Difference Between VoIP Digital Phone Service and Traditional Telephone Service
Traditional telephones consist of a phone that is connected to a land line. This form of communication is vulnerable to interference and delivery is much slower. Fortunately, advancements in technology have revolutionized they way we now communicate. The arrival of the Internet changed the way we converse. An important advancement in the communication industry is the development of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digital Phone Service. In Digital VoIP, sound is changed to digital information and sent through the internet, and then changed back to its original form by way of digital reproduction. This means that you can make a call using your digital service through the internet. The high speed data transmission is the most advanced form of communication and is provided by Digital VoIP providers. How VoIP / Internet Voice Works VoIP services transform your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. VoIP allows people to make a call from a computer, a VoIP phone, or a traditional phone linked to a VoIP adapter. As well, wireless set ups in areas like a coffee shop or business establishment, permit users to link to the Internet and use a VoIP wireless service. Advantages of VoIP over Traditional Phone Services Digital VoIP phone services deliver clearer and faster voice quality than traditional phone services because there will not be any sound interference. As well, VoIP companies provide additional services that cannot be provided by traditional phone services. This can include: video and audio conferencing, 3 way calling, call waiting, caller ID and other services. As well, the cost of a VoIP phone services are much cheaper than traditional phone services, particularly long distance calls. For businesses, services can include web and video conferencing, calls directed to an Automated Attendant, screening where calls are directed, block certain phone numbers, or place them on virtual ring. As well, employees have the capability of holding virtual conferences. When it comes to the price of International phone calls, traditional phone services are much higher than VoIP. Traditional long distance phone charges are usually taxed. Because VoIP is carried over the internet, taxes are very low. The cost of having a traditional phone line is much higher than having a VoIP phone line. VoIP Phone Service Requirements VoIP Digital Phone Service requires a high speed Internet service. A cable modem or high speed system such as DSL or a local area network can be used. You will also need a computer, adaptor, a phone suitable for VoIP, and VoIP phone plugs. Some providers can accommodate a traditional phone attached to a VoIP adapter. Special software and a microphone are required when using a computer. Advancements in phone technology seem to be making traditional phone services much less relevant in today's high speed world. Keeping up with technological advancements can seem like a difficult task. Customers are always pleased to learn how easy it is to switch to a VoIP phone service. When choosing a VoIP service, it is important to shop around so you can get the most services at the best price. Resources such as VoipReview.org are a great way to compare both business and residential VoIP phone services.
Friday, June 26, 2009
What Are the Advantages of VoIP?
What Are the Advantages of VoIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol is quickly becoming the number one choice for people who are sick of having such a huge phone bill at the end of every month. If you are someone that makes a lot of phone calls and normally see a big bill at the end of the month, you will find VoIP very interesting if you have not heard of it before. What VoIP does is it allows you to make phone calls from your computer using the Internet. It will be different with every provider, but the way it works is the provider will charge a per-minute rate or there will be promotional packages that one can choose from. You should consider VoIP, especially if you make long distance calls often. Normal providers charge a lot of money for long distance calls, but if you use VoIP there are packages that allow you to make cheap calls to any number. You can see your phone bill cut in half every month with this great investment. Different providers are already feeling the competition as they try to better one another with promotions, packages and prices. But consumers don't have to worry here. The more the companies compete with each other the more the more competitive prices will come, until one company takes the cake and becomes the market leader. One of the best advantages of having VoIP is the huge savings you will obtain. Would you like the idea of keeping your original telephone number and being able to call as many long distance numbers as you like and you only having to pay one set price every month? Wouldn't that be great? You won't have to worry the whole month about the phone bill before it arrives because you already know what you have to pay; the same amount you paid last month! Before email came along people used to communicate via post mainly because calling a long distance number was too expensive, but now everyone just emails each other. Eventually VoIP is going to do the same thing to ordinary phone calls; turn them into something of the past Another advantage of VoIP is that it is the future of calling. It is not going anywhere; it is here to stay. So if you are interested in VoIP you don't have to worry about it fading away and that no one else is going to get it. You will be lucky if you get it now before it becomes more in demand and you find it difficult to get connected. The longer you wait the more options become available; but if you find something that suits you now, you are more than welcome to go ahead and join the VoIP world. Businesses are also looking to VoIP to cut their costs a bit, as well as home businesses and ordinary households. VoIP offers many advantages for everyone, even if you do not make many long distance calls. You may still find a package that suits you; you just need to find a company and pricing plan that works for your requirements and sign up as soon as possible to ensure availability.
