VoIP or internet telephony has created new horizons for communications. Over the years small problems like dropped calls and voice clarity have existed but these have been ironed out and in most cases the system works fairly well. Companies big and small have entered the field of internet telephony and the competition ensures that the beneficiary is the end user or consumer.
The widespread use of broadband Internet access has led to more consumers choosing to also use their Internet access as a way to place and receive phone calls as well as surf the web. By using a Voice Over IP (VoIP) telephone company, users can get a host of great features and pricing that some would say is shockingly affordable. However, many people, especially those that are somewhat techno-phobic, might wonder how all this stuff gets connected. Actually, it’s fairly simple so here’s a quick summary of how to connect VoIP using your cable modem.
The Internet telephony system consists of call terminating devices, gateways, gatekeepers or proxies and multi-point conference units. Call terminating devices can be traditional telephones or audio-equipped computers. Gateways are used for transmission conversion of calls into a format transportable over the Internet. Gatekeepers provide centralized call management functions such as call admission, bandwidth management, address translation, and call authentication and user location. Multi-point conference units manage multi-party conferences. The functions of the above components may be met through software or hardware and may be integrated into single units. These components communicate with each other using voice-transporting protocols.
For the past several years a rapidly growing group of consumers have been getting rid of their traditional phone service in favor of internet telephony systems commonly called VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. These new phone systems, based upon sending telephone communications via the internet, have proven to be much cheaper than the land line systems offered by BellSouth, Verizon, and the rest of the traditional phone companies. Yes, for just a fraction of the cost, VOIP users are able to obtain comparable services offered via traditional phone services translating into savings of several hundred dollars per year. Businesses, too, have caught on to the VOIP revolution as a few companies have stepped forward to offer business dedicated internet telephony services at unheard of savings. Let’s explore VOIP for business and the transformation that it is bringing about for small and medium sized businesses across America.
