required to use VoIP. Since more and more businesses and residential customers are now using broadband, converting to VoIP should be relatively simple for many computer users.

And there you have it! A quick introduction into one of the latest hot new technologies! You can save a bundle in long distance charges by utilizing your broadband connection and an ip phone to make and receive calls over the internet with VoIP.

Tom Schueneman works as a sound engineer, information publisher, writer, and general gadget hound. Visit his VoIP tutorial site at http://www.voip-tutorial.com

Internet Phones Can Save You Time and Money

Communication technology has advanced so rapidly and the entire industry has been revolutionized as a result of the advent of the Internet. Communication has become lot easier. These days you donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt need to wait for many hours to get a telephone line to talk to your friends and relatives living in some other country. We can easily make Internet telephone calls using the World Wide Web. Internet telephone services are a great advantage to the people who make frequent international calls.

Internet telephone services work similar to the other communication services operated through the net. Special software such as Skype is used for setting up an internet phone connection. An internet phone service operates better with a broad band World Wide Web link. Using the Internet telephone service you can just dial up to call your friends in much the same way you use a normal telephone service. You can use the external speakers supplied with the computer and a microphone, but using a microphone headset would be more convenient because it improves the sound quality.

Many people are always looking for ways to save money. If you are one of them and trying to find different ways to cut your telephone bills, then Internet telephone service is an ideal choice for you. There are many Internet telephone service providers around the world. They set up a broadband or DSL connection with a broadband phone adapter that is plugged directly into a modem or router. You can then simply connect your existing phone to the adapter and start making calls. You can see that setting up an Internet telephone service is very easy.

The regular telephone service companies usually charge something around $20 to $30 for the basic service and this does not include any other feature such as voice mail, call waiting and 3 way calling. The internet telephone services feature all the regular services plus voice mail, call waiting, etc and they usually donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt charge more than 25$ for the service, which is almost the same as your regular connection. So it is very obvious that the Internet telephone service can help you to save you a lot of bucks while giving you the opportunity to enjoy all the extra features. You can save nearly $500 per year on your telephone bill, which is a very useful amount.

The Internet telephone service has been made possible by VoIP technology. VoIP technology or the Voice Over Internet Protocol is how voices are carried over the Internet. It is similar to the other communications network. Using the VoIP technology, you can connect your digital phone to the computer and speak to your friends and relatives while you are surfing the Internet. The digital phone services can be much cheaper than the normal telephone and they also feature caller id and call forwarding. VOIP technology helps you to keep the cost of the landline telephone down. The Internet telephone service can be used in any place where an Internet connection is available. So it is really ideal for people who have to travel all over the world. You can receive and make calls from any part of the world.

However there are some drawbacks with the Internet telephones also, the Internet telephone service cannot be used in emergency cases and you may experience some delay in getting a connection. But Internet technology is continuing to develop each day and Internet phone service is also bound to develop further as a result of this.

For all the latest news and information about Internet Phones and VoIP check with http://www.internetphonecenter.info

VoIP Calling Card Business Market Wars

VoIP is one of the hottest technologies out there today. VoIP phone card business has been rewarding for early movers such as Vonage and Skype. But like any other growing market, the threat of new entrants is high in this market. As a rule in economics, companies will enter this market until there is a profit to be earned. Microsoft, Google, and AOL are just a few companies that are planning to compete in the VoIP market. But there is more to come, and the battle for the VoIP phone card market supremacy is going to heat up in the next couple of years.

The VoIP telephony business is intriguing since it allows the VoIP service providers to keep their costs low and pass on their savings to their customers. Vonage and Skype are the two most famous names in the VoIP phone card business. Vonage recently had its IPO, and the investors are optimistic about the future of this company. Vonage is planning to spend heavily in the next quarters to bolster its position in the VoIP market. Skype, now an asset of eBay, has other plans in mind. Skype understands that the next couple of years are critical for all VoIP service providers. The market is expanding fast, and a small mistake can lead to a disaster for a VoIP market leader. Skype has decided to take matters in its own hands, and it has planned out a very aggressive strategy to take market share away from Vonage and other VoIP service providers.

Skype has decided to offer free calls to the U.S and Canada to its service users for a limited time. This strategy will allow Skype to solidify its position in the VoIP market. Moreover, this move will strengthen the VoIP phone card businessรขโ�ฌโ�ข barriers to entry. In other words, small companies which are thinking of entering this market are now unlikely to do so because of the difficult task of matching or bettering Skypeรขโ�ฌโ�ขs newest offer. In addition, this will be a huge blow for Vonage since it charges $25 a month for a similar service. Vonage is the leader in the "hard VoIP" market. It provides its customers with a piece of hardware that allows them to use its services. Vonage has been losing money for quite some time now due to its high marketing costs. With the introduction of SkypeOut, Vonage has to spend even more money to protect its VoIP phone card business. Besides, Vonage will have to convince its investors that it is not helpless against the eBayรขโ�ฌโ�ขs newest wave of attacks. So eBay has certainly taken the upper hand in the fight for the supremacy of the VoIP market.

AOL and Google are also planning to add VoIP technology to their messenger services. So, Vonageรขโ�ฌโ�ขs position in the VoIP market is expected to come even under more pressure in the upcoming quarters. Whether Vonage can come up with its own knocking out punch against its rivals is remain to be seen. But, the VoIP market wars are bound to get even more interesting in the upcoming months.

Panah Mosaferirad began his career as an IT. After 2 years in the IT industry, he started an online venture on eBay and Amazon. During this period, he sold numerous items online and mastered the strategic aspects of eBusiness. In 2006, Panah Joined the Fox school of Business and Managementรขโ�ฌโ�ขs MBA program to study e-business management.

Panah Mosaferirad is a marketing intern for Pingoรขโ�ฌโ�ขs International calling card business that provides virtual VoIP prepaid calling cards online at http://www.pingo.com/aboutus.do

Instant Menaces or Instant Messengers?

Many vendors offering Instant Messaging (IM) services have added new capabilities such as voice messaging and file sharing. Among others, AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo offer these IM services.

Clients of Instant Messaging services are also easy prey for the community of hackers. Using a simple monitoring program, the plain text from Instant Messaging can be easily captured and creates vulnerability to electronic eavesdropping. .

In one version of AOLรขโ�ฌโ�ขs Instant Messenger, aka AIM, a user was found to have been the target of a hacker attack. The villainous hacker had crafted a URL which, when clicked by the user with AIM on their desktop, allowed the hacker to execute a virus on the victimรขโ�ฌโ�ขs system. What is particularly sinister about this is that AIM does not have to be running for this type of virus to deploy.

Another avenue of attack is when victims are simply sent an HTML email with a link that when clicked will execute one or all of the following: a privilege elevation attack, a denial of service attack, or the installation of a backdoor for later use, to name a few.

Using a computer phone service that operates on secure lines with high end encryption codec on proprietary patented technology that features IM capability will optimally protect you against these vicious hacker attacks.

The above information is an excerpt taken from an in-depth and exclusive Report entitled "Why Hackers Love Computer Phones รขโ�ฌโ�� A Shocking Report You Must Read!" by Dee Scrip available only at http://www.whypay4calls.com/gtp/to.pl?l=ART-01

Bluetooth Computer Headsets - Enjoy Wireless Freedom

Wireless Computer Headsets

Till recently, few options were available to people interested in using cordless headsets with their computers. Dedicated wireless Headsets are available, however they often cost upwards of $200 US putting them out of reach of the average user.

Bluetooth Headsets

Cellular telephone users have long embraced the benefits of Bluetooth Technology for use with their handsets. One of the more popular Bluetooth devices available to Cell phone users are Bluetooth Headsets. Although Bluetooth Headsets were initially quite expensive, the average price has dropped considerably in recent years bringing them within reach of millions of people.

Aside from using Bluetooth Headsets with Cellular Telephones, Bluetooth Headsets can be used just as effectively with computers. All one needs to do is make their computer 'Bluetooth Enabled' and the procedures involved in using the Bluetooth Headset with a computer compare with those used for cellular telephones.

Bluetooth Computer Headsets

There are literally hundreds of different Cellular Telephone Bluetooth Headsets available on the market. Any of these Headsets will work with your computer however end-users are anxiously awaiting the introduction of dedicated Bluetooth Computer Headsets. Although they haven't hit the market at time of writing, rumours and press releases hint at the imminent arrival of dedicated Bluetooth Computer Headsets.

Price

Initially, one can anticipate that Bluetooth Computer Headsets will be relatively expensive when compared to their 'corded' couterparts. However, as with most computer-related hardware, the price should drop once additional manufacturers release Bluetooth Computer Headsets and competition thrives.