Voice over Internet Protocol is quickly becoming the number one choice for people who are sick of having such a huge phone bill at the end of every month. If you are someone that makes a lot of phone calls and normally see a big bill at the end of the month, you will find VoIP very interesting if you have not heard of it before. What VoIP does is it allows you to make phone calls from your computer using the Internet. It will be different with every provider, but the way it works is the provider will charge a per-minute rate or there will be promotional packages that one can choose from. You should consider VoIP, especially if you make long distance calls often. Normal providers charge a lot of money for long distance calls, but if you use VoIP there are packages that allow you to make cheap calls to any number. You can see your phone bill cut in half every month with this great investment. Different providers are already feeling the competition as they try to better one another with promotions, packages and prices. But consumers don't have to worry here. The more the companies compete with each other the more the more competitive prices will come, until one company takes the cake and becomes the market leader. One of the best advantages of having VoIP is the huge savings you will obtain. Would you like the idea of keeping your original telephone number and being able to call as many long distance numbers as you like and you only having to pay one set price every month? Wouldn't that be great? You won't have to worry the whole month about the phone bill before it arrives because you already know what you have to pay; the same amount you paid last month! Before email came along people used to communicate via post mainly because calling a long distance number was too expensive, but now everyone just emails each other. Eventually VoIP is going to do the same thing to ordinary phone calls; turn them into something of the past Another advantage of VoIP is that it is the future of calling. It is not going anywhere; it is here to stay. So if you are interested in VoIP you don't have to worry about it fading away and that no one else is going to get it. You will be lucky if you get it now before it becomes more in demand and you find it difficult to get connected. The longer you wait the more options become available; but if you find something that suits you now, you are more than welcome to go ahead and join the VoIP world. Businesses are also looking to VoIP to cut their costs a bit, as well as home businesses and ordinary households. VoIP offers many advantages for everyone, even if you do not make many long distance calls. You may still find a package that suits you; you just need to find a company and pricing plan that works for your requirements and sign up as soon as possible to ensure availability.
The Network Server's Role With VoIP
The Network Server's Role With VoIP
By now you are sure to have heard of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). If not by advertising, you should have heard it from someone you know. If you have no idea what VoIP is, it is a calling system that allows you to make phone calls using your internet and a service provider. Why would someone want to use VoIP, you ask? Because VoIP offers many different options for people to choose from and is especially beneficial to those who make a lot of long distance calls. You won't have to spend thousands on your phone bill anymore. You will pay a set amount of money on your VoIP account every month, and that is it. The network server plays a big role in the VoIP service, because without a server you would not be able to use VoIP at all. You will choose a package that best suits your needs, and the cost of that specific package that you purchase is the same amount you will pay every month. You will still need a service provider to make phone calls; they are the ones who will track the calls you make. There are different service providers that one can choose from, so you don't have to settle with the first one you come across. You can take the time to do some research and determine which provider and network server will best suit you and your needs. Be sure to do a thorough check! The network server is responsible for making sure your calls are made and received correctly. There is only one hiccup within the VoIP service at the moment, but that is sure to be sorted out in no time. There is no guaranteed quality when it comes to the sound capabilities of the service; it is not really 100% perfect yet but it will get there. If you are able to put up with it for a short while there should be no other problems, because that is the only known hiccup VoIP is dealing with at the moment. If anything else comes up it will also be dealt with. The network server is like the middleman in the situation; that is what stands between you and the person you are calling. The network server acts just below your service provider and makes sure all your calls are running smoothly. A network server is a PC that is made to see that requests go through and also to make sure that data is delivered to another computer across a network or across the internet. With VoIP your "data" will be processed over the internet, and it is up to your network server to make that happen. You have to have a network server in order to use VoIP. VoIP is a service that is predicted to eventually take over normal phone calls. Soon people will rather be using VoIP all over the world. No longer do they want high telephone bills, so they will switch to VoIP sooner or later.
