Voice over IP - What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is also referred to as IP Telephony. It is another way of making phone calls, though the ‘phone’ part is not always present anymore, as you can communicate without a telephone set.

VoIP is especially popular with long-distance calls. The main reason for which people are so massively turning to this new technology is the cost. VoIP is said to be cheap, but most people use it for free. Yes, if you have a computer with a microphone and speakers, and a good Internet connection, you can communicate using VoIP for free.

There are basically three ways of using VoIP: one is to have a PC on both communicating sides; another is to have a Phone on one side and a PC on the other and the third is to have two phones.

Free!

The great thing about VoIP is that it taps additional value from the already existing infrastructure without additional costs. VoIP transmits the sounds you make over the standard Internet infrastructure, using the IP Protocol. This is how you can communicate without paying for more than your monthly Internet bill. For instance, you can have free VoIP calls with Skype, Gizmo, VoIPStunt and other VoIP services and applications.

If it’s free, then what’s cheap?

VoIP is not free if you want to use it away from your computer. You can use VoIP with a telephone set or a mobile phone, but you require a paid service. This paid service is however way cheaper than standard phone calls. This becomes thrilling when you consider international calls. I know people who had their communication costs on international calls cut down by 90 percent thanks to VoIP.

The trend

VoIP is a relatively new technology and it has already achieved wide acceptance and use. There is still a lot to improve and it is expected to have major technological advances in VoIP in the future. It has so far proved to be a good candidate for replacing the POTS (Plain Old Telephone Systems). It, of course, has drawbacks along with the numerous advantages it brings; and its increasing use worldwide is creating new considerations surrounding its regulations and security.

The growth of VoIP today can be compared to that of the Internet in the early 90’s. The public is getting more and more conscious of the advantages they can reap from VoIP at home or in their businesses. Advertising campaigns, which are omnipresent on the net, are contributing a lot towards the vulgarization of VoIP, which is not only giving facilities and allowing people to save, but also generating huge income for those who dived early into the new phenomenon.

Learn more on how to get started with VoIP here.