Logically, one could also anticipate that Bluetooth Computer Headsets will be less expensive to manufacture than their cellular telephone headset counterparts due primarily to the fact that a far lesser degree of miniturization will be required. Whereas cellular telephone Bluetooth Headsets are designed to be portable, Bluetooth Computer Headsets will likely be designed primarily for comfort, audio quality and range. Lesser miniturization generally results in lower manufacturing costs which hopefully will be passed on to the consumer.

Expectations

So what can one expect from a Bluetooth Computer Headset? Ideally they'll be light-weight, comfortable, incorporate an integrated boom microphone, be capable of stereo sound and above all, be realistically priced. Furthermore, Bluetooth Computer Headsets should be simple to install/use and boast an operating range that encompasses the average user's home or office.

Provided these basic requirements are met, Bluetooth Computer Headsets should prove extremely popular once released and we await their arrival with eager anticipation.

Nathan is the operator of bluetoothpcheadsets.com and netphonedirectory.com. BluetoothPCHeadsets.com provides information for people interested in using Bluetooth Headsets with their computers while Netphonedirectory.com is a comprehensive directory of PC to Phone and free PC to PC VoIP Service Providers.

VoIP Service Provider A vs. VoIP Service Provider B

While doing research on the Internet, I realized that most people are absolutely confused when it comes to selecting a VoIP or broadband phone service provider. I can't say I blame them either, when you consider that there are now thousands of companies out there with as many different service plans.

What I often come across though, is the question "Is company A better than company B?". To be honest I have no idea how to answer that question. All I can offer is a simple guideline that can help you discover the answer for yourself. Here it is.

1) Where is the company located?

Does the location of the company matter? Perhaps not, if the service provider is located in the same country as you are. However, if you have been offered VoIP or broadband phone services offered by foreign companies, it probably WILL matter.

The danger in subscribing to companies that don't have a presence in your country, legalities aside, is the quality of the service. Imagine making a call from Malaysia to your friend in Singapore. Now imagine your call being routed all the way to the US or Australia before it is routed back to Singapore to complete the call. Physically, this takes less than a second, but the consequences are sometimes obvious.

More often than not, you get a delay in your call. If you understand communication, you'll understand than even a one second delay before hearing a YES or OK can make all the difference in your sales talk or discussion. The solution?

Make sure your VoIP service provider has at least a few gateways located in your region, and most importantly, your country. This would reduce the distance the call is carried and usually result in better call quality.

2) Are the call plans unique?

All VoIP service providers out there suffer from the same symptom - the need to differentiate themselves. That's the reason why you get 100 different plans from 10 different companies. Understand, though, that they are all basically the same thing.

So if water is water, how do you choose when you flip open the refrigerator door in that 7-11 store? Is it the color of the bottle or the price?

The same question can be asked when choosing a VoIP plan. Choose what appeals to you, but don't get carried away by all the "Unlimited calls" talk. Understand that any VoIP provider worth their salt can offer you unlimited calls from one ATA (analog telephone adapter) to another ATA that they own, for free. However, consider this - how many people you know are using an ATA from the same company you are?

Making unlimited calls to regular phones, though, is an entirely different ball game. Not everyone can offer you this. Vonage for example, can offer you unlimited calls in their business package, to US only. For unlimited calling to Asian countries, the only company I know of that can do this is TelExtreme.

3) Quality - who owns the technology?

I am not an advocate of buying from the company that everyone is buying from. You know, companies like Vonage and AT&T CallVantage. I'm not an advocate of "following the crowd", but in some cases, the crowd may have a point.

Most of the smaller VoIP providers don't own the technology. Why should they, when they can get the whole deal at wholesale, and all they need to do is put their brand on it? This works for the short term. For the long term, however, such companies have no way of ensuring the stability or quality of their service.

Bottom line - find out if the VoIP service provider owns any, or all, of the technology behind the service they provide. A "cut and paste" company comprising of different ATA manufacturers, different call routers and different gateway providers may not survive in a few years when the VoIP industry matures. You can count on that!

4) Whatรขโ�ฌโ�ขs in store for the future?

In plain words, why spend on a VoIP provider that is limited to just making calls, especially when many of them already have video and data applications in the works? Packet8 already has their own video & voice over IP plan, and many others will follow suit. "Triple Play" as it is called, will soon be available, so make sure that your VoIP service provider has this in store for you. More importantly, it should be available at little or no extra cost.

Here's a complete "VoIP A vs. VoIP B" type of comparison chart if you really need it: http://www.mybusinessvoip.com/compare

Copyright ร�ยฉ 2006 Gobala Krishnan

Gobala Krishnan is a small business entrepreneur and publisher of the "VoIP and Me" newsletter, designed for smart entrepreneurs who want to avoid all the technical jargon and get straight to the information that really matters. Learn how you can drastically cut communication costs by 70%, get more customers and expand to new markets using VoIP at http://www.MyBusinessVoIP.com.

VoIP - Basic Assumptions

I thought I'd outline some of the basics of VoIP. I use this service myself and have sold VoIP services to my customers. What I didn't understand until last night is how much I assume. You see my business is mostly web based so my customers read up on VoIP and have a general understanding of the technology before making a purchase.

What I came across in my conversations last night was that some people attracted purely by the cost really don't understand what the trade off's are, what is required and their level of expectation is, in my humble opinion, to high. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of VoIP. However, I understand what's involved, how to hook it up as well as the pros and cons of using such a service. For me the cost factor did weigh in when comparing the pros and cons to the cost savings. My level of expectation was brought inline with what VoIP can offer me.

Here are some basic assumptions I was guilty of:

• When using your broadband internet connection for your computer and VoIP a router is necessary.
• During a power loss the phone doesn't work unless there is a UPS system in place.
• ISP goes down, your phone line goes down.
• Those phone jacks in the house don't work with VoIP.
• The phone base plugs into the VoIP converter/adapter box which then plugs into your router. If you want multiple phones in multiple rooms, you will need a cordless phone or cordless phone system. (Multiple handsets)
• E911 is not automatic. You need to check availability
• Fax machines may not work
• There can be call interference (echo). Voice quality is good, but not yet as reliable as POTS lines.

Naked DSL or DSL without phone service is not widely available. As such, if your broadband connection is via DSL you may not be able to use VoIP as your primary phone service. Simply put, if your goal is to switch to VoIP and then cancel your existing phone service, you may loose your broadband connection as well.

During my conversation last night their assumptions were much different than mine. Their assumptions were

• Existing phone jacks will still work with VoIP
• My corded phone will still work during a power outage just like they do now.
• I can send/receive faxes without any issue
• I can plug my VoIP into any room I want
• 911 service is automatic. Everyone has this.
• The quality of calls is as good if not better than POTS lines because after all it's coming through the internet right?
• I don't need any extra equipment - it's just a phone.

After our discussion they were more educated in what VoIP can and cannot provide for them. In the end they choose not to get VoIP service and that's OK. A bundled POTS package was more to their liking and frankly fit them much better than VoIP would have.

Yes, I am a fan of VoIP and yes I believe this technology is here to stay. Having said that, I do not think VoIP is for everyone. Some consider routers, cordless phone(s), checking 911 availability, etc. to be a hassle. They just want to use their existing phone and achieve the 'exact' same results. Well, VoIP is almost there, but still has a way to go. If the cost savings can outweigh your own pros and cons by all means go for it. If not, wait, watch and read up some more.

Ready to give it a go? Good for you, (hope to see you at our web site). Not yet ready? That's OK too. (Still hope to see you at our web site for possible cost savings on your traditional POTS line or cellular plan)

Ok, perhaps a shameless plug in that last part. Use our web site, use someone elseรขโ�ฌโ�ขs, use a library, do whatever is necessary to educate yourself to make more informed purchasing decisions. It's better to be a little prepared than completely disappointed especially with something you'll use everyday such as your phone service.

Provided by the FullService Broadband Provider - http://www.fullservice-broadband-provider We provide unbiased and informative information on broadband and communication products and services. Our free service is possible through Try Right Technology, Inc. http://www.trighttech.com

Conducting a Voice Over IP Readiness Assessment

2005 is predicted to be the year of voice over IP (VoIP) solutions for a growing number of corporate enterprises - both large and small.

If you have been considering the benefits of implementing VoIP, you are certainly not alone. In its just-published "2005 Telecommunications Report," Harris Interactive found that 87% of business decision-makers are familiar with VoIP and, of that number, 12% currently use it in their organizations.

So what's the big attraction?

Cost mainly. But lowering company telecom expenses is just one aspect of the lure of implementing VoIP solutions. Other advantages include the potential for value-added services and the capability of more advanced features made possible through the integration of voice and data (e.g. videoconferencing, advanced voicemail features,etc.)