By now you are sure to have heard of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). If not by advertising, you should have heard it from someone you know. If you have no idea what VoIP is, it is a calling system that allows you to make phone calls using your internet and a service provider. Why would someone want to use VoIP, you ask? Because VoIP offers many different options for people to choose from and is especially beneficial to those who make a lot of long distance calls. You won't have to spend thousands on your phone bill anymore. You will pay a set amount of money on your VoIP account every month, and that is it. The network server plays a big role in the VoIP service, because without a server you would not be able to use VoIP at all. You will choose a package that best suits your needs, and the cost of that specific package that you purchase is the same amount you will pay every month. You will still need a service provider to make phone calls; they are the ones who will track the calls you make. There are different service providers that one can choose from, so you don't have to settle with the first one you come across. You can take the time to do some research and determine which provider and network server will best suit you and your needs. Be sure to do a thorough check! The network server is responsible for making sure your calls are made and received correctly. There is only one hiccup within the VoIP service at the moment, but that is sure to be sorted out in no time. There is no guaranteed quality when it comes to the sound capabilities of the service; it is not really 100% perfect yet but it will get there. If you are able to put up with it for a short while there should be no other problems, because that is the only known hiccup VoIP is dealing with at the moment. If anything else comes up it will also be dealt with. The network server is like the middleman in the situation; that is what stands between you and the person you are calling. The network server acts just below your service provider and makes sure all your calls are running smoothly. A network server is a PC that is made to see that requests go through and also to make sure that data is delivered to another computer across a network or across the internet. With VoIP your "data" will be processed over the internet, and it is up to your network server to make that happen. You have to have a network server in order to use VoIP. VoIP is a service that is predicted to eventually take over normal phone calls. Soon people will rather be using VoIP all over the world. No longer do they want high telephone bills, so they will switch to VoIP sooner or later.
Promotional VOIP Phones
Promotional VOIP Phones
There are now more options than ever when it comes to your phone service. Spending large amounts of money every month on long distance telephone calls is a thing of the past- or at least, it should be. New technology of today can make all of your phone calls more affordable and many of them free. This is because there are new ways to place phone calls other than the previous, standard method of calling. VOIP phones can make your long distance fees a thing of the past. With promotional VOIP phones you can make your long distance calls with nominal or non-existent long distance fees. How great would it be if you could make all of your business calls without expense or call any of your friends and family and talk for as long as you want with no fees at all? This is what VOIP allows you to do. What is VOIP? What is VOIP? VOIP stands for voice over Internet protocol and is a technology that uses packet-switched networks to transmit voice over audio files. The voice/audio files are received by a computer, a VOIP phone or a standard telephone. Systems can be set up for the VOIP service to work in the most convenient way for you. You can use promotional VOIP phones to give away to your employees, to host contests and rewards and much more. In fact, you are limited only by your ability to get creative so spend some time thinking about great ideas for using promotional phones. Take Advantage of Offers You can take advantage of the many great offers given by the companies who host VOIP phones and services. Because they are trying to get more people into the use of these phones, they give promotional VOIP phones with deals such as free phones for two years, $19.95 unlimited calling and much more. If you want to get the most from your use of VOIP phones, be sure to look into these offers and choose the best one for you and your needs at the time. How to Use Promotional VOIP There are different ways you can make use of promotional VOIP phones to benefit you. For example, you can offer packages or phone deals to your employees for personal use as a motivational tool in your company. Here are some other ideas: • Use them within the company to make calls when needed • Allow employees to use them to make personal calls during breaks at work • Give the promotional phones away as gifts and rewards • Use them for contests at work and among employees When it comes to VOIP phones, there are many different ways you can use them to advance your business or even to help save money with personal calls and usage. The more you learn about VOIP phones and promotional VOIP phone offers, the better equipped you will be to make a decision about them for yourself. If you're one of the many companies out there looking for a new and innovative way to encourage, reward or motivate your staff or team, consider the options available when using promotional VOIP phones.
