VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Sometimes referred to as Voice over Networks or Internet Telephony. VoIP allows you to make free, or very low cost, telephone calls over the Internet. You can call any telephone in the world and any telephone can call you - regardless of what equipment or network the person you are calling uses. However, it can do so much more.
Because VoIP uses, digital, internet technologies (SIP) many new features and services that were previously impossible, or very expensive using traditional telephone technology, become available. With VoIP this means you can have many free or low cost features such as voicemail, voicemails sent to you email, music on hold, call diverts etc. In fact all the advantages of your own digital switchboard without the hardware, maintenance costs etc.
But you don’t need to know anything about the technologies used if you don’t want to. After all, you probably don’t know how your ordinary telephone functions but your telephone still works.
Calls can be free not because you are a charity but because you’ve already paid for them as part of your monthly broadband subscription. When you make a call over the internet your voice is converted to data and sent like any other piece of data down your internet connection; just like web surfing and email; you don’t have to pay again to use it. So, if you call another VoIP user anywhere in the world, it’s a free call – you only pay if you call an old fashioned telephone network or an unaffiliated VoIP service provider.
This can seem very complicated, but it needn't be. One of the great strengths of Internet Telephone networks is that they can do so much more than ordinary telephone networks. In practise VoIP services can be as simple as making an ordinary telephone call or as complicated as using a large business switchboard in several countries. We find that most customers start with the simple services and progress to the more sophisticated as they learn more.
Why not contact us to find out what VoIP could do for your organisation?
How do I Make a VoIP Call?
Once you've sorted out a reliable service provider and set up your service you only need to pick up your phone and dial the number! The most primitive form of VoIP uses your PC as the telephone. You install a software telephone – a softphone – to do this. This displays a model of a telephone on your screen and you simply type the number to be dialled in or click on the phone’s directory to dial the number. You can either use your PCs speakers and microphone or use a simple headset to talk.
For more professional circumstances, we recommend using purpose built VoIP telephones or telephone adapters with ordinary telephones plugged in. Apart from the obvious benefits of convenience to use and quality of call this method means that your telephones work even when your PC is switched off.What Kind of Equipment is required?
A broadband (high speed Internet) connection is required for most, VoIP services. This can be provided through either broadband or cable.
To make phone calls you then either use a softphone on your PC or laptop, a purpose built VoIP telephone or telephone adapter.If I use VoIP, who can I call?
That is depends on who your service provider is. Technically you should be able to call anyone, anywhere on any type of telephone or network. The receiver of the call needs to have no special equipment and won’t know what kind of call he is receiving. However, if the person receiving your call is a customer of a different unaffiliated service provider, on a landline or mobile network their will be a charge. If the call is to another customer on the same or affiliated VoIP networks the call will be free – no matter where they are located in the world.
Does it sound as good as an ordinary telephone call?
That depends. Normally the call will sound identical to an ordinary telephone call – you won’t be able to tell the difference. However if the traffic on your internet connection is heavy or you share the connection with a lot of others (called the contention rate) there you may need assistance setting up your router or even a dedicated line. If your call is to someone on the same VoIP Network and you are both using VoIP telephones the call quality is much better than an ordinary call – this is because it is transmitted digitally end to end at 64kbs – ie CD quality sound.
Can I use my Computer While I talk on the Phone?
Yes
Can I Take My telephone or Phone Adapter with me to a different location?
You can use your VoIP telephone service wherever you travel as long as you have access to a high speed Internet connection. In that case it would work exactly the same as from your home or business.
Does my Computer Have to be Turned on?
Not if you are making calls with a VoIP telephone or a VoIP telephone adaptor, but your broadband Internet connection needs to be active. You can also use your computer while talking on the phone.
How Do I Know If I have an incoming VoIP phone Call?
It will ring like any other call.
Do I require a private PBX or Server to run VoIP?
No, while some VoIP systems do require the installation of hardware, we recommend that most client organisations would benefit most from using a virtual PBX - that is the hardware and specialist software is hosted extrenally by the service provider so that you don't have to know anything about it. This is connected to the Internet with high speed, secure lines. All you have to do is pick the number of extensions you want and the services you require and add them to your account.
You log in through the internet and it is extremely easy to set up and use. You can do it all on-line and it starts working immediately. Virtual PBX will save you a lot of money because it’s all based on Voice over IP technologies so you no longer need several expensive incoming PSTN/ISDN lines and all calls within the service are free, no matter where they are made to or from. This means that if you have home workers or a home office, it’s as though you are all in the same building.
All of your extensions can have access to the full PBX suite of features including facilities such as Call Transfer, Call Waiting, Call ID, Voice Mail, Call Conferencing, 3 Way Calling, Free Calls between Offices etc.
VoIP can seem very confusing at first, but don’t worry, this is quite normal and we are here to help! Anything new takes a bit of getting used to so why not give us a no-obligation call to discuss what we can do to help you, what suppliers and equipment we recommend and what typical installaion costs would be.
For more information about VoIP, visit our advice pages:
Phone Calls over the Internet and
or contact us for that no-obligation chat (over VoIP, naturally).