Sounds good, but here's the rub...it's also been estimated that up to 85% of corporate networks are simply not ready to handle VoIP.

Combining voice with data is a tricky proposition. After decades of getting used to near-perfect sound quality delivered over traditional voice networks, even the slightest delays in voip can be very annoying.

Before diving in to a full-blown VoIP solution, it is advisable that you conduct a voice over IP readiness assessment of your existing network. This assessment will provide you with two very important pieces of information:

The capability of your existing data network to deliver high-quality voip calls, and; the ability to evaluate the quality of these calls during a wide variety of traffic scenarios. Keep in mind that most data networks were not designed for VoIP, so chances are that some upgrading of your existing network will be necessary. One critical requirement for VoIP to work is QoS. (Short for Quality of Service, a networking term that specifies a guaranteed throughput level). For QoS to work, the routers and switches that manage the data traffic flow in your network must be able to prioritize VoIP data packets via QoS.

4 Steps to a Successful VoIP Readiness Assessment

1. Conduct a complete inventory of your existing network. Identify routers, switches and links in your network and store their configuration data in a database. This step is crucial before you can move to step 2.

2. Determine the current CPU, memory and bandwidth of your network devices, routers and switches. This information will give you a "baseline" of your existing network infrastructure and current capacity.

3. Simulate and compare VoIP usage scenarios to estimate the call capacity of the network.

4. Determine how well VoIP will perform on your network by measuring simulated VoIP traffic and calculating call quality based on a Mean Opinion Score (MOS).

We have recently added a VoIP bandwidth calculator tool to help you determine various codec, MOS, and bandwidth scenarios.

While VoIP can ride over the highways that your data currently does, it is a new application with new rules. A VoIP readiness assessment will give you the information you need to incorporate a VoIP solution without unnecessary hassles and expenses due to lack of proper planning and research.

About the Author:

Karen Thatcher is President and CEO of TelCon Associates, Inc. a 32 year old telecom auditing and bill management company. For help in assessing your telecom network for VoIP implementation, visit http://www.telconassociates.com

VoIP รขโ�ฌโ�� Security & Emergency Services Issues รขโ�ฌโ�� An Australian View

You only need to view a few forums or grab a few news articles to see that debates regarding encryption and other security aspects of VoIP are rife and ongoing. Whilst Skype currently receives much mention in Blogs regarding encryption, I believe this is narrow minded and an industry view approach needs to be adopted.

Security aspects
The Australian Communications Industry Forum (acif) suggest that world research into security issues relating to Voice Over Internet Protocol produces a very similar list including eavesdropping, denial of service, identity related attacks, spam over internet telephony and viruses.

Acif wisely advise VoIP providers that "As VoIP becomes more widely deployed in Australian business and the community the threat level will inevitably increase accordingly". They further suggest "รขโ�ฌยฆ that security issues have the potential to cause serious harm to the acceptance of VoIP as a viable alternative to traditional phone services" and therefore it is in their interest "รขโ�ฌยฆto act now and address these issues".

Emergency Services Aspects
If the service provider is providing a standard telephone service as defined by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, it is mandatory that they provide emergency service access to 000 and 106 services.

As many familiar with VoIP would know, the issue is not only with access to emergency service number(s) ie 000 and 106 services for Australia, 911 in the United States, 999 and 112 in the United Kingdom, but in Australia the location of the caller is critical as this dictates which state and area the emergency services call centre transfers the caller to.

Significant advice is provided by acif to service providers attempting to ensure that Standardised Mobile Service Area (SMSA) codes is attached when a customer makes an emergency services call. Additionally they direct that information such as Carriage Service Provider Code and Alternate Address Flag must be provided to the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) to flag with emergency services "รขโ�ฌยฆ that the calling address may not reflect the physical location of the caller".

Rightly so, acif are blunt in the fact sheet message to service providers which warns: "The lives of your customers may be at stake. So it is absolutely critical that you allocate the correct CLI and SMSA codes as well as ensure that you provide the necessary information to the Integrated Public Number Database".

Source: http://www.acif.org.au/__data/page/13230/VoiceOverIP_Emergency_Services.pdf

But is one point still missing here. The assertion is that these processes will allow emergency services to be warned that the caller may not be in the physical location of the calling address and that confirmation will be necessary. But what happens in those cases where someone is able to dial the emergency services number but then collapses or is incoherent, or a young child dials the number but cannot give further details or the well trained superdog dials the number รขโ�ฌยฆ you get the point.

So whilst Australia is a minnow in the global VoIP developments, it is useful to note the industry forum noting the warning signs that these issues pose to the industry.

The Author has an Associate Diploma in Electronic Engineering. For further information, books or VoIP items, please visit http://www.voipworking4you.info

Rarely Asked Questions on Merlin Magix System, but Questions that Nonetheless Bear Answering

In two sentences or less, what is Merlin Magix System?
Merlin Magix System is comprehensive communications system, loaded with the advanced features that your business needs.

What, exactly, does that mean?
That Merlin Magix System gives your company a public branch exchange (PBX) that can support both traditional and IP phones.

What types of companies would benefit from Merlin Magix System?
Primarily smaller and mid- sized ones: ones that are looking for a system providing up to 80 lines and 200 extensions.

Could you say, give me a little more information?
No problem. Merlin Magix System is designed for the small company who wants the very best communications system; the company who wants a network with up- to- date, advanced features.

Merlin Magix System is also an excellent fit for larger companies looking to outfit their branch offices.

What makes Merlin Magix System an excellent choice?
All of the advanced features you could ask for in a communications system: full communications capabilities, comprehensive messaging capabilities, integrated network access, and enhanced mobility. And Merlin Magix System is incredibly easy to use and maintain.

Those all sound highly technical; what does comprehensive messaging capabilities mean?
It refers to the unified messaging application: Merlin Magix System combines both voice and e- mail messages, and you can manage those messages using your internet browser.

What makes Merlin Magix System so easy to use?
You program the system using Microsoft Windows- based System Programming and Maintenance (WinSPM) software. WinSPM is very user- friendly: the application provides detailed information on the status of your network, presented in graphical format thatรขโ�ฌโ�ขs easy to read and understand. By using WinSPM, you able to get a comprehensive picture of how your Merlin Magix System network is running.

Additionally, WinSPM allows you to manage your network around the world.

My company is relatively new, and we donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt have tons of extra money. Can using Merlin Magix System save money?
It sure can; Merlin Magix System simplifies and streamlines network administration and maintenance, which can definitely save time and money.

What are some other benefits of having a network powered by Merlin Magix System?
-Your network can be easily upgraded and enhanced to give your company the most advanced, powerful network available.
-Merlin Magix System is flexible and scalable; it can met the evolving needs of you company.
-Networks powered by Merlin Magix System are compatible with both traditional and IP phones.

Cameron Elliott is an Telephony specialist at avaya voip phone systems where he extols the benefits of Avaya Phone Systems

Getting Started With Voice Over IP

VoIP offers a great way to help you save money on your phone bill. With a few simple steps, you can be on your way to utilizing this new technology. Here are some tips that will help you find the best options for your needs:

Your Internet Connection - Shop around for the best deals on broadband service. There are many companies who offer either DSL or Cable Modems. Some people want to get the highest speed possible, even if it costs more. Others are concerned more about price than speed. There are enough options to satisfy your needs. Check out Comcast (www.comcast.com) and Verizon (www.verizon.com) for starters.

Decide on a service provider - Both Comcast and Verizon offer VoIP services. Other companies such as Vonage (www.vonage.com) or Lingo (www.lingo.com) only provide VoIP and its related products. Decide whether your connection is for business or home and pick the company and plan that makes the most sense. Companies such as Verizon offer a lot of options for a business of any size. Other companies only accommodate small businesses.

Do you use long distance on a regular basis? This is another thing to consider when choosing a provider. Most companies let you call throughout the US and other parts of North America as part of their rates and have a list of per-minute fees for long distance. Other companies, such as Lingo, also allow you to call countries in Western Europe as part of their packages.

Decide whether you want an IP phone or not. Do you want to keep your existing phone? Well, thanks to the analog telephone adapter you can. You can also purchase an IP phone. These come with the software already included inside. Just plug the Ethernet connection into your router and you are on your way to getting VoIP service.

Mike Bell is the webmaster of http://www.VoIP-Journal.com, a site devoted to providing users with VoIP news and information.

Why You Should Be Placing Long Distance Phone Calls Using VoIP

Placing telephone calls over the internet instead of using a telephone company is quickly becoming a favorite with many consumers. This kind of technology is called VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. It's a method of turning audio into digital format, and sending it across the internet to either another computer or telephone, and it's rapidly changing the way that people make telephone calls.

