Tuesday, June 12, 2007

5 Top Reasons Why You Should Consider A Voip Service

The VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone service is gaining some serious ground with more and more companies offering this cutting-edge technology to customers. From cable companies to regular phone service providers, VoIP service is offered by big and little names in the industry. As it proves to be much more than a trend, many potential customers find themselves asking why they should consider VoIP.

There are a lot of compelling reasons that customers choose to give VoIP a go in their homes or offices. From budgeting and options, VoIP has fast enabled itself to stack up well against regular phone services in comparisons. Here are five of the biggest reasons to entertain the idea of getting a VoIP service:

1 Freedom: VoIP service companies tend to offer clients a lot of freedom in regards to the perks, benefits and pricing. It's even possible in some cases to choose the type of phone used. This means expensive regular telephones aren't necessarily deemed useless when VoIP is introduced into a home or business. Plus, many companies are able to cater to not only residential clients, but also businesses themselves. With multi-line options and more, VoIP offers customers the freedom of choice.

2 Clarity: The VoIP service has come a long way since it first began. As the Internet becomes higher-tech through broadband connections, VoIP is also becoming more reliable and clear. Where customers used to report problems with dropped calls, inaudible calls and other issues, this is just no longer the case.

3 Perks: VoIP service providers are now able to give their customers just about everything a regular phone company can. From Caller ID to call block, the options are matched almost perfectly.

4 Unlimited calls: Many VoIP service companies give their clients unlimited calling within their plans. This may or may not include unlimited national and international long distance, as well. This particular feature is one that has a lot of people taking VoIP more seriously.

5 Pricing plans: Most VoIP service providers offer their customers a flat-fee for use on a monthly basis. This flat-fee rate tends to be a great deal lower than a regular phone service, which makes it great for budgeting in these times of rising prices.

Offering reliable phone service in a new and different way, VoIP service companies are making a name for themselves. With reliability on the rise and pricing that's lower than the rest, these companies have put the VoIP service on the map.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Benefits Of Voip That Will Blow Your Mind

You would probably have heard of VoIP, unless you've been living on some other planet. Even if you've never really understood what the hype was all about, VoIP (which by the way, stands for Voice over Internet Protocol) will change the way you think about long distance telephone calls.

VoIP actually means that all that sounds you hear on the regular telephone (analog audio signals) are turned into a digital signal, which is then transmitted through the Internet.

So again you ask, why is this VoIP changing the industry? It means that you can totally go around your telephone company and start making long distance calls at no charge. All you have to do is get some of the free software that's available all over the Internet right now.

And here's the best part: this new technology can revolutionize the telephone system in the whole world. You might have seen the tv commercials from one of the forerunners of VoIP called Vonage. Vonage calls itself the 'broadband telephone company' and provides attractive services to its customers. These include low-cost 800 numbers and very low international rates. Fees from the US to Canada are also waived.

However, Vonage isn't the only company who is the game. AT&T is providing VoIP calling in some places in the US. There are also other major companies, including Skype, which is going all out with its viral advertising.

At the moment, most VoIP service providers offer plans somewhat similar to cell phone companies called 'minute-rate' plans for as low as $30 a month. And just like the cell phone plans, you can also opt for unlimited plans for around $79 a month. Without ever having to pay for long distance charges, unregulated charges and all the free services that come standard with your VoIP service, you can save a great amount of money.

Previously, you might be paying for services such as call waiting, three way calling, call forwarding, caller ID, repeat dial and last call return. With VoIP, you no longer need to pay as these come standard with your service. Plus, there are some advanced features that would make VoIP worth looking into. With some providers, you can opt for call filtering options and even have control over how calls are handled according to their numbers. For example, you could forward your call to a certain number, send the call to voicemail, give a busy signal, play a 'not in service' message, or even send the caller to a funny rejection hotline.

Some VoIP services also allow you to check your voicemail on the Internet or even attach messages to an email that is sent to you. Remember though, not all plans and features are the same for all VoIP providers. You should look around for one that best suits your needs.

The other benefit that makes VoIP a very attractive alternative for home and business users is its flexibility. With VoIP, you can make calls from any location that you can get broadband connectivity. As ATAs (Analog Telephone Adaptor) and IP phones transmit information over the Internet, they can be done by any provider. For travelers on business trips, this means that they never miss a home phone call, since they can take their ATA with them wherever their destination might be. Also, by using a 'softphone' or a software which enables you to load your VoIP service onto your laptop or even desktop, you can easily make calls anywhere, provided you have broadband services, a headset and a microphone.

IP telephony is the way of the future. It makes sense in terms of ROI, from both the infrastructure and economic point of view. It will not be overnight, but in time all of the current circuit switched networks in place today will be taken over by packet switching technology, in other word, VoIP. A majority of businesses are already using VoIP, and as the technology makes a presence into our lives, it will become more popular. Forrester Research predicts that by the end of 2006, nearly 5 million US households will have VoIP phone service.

In a nutshell, VoIP is just a better phone service, but it's one that's here to stay.