There are now more options than ever when it comes to your phone service. Spending large amounts of money every month on long distance telephone calls is a thing of the past- or at least, it should be. New technology of today can make all of your phone calls more affordable and many of them free. This is because there are new ways to place phone calls other than the previous, standard method of calling. VOIP phones can make your long distance fees a thing of the past. With promotional VOIP phones you can make your long distance calls with nominal or non-existent long distance fees. How great would it be if you could make all of your business calls without expense or call any of your friends and family and talk for as long as you want with no fees at all? This is what VOIP allows you to do. What is VOIP? What is VOIP? VOIP stands for voice over Internet protocol and is a technology that uses packet-switched networks to transmit voice over audio files. The voice/audio files are received by a computer, a VOIP phone or a standard telephone. Systems can be set up for the VOIP service to work in the most convenient way for you. You can use promotional VOIP phones to give away to your employees, to host contests and rewards and much more. In fact, you are limited only by your ability to get creative so spend some time thinking about great ideas for using promotional phones. Take Advantage of Offers You can take advantage of the many great offers given by the companies who host VOIP phones and services. Because they are trying to get more people into the use of these phones, they give promotional VOIP phones with deals such as free phones for two years, $19.95 unlimited calling and much more. If you want to get the most from your use of VOIP phones, be sure to look into these offers and choose the best one for you and your needs at the time. How to Use Promotional VOIP There are different ways you can make use of promotional VOIP phones to benefit you. For example, you can offer packages or phone deals to your employees for personal use as a motivational tool in your company. Here are some other ideas: • Use them within the company to make calls when needed • Allow employees to use them to make personal calls during breaks at work • Give the promotional phones away as gifts and rewards • Use them for contests at work and among employees When it comes to VOIP phones, there are many different ways you can use them to advance your business or even to help save money with personal calls and usage. The more you learn about VOIP phones and promotional VOIP phone offers, the better equipped you will be to make a decision about them for yourself. If you're one of the many companies out there looking for a new and innovative way to encourage, reward or motivate your staff or team, consider the options available when using promotional VOIP phones.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
An Honest Review of Vonage: A feature-rich, World-ready VoIP
An Honest Review of Vonage: A feature-rich, World-ready VoIP
With more players jumping into the already populated space of Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP), the perceptive user has that much more choice. Vonage is a leading player in this marketplace with over a million subscribers worldwide in a short lifespan of three years. However, there is a set of negatives too, so wait until you reach the end of this review before you decide to switch from your traditional landline service to Vonage telephony.
What is Vonage and how does it differ from your landline connection? For a start, you must have a broadband connection, preferably cable-based; a dial-up is no good. When you call Vonage customer service for a connection, Vonage sends you a tiny box, which you have to plug to your telephone and your cable modem or DSL. You are now set to start a Vonage conversation.
With a Vonage connection, you have access to your telephone through your computer and the broadband connection. The other big difference from a traditional phone service is cost effectiveness; with a Vonage, you can cut your telephone bill significantly, and converse worldwide by buying local telephone numbers from Vonage.
Vonage offers a set of four monthly packages for all calls in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico: a premium unlimited offer at US$24.99, a basic plan of 500 minutes at US$14.99, a small-business unlimited package at US$49.99, and a basic small-business offer of 1500 minutes at US$39.99. For calls from the US to other world destinations, there is a nominal per-minute rate applicable, which is well below what you would pay to your landline service provider. For example, for a minute’s call to Mumbai (India), you need to pay only US$0.17; for a call to the UK, it is as low as US$0.04 per minute. The Vonage Website lists the charges applicable to each city on its network. Perhaps the best part of Vonage is that you can carry your US telephone number to any part of the world with broadband connectivity, and call the US at local call rates. For any reason, if you are dissatisfied with Vonage services, you can opt for the 14-day (or 30-day for some packages) money-back offer. This trial period is enough time to try out the excellent features that you get with Vonage:
• An unlisted telephone number
• Call waiting, callerID
• Call forwarding, 7-digit dialing (rather than area code +number used in many markets, including Lingo)
• An innovative voicemail feature
• Repeat dial
• Dynamic periodic feature updates
However, Vonage is not all positives. Its founding premise is a bit wobbly; your connection is afloat only as long as your broadband connection is. Any Internet outage and Vonage will cease to function. Call quality is also dependent on the speed of your broadband. Then there is the question of availability of a local number for your city; Vonage may not have your city listed, so you should confirm this with Vonage customer support before deciding on the service. Vonage is facing stern competition from AT&T and Verizon, and users have preferred the call quality of AT&T to that of Vonage. Vonage is also not the cheapest VoIP service around in the marketplace.
However, Vonage is a winner on features. If you have a dependable broadband connection, need to make frequent international calls, and travel to world destinations but need to stay in touch with the US, Vonage is for you.
With more players jumping into the already populated space of Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP), the perceptive user has that much more choice. Vonage is a leading player in this marketplace with over a million subscribers worldwide in a short lifespan of three years. However, there is a set of negatives too, so wait until you reach the end of this review before you decide to switch from your traditional landline service to Vonage telephony.