Actually, this kind of voice technology is not anything really new, as there were programs available more than 10 years ago that you can download to your computer for free and then place long-distance phone calls. The major drawback was that most of the Internet users of that time were using dial-up connections, and so the telephone calls they made often suffered from major quality problems.

Today, quite a few Internet users are using broadband internet services instead which allow for high-speed internet access. This makes VoIP technology much more effective and useful, and so voice quality has improved dramatically, even to the point where it rivals that of land line telephones.

Although most VoIP providers today no longer offer their programs for free, you can still get a good idea of how it works by using programs such as Skype or AOL Instant Messenger that allow you to essentially make free telephone calls to other people on the internet that have the same program. The drawback is that they not only have to use the same program but also be on the internet at the same time you are, and have the program running on their computer. By using these programs though, you'll be able to communicate with others in real time, and most likely come to understand why VoIP is getting so popular.

Once you realize the potential of VoIP technology, you can examine some of the service plans offered by VoIP companies today. And right away, you can begin to see that you will be able to save considerable amounts of money on your long-distance telephone calls by using this internet communications technology. Most residential plans that offer unlimited long-distance telephone calling within the US only cost about $25 per month or even less. And if you select a plan with limited minutes instead, you may be able to save an additional $10 a month or so.

Additionally, many of the VoIP companies are bundling options such as three-way calling, voice mail, call forwarding, caller ID, and others, in with their regular service plans at no extra charge. This is often a considerable savings over regular telephone companies, as they usually upcharge their customers for these features.

As you can see, VoIP internet telephone calling has a lot to offer for many consumers these days, so why not investigate it for yourself and see what all the fuss is about?

Steadman Issenburg writes on many consumer related topics including communication. You can find att voip and computer telephony software and more by visiting our communication website.

How to Make Free Internet Phone Calls From Your Computer

If you have a computer, a headset, and an internet connection, you can make free PC to PC phone calls to anyone in the world! The only catch is that the person you are calling must also have an active account with the same VoIP service provider, and must be online to get the call. With any VoIP service, "in-network" calling (all callers subscribing to the same carrier) is always free, but most providers require that you pay a small monthly fee which allows you to make "out-of-network" calls as well. Since this article is about making totally FREE internet phone calls, only the VoIP providers that offer 100% free calling will be mentioned.

There are several internet phone service providers that offer PC based phone calling, but only a few do not require a monthly service fee when you register. Because the PC to PC calling service is free, you may have to put up with ads on your dial pad or be limited to a certain call length, but for a free long distance call this is probably acceptable to most people. If you want to make calls to a landline phone, you can do so by paying a low cost per minute (much less than traditional long distance).

So here's how to make free PC to PC phone calls:
---------------------------------------------------

Choose a provider, then download and install their free software (the software is a "dial pad" that you use to make calls).

Register and get an account (you need to have a valid email address).

Make sure the people you want to call install the software and register with the same VoIP provider.

Enter your friends usernames into your contact list, and ask that they do the same (this allows you to see that they are online and able to accept calls).

Plug your headset (with microphone) into the appropriate in/out audio jacks on your computer (or USB port if applicable).

Click on your contact and make a call - that's all there is to it!

Since PC to PC calling uses a technology similar to instant messaging, most VoIP provider's software allows you to text message the person you are talking to. Conference calling is also possible - just click on another active user and they can join in the call!

As of this writing, here are some VoIP providers I found that offer free PC to PC internet phone calls with no monthly fees. Because services can change from time to time, make sure you agree with the terms and conditions before creating an account. Skype is the largest and most well known provider with over 190 million downloads to date.

* www.skype.com

* www.google.com/talk

* www.earthlink.net/software/nmfree/onlinecalling

* www.voipbuster.com

* www.inphonex.com

* www.pc-telephone.com/free-phone.htm

As with any software, your computer must meet certain requirements in order for the installation to succeed. As a general rule, your computer should have at minimum a 400 MHz processor, 10 MB of free disk space and 128 MB of RAM. You also need a sound card, and either a headset with microphone or speakers and a microphone. Of course, you need an internet connection as well. Software is available for PC, Mac and Linux platforms. Skype has software for Pocket PC as well.

PC based VoIP will work fine over a dial up connection of at least 33.6 Kbps, but be sure to close all email applications and don't do any web surfing while talking because these processes will degrade performance. For the absolute best internet phone calling experience, broadband is the way to go.

Free software-based PC to PC internet phone service is a great way to "test the waters" if you are interested in trying VoIP before jumping into a paid service. It's also perfect if you're on a tight budget and want to make some free long distance calls. Anyone in the world can use VoIP as long as they have an internet connection; just make sure all your friends and relatives use the same carrier if you want to keep the calls free.

This type of VoIP service is not compatible with 911, so it should not be used as your one and only phone. If you want save a lot of money on your phone bill and use VoIP as your primary phone, consider subscribing to a hardware-based VoIP carrier like Packet8, Vonage, Lingo or Voip.net.

ร�ยฉ Copyright 2005, Debbie Jacobsen. All rights reserved.

This article may be used without special permission as long as it remains intact, including live links.

For more information on VoIP, visit my blog: Internet Phone Service - The Future is Here!.

VoIP รขโ�ฌโ�� A Current Comparison of Skype vs Vonage

You have read about VoIP and wish to utilize the service either to get free calls to friends also using the service or for full telephony abilities. Either way, what is the current offers from two big VoIP providers? This article will do a comparison of the three VoIP providers to give the reader a starting point of where they may wish to look for a service.

Skype
With Skype calls to other Skype clients are free regardless of location.

However if you wish to make calls to non Skype clients then this is called "SkypeOut". Calls can be made to the 20 most popular call destinations for the one SkypeOut global rate. At the time of writing this rate was 1.7 Euro Cents per minute equating to about 2 US cents or 1.1 pence. With SkypeOut there is no line rental and no contract fees.

The SkypeOut global rate includes the following countries:

Argentina (Buenos Aires), Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Canada (mobiles), Chile, China (Beijing, Guanzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen), China (mobiles), Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (mobiles), Ireland, Italy, Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland (Poland, Gdansk, Warsaw), Portugal, Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), Singapore, Singapore (mobiles), South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (Taipei), United Kingdom, United States (except Alaska and Hawaii) and United States (mobiles).

It should be noted that unless specifically mentioned, this rate is only applicable to regular landline telephones with mobiles more expensive. However note that Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and United States are listed under the SkypeOut global rate for calling mobiles.

Other destinations are available and it would be advisable to check this rate prior to obtaining credits or calling.

Skype voicemail is available for a fee of 5 Euro for 3 months or 15 Euro for 12 months.

SkypeIn is where you wish to have a conventional phone number so you can be called from conventional phones. The fee for this service is 10 Euro for 3 months and 30 Euro for 12 months. Voicemail is included free if you subscribe to SkypeIn. (source : www.skype.com).

Vonage
Vonage provides local and long distance calling anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico for the one price with calls to select European countries free with their unlimited plans.

In this article the two lowest fee packages will be examined. Basic 500 รขโ�ฌโ�� This includes 500 minutes for outgoing calls in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico for $14.99 a month. Unlimited minutes for incoming calls and 3.9 cents for each additional minute over 500 outgoing minutes with rates for other destinations.

Premium Unlimited Plan รขโ�ฌโ�� This plan allows for unlimited local and long distance calls anywhere in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and select European countries (some included below).

Included features in both plans are:
- Voicemail Plus
- 3-Way Calling
- Call Waiting
- Call Forwarding
- Caller ID with Name
- 911 Dialing
- Free phone adapter if you sign up directly from Vonage

Current (per minute) rates have been obtained to compare against the SkypeOut destinations:

