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Article Title:
==============

Internet Telephone Calls: VoIP Basics

Article Description:
====================

You've seen the commercials and read the news advertisements for
telephone service using your computer: very cheap monthly fees;
make all the calls you want; keep your telephone number forever;
and voice quality as good as a landline. You've heard the claims
and you've heard the term "VoIP." Here's the scoop.


Additional Article Information:
===============================

944 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line
Distribution Date and Time: 2009-06-11 12:12:00

Written By: Nermine Shaker
Copyright: 2009
Contact Email: mailto:nermine.shaker@...



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Internet Telephone Calls: VoIP Basics
Copyright (c) 2009 Nermine Shaker
The Sygnal Group
http://www.SygnalGroup.com



You've seen the commercials and read the news advertisements for
telephone service using your computer: very cheap monthly fees;
make all the calls you want; keep your telephone number forever;
and voice quality as good as a landline. You've heard the claims
and you've heard the term "VoIP." Here's the scoop.

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it does what the
name suggests - it transmits voice data using IP packets over the
Internet. It is also called Internet Telephony. It's easier to
understand VoIP if you know a little about our telephone system -
PSTN (the Public Switched Telephone Network) and a little about
the Internet.

Your traditional landline transmits calls through copper or fiber
cables in the ground or on telephone poles with a cable connected
to your home. When someone makes a call, one continuous route is
made between the two phones and the information flows
continuously in this loop. As you know from paying your bills,
the longer the route, the more expensive the call.

VoIP works a little differently. It works using the Internet,
which is a packet-based network. Packet-based just means that
instead of sending one continuous string of information, it sends
out smaller packets of information.

With VoIP, your voice is converted into a digital signal that
travels over the Internet. There are three ways that this can be
done: 1) using a VoIP telephone; 2) using a computer with
speakers and a microphone; or 3) using a regular telephone with a
VoIP adaptor. Because the IP packets are tiny by comparison,
unlike downloading files, this all happens in real time, just
like your regular phone.

Advantages of VoIP

Because VoIP provides services through the Internet, once you
have the equipment in place there are a number of benefits.

The main reason for VoIP's popularity is its cost advantage.
With regular phone service, you usually pay a monthly flat fee
for your local calls and a per-minute charge for long distance
calls. Internet connections are charged using a monthly flat fee
only. Because VoIP doesn't charge a per-minute fee for long
distance, you wouldn't incur those charges. If you make long
distance calls, VoIP most certainly will save you a lot of money.
If you used the Internet for both your data traffic and voice
calls, you could get rid of one monthly payment.

The other cost advantage is that since it uses a broadband
Internet connection, it efficiently uses the existing
infrastructure you already use with your computer. There is only
minimal software and hardware to buy.

Disadvantages to VoIP

There are a few disadvantages with VoIP. A major one is QoS or
Quality of Service. Since there are packets carrying your voice
information instead of a continuous flow of information, there
could be delay problems, weird sounds, echoes and noise. VoIP
quality depends on many factors - your broadband connection, your
hardware, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the
destination of your call, just to name a few.

While VoIP has made substantial progress over the past 5 years in
terms of Quality of Service, it still has a way to go.

Another disadvantage is that in the event of a power failure, you
will lose the ability to make and receive calls unless you have a
backup battery for your computer. With traditional phone service,
the cables are directly linked to the phone lines and the phone
company provides power independently of your home or company's
electrical power system. Thus you normally do not lose a phone
signal due to loss of power with traditional service.

Another criticism of VoIP service is its historical problems with
911 emergency services. With traditional phone service, the 911
system can identify the location and number of the call because
it is connected and routed locally. With VoIP, you are calling
through the Internet and the actual signal may travel substantial
distances before being routed to a local 911-service center. Thus
geographically, the 911 system might have trouble identifying
your location. Most VoIP services today include what is known as
enhanced 911 service. This is a process by which the signal
traveling through the Internet carries with it a physical address
for the calling location. At present VoIP equipment providers may
charge an additional fee for this service.

Businesses that may want to use VoIP to save money need to
consider any security issues that exist. This is because with
VoIP, information is sent through the Internet. Just as with any
computer connection, it is possible that a hacker can intercept
the information being transmitted. It is important to investigate
the VoIP equipment provider's network to determine how they
route data, what firewalls or other protections are afforded for
security purposes.

If you are ready to look into VoIP for your phone or fax service,
you can visit electronics retailers, large discount retailers and
search online for information. There are a variety of VoIP
providers at present. The equipment that is used, the cost of the
equipment, the cost of accessories, and the cost of any enhanced
services can and should be compared.

You should purchase the system and use the provider that you feel
would work best for your needs in terms of how many phones you
want to connect to the system, what type of security you require
and the cost of purchasing the equipment and the service.

You may want to use a telecom management service for a cost
analysis to see if VoIP will be a good fit for your company.

VoIP is still a new technology and hopefully there will be more
and more improvements and innovations in the coming years.




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With more than twenty-five years of experience in planning,
implementing, managing and consulting on telecommunications
projects, Nermine Shaker has generated tens of millions of
dollars worth of savings for her clients. She is a Partner
at The Sygnal Group, a Telecommunications Management Company
that offers unbiased reporting, analysis and implementation
of telecom strategies to businesses of all sizes.
http://www.SygnalGroup.com

Nermine Shaker has generated tens of millions of dollars worth
of savings for her clients. She is a Partner at THE SYGNAL
GROUP, a Telecoms Management Company that offers unbiased
reporting, analysis and implementation of telecom strategies
to businesses of all sizes. http://www.SygnalGroup.com


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