Introduction to Voice over IP (VoIP)

One important step into adopting VoIP is to choose a VoIP service, which will allow you to make and receive cheap or free local and international phone calls. It is important to choose the right type of VoIP service. Your needs and the way you will communicate should help you decide which type of VoIP service to choose. The list below shows the existing types of VoIP service, and helps you decide which type suits you best.

PC (computer) Based VoIP Service (Software)

Computer-based or software-based VoIP service is the most common among VoIP users. This type of VoIP service can be used for free in most cases, especially when they involve PC-to-PC communication over the Internet. You only have to download a VoIP application (called a softphone) that the VoIP service provides and install it on your machine, register for a free account, and talk. The calls are unlimited and free when you talk to people using the same VoIP service on their computers. Calls to mobile and landline phones are charged, but cheap. A headset is the minimal hardware required.

SOHO/Residential VoIP Service

This type of VoIP service is the one to replace your existing phone line at home or in the office. On signing-up for the VoIP service, which you can do online, you are sent an ATA (phone adapter) that you plug, on one side, to your broadband or satellite Internet link and on the other to your regular phone set. The cost includes a once-off subscription fee and monthly fees, which are most of the time flat rates. Calls can either be made unlimited locally or towards certain destinations, or the service can cover a limited number of minutes (depends on VoIP provider).

Mobile VoIP Service

If, like anyone else, you are wondering how to cut down the cost of your mobile communication (and even make a free calls from your mobile phone!), a mobile VoIP service might be the solution. Cost is not the only thing about mobile VoIP – it also allows you to carry all the benefits and features that VoIP offers. Read more on mobile VoIP services and how-to’s

Business VoIP Service and Solutions

You might have a network-centered business in which you want to deploy VoIP as an internal and external communication solution; or you might have a small enterprise with a small number of phones. Business VoIP service has solutions as packages, or tailored to your needs. If you want something simple, you can go for the business plans of residential VoIP services or consider more specific and business-oriented VoIP solutions.

Below the line

Anyway’s if you are not on VoIP yet for for voice communication, then you are most certainly using the good old phone line (PSTN – Packet-Switched Telephone Network) or a cell phones. On a PSTN line, time is really money. You actually pay for each minute you spend communicating on the phone. International calls are much more expensive. Since VoIP uses the Internet as backbone, the only cost you have when using it is the monthly Internet bill to your ISP, but many of them are fixed rates per month. Of course you need broadband Internet access with proper bandwidth on it and other parameters must be good (ping, latency, packet loss).

In fact, unlimited 24/7 Internet service (ADSL, FFTB, FTTH, satellite links) is what most people use today, and this causes your monthly cost to be of a fixed amount. You can speak as much as you wish on VoIP and the connection cost will still be the same.

Studies have shown that, compared to using a PSTN line, using VoIP can potentially make you save up to 40 % on local calls, and up to 90 % on international calls.

Using VoIP also means benefitting from its abundant features which can make your VoIP experience very rich and sophisticated, both personally and for your business. You are thus better equipped for call management. You can, for example, make calls anywhere in the world to any destination in the world with your VoIP account. Features also include Caller ID, Contact Lists, Voicemail, extra-virtual numbers etc.