• Argentina (Buenos Aires) รขโ�ฌโ�� 5411 - $0.05
• Australia รขโ�ฌโ�� 61 - $0.05 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Austria รขโ�ฌโ�� 43 - $0.07 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Belgium/Brussels รขโ�ฌโ�� 32 & 322 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Chile รขโ�ฌโ�� 56 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• China (Beijing รขโ�ฌโ�� 8610 - $0.06) (Guanzhou รขโ�ฌโ�� 8620 - $0.10) (Shanghai รขโ�ฌโ�� 8621 - $0.10) Denmark รขโ�ฌโ�� 45 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Estonia รขโ�ฌโ�� 372 - $0.07 (cellular and premium รขโ�ฌโ�� 3725, 37270 - $0.45)
• France รขโ�ฌโ�� 33 - $0.04 (free on unlimited plans) (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Germany รขโ�ฌโ�� 49 - $0.04 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Greece รขโ�ฌโ�� 30 -$0.07 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Hong Kong รขโ�ฌโ�� 852 - $0.04, Hong Kong (mobiles) - $0.04
• Ireland รขโ�ฌโ�� 353 - $0.06 (free on unlimited plan) (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Italy รขโ�ฌโ�� 39 - $0.04 (free on unlimited plan) (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Mexico รขโ�ฌโ�� 52 - $0.12 (other prefixes in Mexico may be cheaper)
• Netherlands รขโ�ฌโ�� 31 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• New Zealand รขโ�ฌโ�� 64 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Norway รขโ�ฌโ�� 47 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be more expensive)
• Poland รขโ�ฌโ�� 48 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be same or more expensive)
• Portugal รขโ�ฌโ�� 351 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be same or more expensive)
• Russia - 7, 70-72, 74-78, 734 - $0.12
• Singapore รขโ�ฌโ�� 65 - $0.05, Singapore (mobiles & premium) - 23223, 23230, 23233, 23235, 23240, 23250, 23276-77 - $0.05
• South Korea รขโ�ฌโ�� 82 - $0.06 (other prefixes may be cheaper of more expensive)
• Spain รขโ�ฌโ�� 34 - $0.06 (free on unlimited plan)
• Sweden รขโ�ฌโ�� 46 - $0.06
• Switzerland รขโ�ฌโ�� 41 - $0.06
• Taiwan (Taipei) รขโ�ฌโ�� 886, 8862 - $0.06
• United Kingdom รขโ�ฌโ�� 44 - $0.04 (free on unlimited plan)
• (Source: www.vonage.com)

Summary
It is hoped that from the information provided, each individual can relate their own circumstances and call patterns to establish which one of these two VoIP providers would be the best fit if it was down to the two. It must be remembered there is a vast range of VoIP providers.

Whilst all care has been taken, it is advised to confirm all rates and information via each individual VoIP provider.

The Author has an Associate Diploma in Electronic Engineering. For further information, books or VoIP items, please visit All About Voice Over Internet Protocol

A Look at Internet Voice Technology (VoIP) for Residential

Today's Technology

Over the years, the technology has made remarkable progress. Telephonyรขโ�ฌโ�ขs improved data compression rate, better sound quality, and the availability of residential broadband has given consumers more affordable solutions with even more features than you might have currently. Today, there are a number of available service providers with most offering the equipment for free along with pricing packages that can reduce your phone bills by up to 50% or more.

How It Works

Internet Voice, commonly known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), uses your broadband Internet connection to make and receive phone calls instead of your regular phone line. It works by converting your phone calls to data packets and sends the information over your Internet connection, like email, and is received on the other end just like a regular phone call.

Source: Vonage.com

What's the advantage? Using your Internet connection instead of your phone line is less expensive. You can call anywhere, anytime for less and still get features like Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Caller ID, 3-way Calling, and so much more.

One common misconception about VoIP is that it's a bandwidth hog, when, in fact, voice is a very efficient type of traffic. As a rule of thumb, 14 Kbps of bandwidth per call is ideal. This includes the compressed voice packet and the IP overhead. While your broadband connection will range from 768 Kbps รขโ�ฌโ�� 1.5 Mbps, this is negligible and not worth concerning yourself over.

The Disadvantages

If you're considering replacing your traditional telephone service with Internet Voice, there are some things you should consider when looking at the various providers.

Some Internet Voice services don't work during power outages and the service provider may not offer backup power; Additional steps may be required for setting up 911 calls where you will need to register an address for location identification; or

DSL users cannot completely eliminate their land line because the broadband runs through this connection; or They may or may not offer white page listings.

Let's Talk Features

VoIP service providers offer different packages to fit your specific needs. Actual usage, desired features, and potential expansion capabilities will be the determining factors when selecting a package. The basic plans most VoIP providers offer include:

Low-cost Basic with Limited Usage
Unlimited US and Canada calls
Unlimited Business with Fax

You're almost certain to save money switching to VoIP. Not only is the monthly service itself generally less expensive than your current phone company's monthly service, the features you get with VoIP are much more extensive and are, most of the time, offered for free. Features like:

Web Based Administration รขโ�ฌโ�� Allows you to configure your phone settings and log all your calls in real time.

Caller ID รขโ�ฌโ�� Standard with all VoIP service providers.

Voice Mail รขโ�ฌโ�� Replaces your answering machine and lets you listen to voice messages on-line.

Call forwarding รขโ�ฌโ�� Forward calls to your cell, office, or any other number after a predetermined number of rings.

Portability รขโ�ฌโ�� Take your phone adapter anywhere around the world, use your same phone number, and call anytime, anywhere in the US for free, and vice-versa

Software Phone รขโ�ฌโ�� this application can be installed on any PC and will function exactly the same way as any VoIP phone

Call Transfer
3-way conferencing v Call return
What You Need

An Internet connection - While VoIP works with a regular 56kbps dial-up connection, it is highly recommended you use a Cable or DSL broadband connection.

A Computer รขโ�ฌโ�� The only reason you will need a computer (PC or Mac) is to configure the phone adaptor to work with your broadband service provider. Once this is done, you will not need to do this again.

A Digital Phone Adapter รขโ�ฌโ�� DPA's, also referred to as phone adapters, are provided mostly free of charge. This is similar to your Cable/DSL router that converts the signal to use a regular phone or fax unit.

A Telephone รขโ�ฌโ�� There are also options for plugging in multiple phones to a single DPA unit.

A VoIP Service provider รขโ�ฌโ�� There are several available. Here are a few you might want to check out:

1. Vonage

2. Packet8

3. Lingo

4. AT&T CallVantage

5. Verizon

Get More Info

VoIP-Info.org - This web site covers everything related to VoIP - software, hardware, service providers, reviews, configurations, standards, tips & tricks and everything else related to voice over IP networks, IP telephony and Internet Telephony.

FCC - The Federal Communications Commission provides a list of Frequently Asked Questions for those looking to switch to VoIP.

VoIP User Forum - An independent information guide to Internet Telephony

Disclaimer - The Micro 2000 Tech Tip is a free service providing information only. While we use reasonable care to see that this information is correct, we do not guarantee it for accuracy, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose. Micro 2000, Inc. shall not be liable for damages of any kind in connection with the use or misuse of this information.

Micro 2000 Inc has been helping to solve the day-to-day challenges that IT departments face in order to keep their businesses operational as well as profitable for over 14 years. The company's primary goal is to put the customer first - through feature-rich, simple-to-use IT tools that can help IT administrators manage their jobs more effectively.

For more advice and free articles be sure to visit: http://www.micro2000.co.uk

Save Money Now With Cheap VoIP Services

For those who want to make phone calls at much lower rates, cheap VoIP services is the best alternative to traditional phone companies. Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP technology uses voice signals transmitted over the Internet for communication. These companies that offer VoIP are much cheaper for people who do a lot of long distance communication.

VoIP is much cheaper than all other telephone services because there is no basic facilities and capital equipment needed to invest in. Voice traffic is routed through the Internet to make speaking to people easy and cheap. The VoIP service providers pay a specific fee when calls surpass the net to traditional phone lines. When calls are made to and from Internet enabled phones the provider has no cost except for a termination fee if applicable. This reduces the cost to the consumer, making VoIP services cheap for long distance calling.

Those individuals who subscribe to VoIP phone services benefit the most and have as much as one half the bill as they did before. For many overseas consumers the savings are absolutely amazing. Communication via a traditional telephone company for overseas users can add up quickly in the hundreds and thousands. Using a VoIP services can cut international calling costs tremendously and save customers hundreds of dollars.

When VoIP was first out to the public the voicing quality was not as enhanced as it is today. With the advances in Internet features and technology the voice quality on VoIP service has improved and complaints are no longer an issue. Those who switch over to the cheaper VoIP service have many added features and benefits. There are many free perks that come with subscription as well as extra benefits and features for a very small fee.

Many phone service providers are now switching their plans to offer VoIP service to their customers. With the added competition fees and prices are continuously reduced to promote more people to switch over. Many other types of phone service providers are simply trying to offer pre-paid international calling at reduced prices to keep their customers from leaving. Many of these pre-paid calling plans still are more than VoIP services and do not benefit those who use international calling frequently.

An easiest way to find the cheapest VoIP services available today is to search online. You will be able to find the perfect VoIP provider for you and your needs from the comfort of your own home. You will be able to compare plans that range from domestic, domestic-international, or international calling to find the cheapest rates available.

Check out http://www.why-switch-to-voip.com/ to get an overview of voip and read more about ip phone systems.

VoIP - A Basic Introduction

Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, or IP telephony, is simply a system for transmitting telephone calls over data networks, such as the ones that make up the Internet.

The efficiency, flexibility and cost savings of VoIP will be taken advantage of by a growing number of personal and corporate users.

In this report we will look at the history, growth, flexibility and advantages of VoIP based systems over traditional public switched networks, (PSDN)

Let's look at why VoIP will change the way we communicate forever.

The Disadvantages Of Traditional PSDN Networks

With PSDN calls are made using circuit switching techniques.

PSDN simply means that an individual call uses a dedicated path for the total duration of the call.

During a telephone conversation of this nature only about 50% of the bandwidth is used at any given time.

The reason for this is a call consists normally of two people, one person listens and one person talks, which reduces the bandwidth.

This is further reduced as there are natural pauses in conversation such as pauses between words, people thinking, pauses for breath etc. The connection is of course reliable for voice transmission, but its drawback is that, it is very inefficient in its use of bandwidth.

This has kept telephone costs relatively high until now, but VoIP provides the solution:

A more efficient use of bandwidth.

The Advantages Of VoIP

Voice over IP, (VoIP), is a way of converting the analogue signals when using a phone, to a digital format (across a network) and then back into analogue when it reaches the receiver.

In a VoIP network, digitized voice data is highly compressed and carried in packets over the IP network.

Using the same bandwidth, a VoIP network can carry many times the number of voice calls as a switched circuit PSDN network.

The net result of this obvious.

VoIP can result in huge savings on the amount of physical resources required to communicate by voice over long distances. It does so by providing a far more efficient use of bandwidth, one of the fundamental drawbacks of traditional telephone networks.

There is of course, much more to VoIP than just sending the packets over the Internet.

There is an agreed protocol for how computers find each other and how information is exchanged in order to allow packets to flow between users, there is also an agreed format, (called payload format), which covers the content of media packets.

VoIP A Total Global Telephony Solution

VoIP allows us to use a single high-speed Internet connection not just for voice but, video, and data communications.

This is known as convergence and is one of the primary drivers for corporate interest in the technology.

The benefits of convergence are obvious:

By using a single data network for all communications, it is possible to reduce overall costs of communication for users.

A VoIP service provider can be located anywhere in the world; a person with Internet access is not geographically restricted in their selection of VoiP service providers.

Lower costs for you and everyone

This competition enables low communication costs for anyone no matter where they are in the world.

For more FREE Information on voip sip and cheap and free phone calls visit our website for free articles downloads, news and magazines:

http://www.net-planet.org

VoIP - Saving on the Bundle

The use of VoIP services is really in it's infancy at the present time, and like an infant will grow as time moves forward.

While the business community has been on the forefront of the use of VoIP and broadband phone services, it's use is catching on quick with the general public. The drive to cut costs and have fewer bills to keep up with are just a couple of reasons that consumers are beginning to take a serious look at VoIP and broadband phone services.

Cable television companies have begun to offer their clients service bundles which can include cable tv, broadband internet, and broadband phone service all in one. These bundles are usually priced to save consumers enough on their separate monthly services that it makes sense to make the switch to the bundled packages.

Consumer savings also doesn't stop at the bundle. Depending on the service provider and the package chosen, there is also the aspect of cutting long distance costs to zero when using broadband phone services. This free long distance is an offer which some consumers simply can't pass up, when combined with the extra savings on the service bundle.

If you are considering subscribing to a bundled service, there's a few things you should know up front, and don't be shy asking questions before you buy.

Before you can know if you're truly getting the best deal is to know what you're actually paying before you decide to go with a bundled service.

Add up your true present costs, factoring in:

Present monthly cable or satellite bill

Your average monthly pay per view movie purchases

Your monthly phone bill without long distance charges

Your average monthly long distance charges

With this information at hand, you will know at a glance which bundle will save you money.

Also, when inquiring about the service plans, be sure to ask about setup and equipment charges. There will be variations in these charges with different providers and their bundled services. These are usually one time fees, if any.

If you haven't been contacted by your cable tv or internet provider about these services yet, don't be timid about asking. If they don't offer these services yet, they will shortly. As the competition for your business grows, so will the services which are offered. It's only a matter of time.

Susan Anderson enjoys writing articles for families and consumers which are informative and adds value to their lives. With a simple and down to earth writing style, these articles are suited for all audiences. Writing for her intended audience, Susan has found VoIP services to be a possible money saving choice for many consumers. http://www.BroadBandPhoneSource.com

The Pros and Cons of VoIP Protocol: Which VoIP System Makes Sense?

Well, the starting point in discussing the pros and cons of VoIP protocol is cost! Switching to VoIP and using it as your primary phone system can save you between 30 and 50 percent or more on your monthly phone bill over your conventional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) system! This is significant for all of us who are disenchanted with our local phone companies and all of their mysterious charges that simply drain our pocketbooks!

We as consumers now have choices of VoIP carriers that offer top services as well as very low costs for unlimited calling with all of the included bells and whistles that you can imagine, like caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, voice mail and more that we are used to.

The list of pros is long for the use of a VoIP system, so let us keep going! With VoIP you can also port (keep your number and move it to your VoIP company) your present phone number. Your voice mail messages are also sent to your e-mail and you can listen to those messages no matter where you are in the world by logging into your e-mail account. There are also VoIP carriers who specialize in offering internet connections all over the world for the travelers among us who need to stay connected while at the airport or other locations away from home. Video mail is also a new feature that is now available through many VoIP carriers. So, now you can see your callers!

Clarity is another big plus! Clarity has improved very much over the past several years and a VoIP call is now several times clearer than a conventional phone! You will be very pleased that it sounds like your caller is standing right in front of you. Of course you can call any type of phone system in the world from your VoIP system or vice-versa. Now let us say that you live in California and some of your loved ones live in Pennsylvania....no problem for VoIP! You can sign up in California for a new number with the same area code as your loved ones have in Pennsylvania and they can now call you as often as they want as if it was a local call for them! I think that you are starting to see that VoIP is great and the possibilities to be creative and save money are great!

Now, let us look at some of the "cons" of VoIP. Don't worry this list is short! There is a 911(Emergency Call) controversy going on, but 911 is available with all VoIP companies, but with some you might have to give your address for now.

With VoIP you need to have a High Speed internet connection and the reliability of your VoIP system will follow the reliability of your High Speed service provider. So, if your high speed goes down so does your phone system. You need to choose wisely here! Electrical outages will also knock out your phone system.

VoIP services are relatively speaking, based on new technology, so there will be glitches. Although, VoIP is here to stay and will only continue to improve over time! So,enjoy the many benefits(pros)of VoIP that far outnumber the disadvantages(cons).

Hugh McMarlin has many online endeavors and his informational VoIP site, http://www.voip-carrier-4u.com is his latest. Read his latest articles on FREE VoIP You can also learn more about how VoIP works by reading his article on how VoIP phone systems work

VoIP Telephony: Is That Right For Home Use

VOIP has created so much hype that by now, everyone is aware about the fact that VOIP is a computer phone that allows you to make phone calls from your computer to anyone in the world. Over the next couple of years phone over Internet will be the norm for most homes and businesses. A VOIP provider can save you upto 75% on your telephone/long distance expenses.

Even now, not everyone is sure how to go about this technology for home use and does it have any benefit for your family. So lets clear our doubts regarding this technology.

First of all, you must have a high-speed Internet connection, which can be, satellite, or DSL Internet. The high-speed connection is required for VOIP to function properly and dial up connection doesnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt have the capacity to transfer voice without compromising on quality. Secondly, you need a gateway that is connected between your computer and Ethernet modem. The VOIP gateway is where your phone line will be plugged into. With gateways, you can be sure of getting improved voice quality.

VOIP is easy to use, and depending on the service and method you choose, installation can be as easy as downloading software or attaching an adaptor to your computer.

With the elimination of long-distances charges, unregulated charges, and all the freebies that come standard with VOIP service, it can actually amount to a significant saving for you. For example, you may be paying extra for features like: Call waiting, three way calling, Call forwarding, Caller I.D, Repeat dial. If you donรขโ�ฌโ�ขt want to leave out of the exciting face-to-face conversations with friends and relatives, get your videophone. One important thing to remember is that your gateway is reliant on electricity to function, which means power outages, will put your phone line out of service.

So, if you want to save money on your telephone service using the Internet, you will need to sign up with a VOIP service provider. Most providers allow you to call any phone number in the world for a moderately low fee. They also provide voicemail, call forwarding and conference calls, at no extra charge. Decision to choose VoIP depends on your needs. If you make a large number of long distance calls, it may be well worth looking into. VoIP services are often much less expensive than traditional providers.

Alen
xpert4u.co.uk
UK mobile phone directory

VoIP Options for Business

VoIP makes a great option for business because you can save money. Many providers offer special packages strictly for business use. Different products are available such as fax lines and call forwarding.

When shopping for a service, you will need to take a few factors into account. This includes whether or not you want your provider to also service your internet connection, or if your computers will be on a network. Here is a compiled list of potential service providers to help you find the best package to suit your business needs.

Vonage offers two packages for their small business customers. The Small Business Basic plan is $39.99 and allows for 1500 minutes of calling anywhere in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. The Small Business Unlimited package is $49.99 and includes unlimited calling to those places. Check out their website (www.vonage.com) for information on their additional features and international calling rates.

Verizon has a lot of options for business. They can accommodate small, medium, and large businesses. Their rates vary based on situation and location, so it is best to visit their site (www.verizon.com) to find the options that are right for you. You can also specify packages that include Verizon DSL and VoIP.

Lingoรขโ�ฌโ�ขs business packages start at $49.95 a month for unlimited calling to the US, Canada, Western Europe, and any phones within the Lingo system. Service also includes a free fax line and other features such as three-way calling. They offer your first month free as a trial. Simply cancel if you are unhappy with their service. For more information browse their site at www.lingo.com.

Sprint also offers VoIP options for business. They offer options for businesses including home offices, small business, medium businesses, and full scale enterprises. Check out their options and packages at www.sprint.com/business.

Mike Bell is the webmaster of http://www.VoIP-Journal.com, a site devoted to providing users with VoIP news and information.

VoIP: Finally Worth a Look

Dear Internet Friends,

Hundreds of thousands of consumers collectively save millions of dollars each month by replacing (or supplementing) their traditional telephone service with personal voice over IP (VoIP) telephony.

Using IP to transmit voice is not new. Large corporations and long distance carriers have used IP to transmit voice on their private networks for years. Likewise, private citizens have used their computers and the Internet to talk with other PC users for a few years now, but in the past users of such solutions have had to contend with poor voice quality and the need for at least one computer to be connected to the Internet.

Widespread adoption of broadband Internet service (cable or DSL) in the last few years though has in turn fueled a surge in the growth of much-improved personal VoIP

Most VoIP service providers offer all-inclusive calling plans that provide you with unlimited local, regional and long distance (within the United States) at flat rates starting as low as $24.95 per month. Some offer usage-based plans at a lower monthly cost and most provide inexpensive per minute rates on international calls as well. In addition, VoIP service providers include a smorgasbord of advanced features such as name and number caller ID, call forwarding, call blocking and voice mail that traditional phone companies sell as premium services.

When you sign up for VoIP service, many service providers give you the option of choosing the area code, and possibly the exchange, for your service. You can select from any area where the VoIP provider has local service.

So what are the drawbacks of a personal VoIP solution? The main drawback is the need for a reliable broadband connection; without one a VoIP solution is probably not for you.

Power outages present another hurdle. Since VoIP requires a live Internet connection, losing electricity means losing your phone service.

The voice quality of your VoIP call is also another consideration. Since the data travels across the Internet, there's the potential for dropouts or "burbles" similar to what you might experience on a cell phone

Most people we called during our tests were surprised at the quality of the calls, and didn't realize they were on a VoIP connection until we told them. Keep in mind that the call quality for VoIP providers who don't manage their IP networks and depend on the Internet for routing will yield varying and sometimes disappointing voice quality and unreliable connections.

Syed Akram was 3 years experience in offline and online marketing. He now actively promoting the new free voip communication technology which improve relationship in internet far more better. His site can be visit at http://www.mdi365.com/futurebiz (Futurebiz's Free Internet Marketing Tool and Training for Work From Home)

Free IP Telephony

Free IP telephone services are available to make national and international phone calls by using a computer and a mouse. To get these free services, you need a computer with an Internet connection using WiFi, broadband or a dial-up network supported by T-I, DSL, Fiber, Wireless, ATM, Cable or Frame Relay. You also need a home to share the Internet connection with multiple computers, microphones and headsets (for audio connectivity) and software to turn the computer into a telephone.

One has to initially, activate a network account to get a telephone number through which calls can be made. Calls can be made to any telephone, mobile or landline. Free IP telephony services are offered for PC-to-PC phone calls. By paying a nominal registration fee, one can use the same services to call out on mobile or landline telephone.

Free IP Telephony services include voice mail, caller ID, Internet billing, video phone, instant messaging, call forwarding, call waiting, fax to email connections, call to PSTN numbers, 3-way calling or teleconferencing and call blasting. Free service providers offer instruments such as adapters; stand alone videophones at discounted prices when a customer registers on their websites.

Most of the sites use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and high-speed Internet connections. The other services available are SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) communication systems that use the existing PBX connections in an organization to contact co-workers in remote locations. SIP provides mobility and better interconnection services within organizations.

Internet telephony software essentially provides free telephone calls, however does not offer the same quality of telephone services as PSTN network has.

IP Telephony provides detailed information on IP Telephony, IP Telephony Systems, IP Telephony Solutions, Free IP Telephony and more. IP Telephony is affiliated with Free Internet Telephony.

VOIP Broad Band Phones

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Phones are referred to as just Broad band Phones. The main function of a Broad Band phone using VOIP is to convert voice data (analog) into digital data for transmission over the Internet. They are connected to the high speed internet through computers to enable voice communication. By this innovation VOIP Broad Band Phones have turned the internet into a carrier for free phone calls, by going around the normal phone companies.

VOIP Broad Band phones are a product of revolutionary technology which can change the entire way people speak to each other around the world. There are a few VOIP service providers who are growing by the day now, and major phone companies are busy setting up shop in various markets around the world with different calling plans with free VOIP Broad Band phones bundled in. FCC and other regulatory bodies all over the world are eagerly busy investigating and predicting the ramifications and future risks in usage of VOIP Broad Band phones and their prevention.

We will look into the basic technology of VOIP Broad Band phones working and itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs potential in replacing the traditional phone systems.

The most intriguing feature of VOIP Broad Band phones is that they look just like their predecessors with cradle, buttons and handsets. A normal telephone is connected to wall socket using a RJ-11 connector, whereas VOIP Broad Band phones are connected to your computer or router using a RJ-45 connector. All VOIP Broad Band phones come with preloaded software to handle any IP calls. Technology is already moving towards Wi-Fi VOIP Broad Band phones which can be used to make calls from any Wi-Fi hotspot.

In addition to usage of VOIP Broad Band phones, VOIP can also use ATA sets i.e. simple telephone like boxes that connect to your computer and convert your analog voice data into digital signals. VOIP also connects computer to computer calls where you do not need any extra hardware apart from a standard computer system with headphone and internet connection. Except for what you pay for your internet connection, there is no extra cost involved in both these options. VOIP Broad Band phones are dedicated instruments used only for making calls over VOIP.

If you want to have a go at VOIP Broad Band phones features, you can sample the free versions on the internet to check out connectivity and sound quality. One place I can suggest is the latest version of Yahoo Messenger Version 7.0 which is Voice enabled. You can make computer to computer calls using Yahoo Messenger. It is very easy to implement, just try it out. One other place you could take a look at is www.skype.com. VOIP Broad Band phones are certainly here to stay despite the internet sops and other devices available.

If you are a long distance caller you could be involuntarily making VOIP calls without using a VOIP Broad Band phone and at normal cost. Most phone companies around the world are trying to reduce their bandwidth by routing a few thousand calls through circuit switches onto an IP gateway. On the receiving end, they just reverse the process, somewhat similar to multiplexing.

Over time all of the current phone technology involving circuit switched networks will be replaced by packet switching technology. VOIP technology is efficient on financial and infrastructure needs, it costs less and takes lesser infrastructure and is more efficient. VOIP Broad Band phones have made their way into most corporate houses; it is only a matter of time before they barge into our homes.

More than 5 million households will be using VOIP Broad Band phones by the end of 2006 says the Forrester Research Group. One cannot escape the VOIP Broad Band phones as a means of communication.

VOIP Broad Band phones score on the basis of cost and flexibility. It can be said that they are free to use, unless you use your broadband connection only for your VOIP Broad Band phones. You can virtually call from anywhere in the world where u can access a broadband internet connection. You can carry your VOIP Broad Band phones anywhere to use your laptop to make PC to PC calls.

VOIP companies are offering rate plans similar to cellular phones for customers who want only VOIP Broad Band phones. They vary anywhere from $30 to $80 per month. They are also offering a lot of freebies including free VOIP Broad Band phones to go with them which make these rates further economical.

For further information on VOIP Service Providers, you are encouraged to visit http://www.voip-serviceproviders.info to discover the benefits of the VOIP phone system.

The UK Finally Embracing VoIP

VoIP in the UK has started to take off just as it has all over the world. It is an amazing break through technology and is changing the face of telephone communications. According to a study conducted by research firm Harris Interactive, during the last nine months, the percentage of British adults who have heard of VoIP or already use it has increased from just a little over one-third (37 percent) to nearly half (46 percent.) A similar shift in awareness and use in the United States has been shown from 36 to 51 percent. The firm surveyed 1,089 U.S. adults aged 18 and over and 1,117 British adults aged 18 and over.

VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and many times it is referred to as "Internet Phone Service". It is a way for British consumers to make and receive telephone calls using a high-speed Internet connection. The main reason why VoIP is becoming popular in the UK is cost; as VoIP is significantly less expensive than typical local and long distance telephone service offered by the phone companies. Most UK VoIP providers charge about ร�ยฃ6.99 per month. Some providers also have an annual rate of ร�ยฃ79.99; not bad for those consumers who are looking to save a pretty penny.

Early efforts at employing VoIP in the UK involved having to use a computer in order to use the service, known as PC to PC calling. While this is still popular today, VoIP services can now be used with regular telephone equipment so less technical people can enjoy the cost savings of VoIP. It works just like traditional phone service, so all that is needed is a phone jack; a phone adapter (provided by the VoIP Company) an existing phone (with the exception of a rotary phone), high-speed Internet and a monthly or annual subscription to a VoIP service provider.

Once connected and installed, VoIP works just like any other phone: all consumers have to do is pick up the phone and wait for the dial tone รขโ�ฌโ�� dial a phone number รขโ�ฌโ�� wait for the person to answer รขโ�ฌโ�� and start a conversation. In most cases the person on the other end wonรขโ�ฌโ�ขt even know that you are using VoIP; the quality is that excellent.

Some of the tangible benefits of using VoIP include: unlimited UK local & national calls, a UK phone number with your choice of area dialing code, a free second phone line; as well as free features like voicemail, caller ID, distinctive ringing, three-way calling, call forwarding, do not disturb and many more.

Another advantage of using VoIP is that it is portable. For example, let's assume that you have to go on a business trip to China. Simply pack up your phone adapter, (power supply & cables) and your touch tone phone. When you arrive at your hotel in Beijing, set up your phone adaptor and phone just as you had installed it at home. You can then make and receive telephone calls as if you were sitting down in your living room back in the UK. Itรขโ�ฌโ�ขs that easy.

Cost savings, free features, portability รขโ�ฌโ�� VoIP is the emerging technology at the root of all these trends, and British consumers should expect to see a lot more news about VoIP in the UK in the coming months and years.

Click here for more in-depth information about UK VoIP products and services.

Michael Brito is an internet marketing consultant and freelance writer for a variety of consumer related products.

Telecom Industry Transition: WiFi, VoIP, WiMax - The Wireless Age is Already Here

VoIP on WiMax will make the latest 3G technologies obsolete before they are completely installed. The reason is because 3G cell phone technology is capable of 2Mbs while WiFi is at 11Mbs in bursts and WiMax will be even greater therefore 3G is not needed as VoIP over WiMax is going to provide more data, faster speeds and greater numbers of users. WiFi and WiMax may actually solve the goals of conquering the digital divide. There will be a small price for this disruptive technology. There will be small legal battles fought such as this one over territory with government agencies and private sector. In the WiFi Online Newsletter commenting on a Wall Street Journal Article we saw Verizon fighting with the City of Philadelphia over their city wide WiFi and if you think about it they do potentially have quite a bit to lose don't they?

There will also be issues with frequency pollution from other uses in close proximity of the frequency band being sent out. There will be issues with the human biological system, birds, animals and pets. There will also layoffs caused by such disruption and some bluff layoffs to sway political intervention thru careful manipulation of "K-Street" style guerilla lobbying. There will also be issues with first to market and frequency allocations from the FCC. There will be consumer complaints due to bandwidth being used up and services too slow for users.

There are already some heated battles going on with the use of power lines to deliver Internet to the home because it will disrupt Ham Operators. The layoffs in Telecom have been astronomical in recent years. New technologies while they give the industry new life, new directions to grow they also provide for some fierce competition between players. One of the most recent issues was the VoIP FCC ruling, which said that VoIP couldnรขโ�ฌโ�ขt be taxed by states, as it is an Internet Service not a phone service. This was a major ruling for the VoIP Industry and will add billions of dollars in capital from investment banks and venture capital firms.

http://www.commweb.com/53700703

Recently I was at a WiFi Verizon Hot Spot and there were six people with computers there, two playing video games on the Internet, One using VoIP another downloading a big file, needless to say surfing at any acceptable speed or collecting 1000 emails (most 90% SPAM) was out of the question. Although patrons have paid $19.95 per month for internet access there will be issues with speed and bandwidth as the Internet is soaked up by VoIP and excessive emails. WiMax promises to solve this problem with speeds of 75MB per second as opposed to the WiFi burst speeds of 11MB or the mobile satellite solutions at 1-2 MB per second. Still all of these solutions blow out of the water the old dial up speeds. 3G Wireless was thought to be the savior, yet with speeds on the very lowest end of the spectrum, even devices like the Blackberry (RIMM), or the AT & T iGO do not stand a chance on such services.

Right now 3G network is nearly complete and works good for phone calls and instant messaging, but is quite lacking for video or picture emailing. As new devices come out such as movie watching, music downloads, projection video, hologram messages, 3G, 4G even 5G and what some in the industry call 6G will not be able to use with the current 3G towers across the nation. Even with 1000:1 algorithm compression there is a limit on the devices and system. The Telecom Industry has taken a huge hit in the last five years with massive layoffs, accounting irregularities and overpriced bidding for frequency allocation, which amounted to investments based on pie in the sky wishful thinking potential consumer numbers even from a monopolistic standpoint, it was simply not possible. The frenzy to over pay for these frequencies was out of control and we saw the fallout occur as predicted by many an insider.

So how does the future look now? Well, all in all things are looking good, we have capital flows to new entrants, large corporations finding partners and re-investing profits in an industry which seems to have new life blood and can be called anything but static.

Lance Winslow

Integrated VOICE IP in Unitone Communication Server

If you've never heard of VoIP, get ready to change the way you think about long-distance phone calls. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet.

How is this useful? VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VoIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, you are bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely. VoIP is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to completely rework the world's phone systems.

VoIP providers have already been around for a little while and are growing steadily. Above all else, VoIP is basically a clever "reinvention of the wheel." In this article, we'll explore the principles behind VoIP, its applications and the potential of this emerging technology, which will more than likely one day replace the traditional phone system entirely.

Voice and data communications solutions could use customers of all sizes, whether you are a large enterprise, small to medium business, or have residential home-based business needs. VoIP solutions enable customers to grow and adapt their communications portfolio, as their business needs change. Voice and data communications development include using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and ITU voice standards, and more, to protect your communications investments as technology changes.

Not long ago outsourcing company Invent-Soft has successfully finished to develop VoIP solution for Unitone Communication System. Our programmers adopted and created SIP stack, RTP and SIP proxy.

Have more questions?

Best regards, Elena Kostogladova, Marketing Manager eak@invent-soft.com

Invent-Soft- Offshore Software and Web Development Outsourcing http://www.invent-soft.com

Is Your VoIP Hosted PBX Provider Blind to Your Troubles?

A recent survey conducted by Emprix revealed that more than one third of all VoIP service providers, which includes Hosted PBX service, are unable to recognize they have a service quality problem until a customer complaint is received.

In a world where mission critical business applications routinely flow through data networks, it is distressing that no monitoring capability exists for many service providers of our newest and best technology. In the enterprise market, the financial viability of a business can very well depend on a vendorรขโ�ฌโ�ขs technical strength and on their capability to proactively monitor and fix problems before the end user is affected.

Before selecting a vendor for your VoIP Hosted PBX service make sure they are equipped with the proper Network Management System (NMS) for their VoIP deployments, one that allows their Network Operations and Field Technicians to identify and troubleshoot VoIP problems without relying upon a complaint from you to trigger an action on their part.

Your Hosted PBX provider should have the capability to proactively monitor detailed call quality statistics including MOS, jitter, latency, and other measurements. State-of-the-Art network monitoring systems have advanced diagnostics linked to an online knowledgebases that automatically provide network technicians with troubleshooting tips. This capability dramatically reduces the effort and time required to identify the root cause of poor quality calls, and more importantly it reduces the time that your business is affected by the trouble.

Their system should also incorporate trend analysis and pro-active notification of poor VoIP call performance so that the network technician is able to identify and resolve issues that would otherwise impact VoIP service delivery to your business. With the proper network management system, in the event that you do have a problem, it is likely that the trouble can be rectified remotely rather than waiting for a time-consuming truckroll.

When you are in the process of evaluating Hosted PBX service offerings, make sure that your evaluation criteria is heavily weighted to include the vendor's network monitoring capabilities, and that they have the proper tools to effectively measure, monitor and manage all of their VoIP endpoints.

Whatever you do, don't buy VoIP service from a "blind" provider.