What is Vonage and how does it differ from your landline connection? For a start, you must have a broadband connection, preferably cable-based; a dial-up is no good. When you call Vonage customer service for a connection, Vonage sends you a tiny box, which you have to plug to your telephone and your cable modem or DSL. You are now set to start a Vonage conversation.
With a Vonage connection, you have access to your telephone through your computer and the broadband connection. The other big difference from a traditional phone service is cost effectiveness; with a Vonage, you can cut your telephone bill significantly, and converse worldwide by buying local telephone numbers from Vonage.
Vonage offers a set of four monthly packages for all calls in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico: a premium unlimited offer at US$24.99, a basic plan of 500 minutes at US$14.99, a small-business unlimited package at US$49.99, and a basic small-business offer of 1500 minutes at US$39.99. For calls from the US to other world destinations, there is a nominal per-minute rate applicable, which is well below what you would pay to your landline service provider. For example, for a minute’s call to Mumbai (India), you need to pay only US$0.17; for a call to the UK, it is as low as US$0.04 per minute. The Vonage Website lists the charges applicable to each city on its network. Perhaps the best part of Vonage is that you can carry your US telephone number to any part of the world with broadband connectivity, and call the US at local call rates. For any reason, if you are dissatisfied with Vonage services, you can opt for the 14-day (or 30-day for some packages) money-back offer. This trial period is enough time to try out the excellent features that you get with Vonage:
• An unlisted telephone number
• Call waiting, callerID
• Call forwarding, 7-digit dialing (rather than area code +number used in many markets, including Lingo)
• An innovative voicemail feature
• Repeat dial
• Dynamic periodic feature updates
However, Vonage is not all positives. Its founding premise is a bit wobbly; your connection is afloat only as long as your broadband connection is. Any Internet outage and Vonage will cease to function. Call quality is also dependent on the speed of your broadband. Then there is the question of availability of a local number for your city; Vonage may not have your city listed, so you should confirm this with Vonage customer support before deciding on the service. Vonage is facing stern competition from AT&T and Verizon, and users have preferred the call quality of AT&T to that of Vonage. Vonage is also not the cheapest VoIP service around in the marketplace.
However, Vonage is a winner on features. If you have a dependable broadband connection, need to make frequent international calls, and travel to world destinations but need to stay in touch with the US, Vonage is for you.
The Skype Approach to VoIP - A review of Skype
The Skype Approach to VoIP - A review of Skype
With internet usage reaching almost every country, and economic class, and with its permeation throughout the western world, applications designed to harness its potential in ever more practical ways are constantly arising. One such application is Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), which continues to challenge its own limitations. There are a few leading players who are jostling for supremacy, including Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Skype, and Vonage.
Recently, there have been many converts to Skype, including this reviewer. There are several factors that have influenced my own personal move, but my primary motivations were innovation, quality, and marketability. VoIP has always been an application that is easily marketable, and Skype has added innovative features that are quality-rich:
• SkypeOut, where you can use your computer to call ordinary phone numbers all over the world. The global SkypeOut rate is currently 1.7 Euro Cent (about 2 US cents or 1.1 pence) per minute to more than 20 countries.
• SkypeIn, which is a virtual phone number your friends can call. This is in beta testing at the time of writing this review, but the 12-month subscription is available for € 30 and 3 months for € 10.
• Skype Voicemail, which lets you redirect calls to your voicemail, is available at € 5 for 3 months or € 15 for the year.
However, the most widespread application of Skype is PC-to-PC calls. Any user can make free calls over the Internet to anyone else who also has Skype. It is a simple wizard-based process to download and use the application, and works via your broadband connection with operating systems based on Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, and Pocket PCs. All you need is a PC microphone and speakers or a basic USB headset, and what you get is a real-time, telephone-quality voice conversation with any PC end-user in the world. I found the downloading to be extremely simple and straightforward and imagine that anyone, no matter your computer fluency will find it easy as well.
In addition to its ease of setup, the features of Skype are really impressive. There is a facility to search the Skype database, so that you are able to build a list of contacts. We have used Skype for Windows 1.4 for a PC-to-PC conversation between Los Angeles and Mumbai (India), and there was no recorded break in the half-hour call. The clarity was definitely on par with a normal telephone, perhaps even better, with no noticeable time lag. On subsequent calls between these destinations and other US cities including Chicago, the quality continues to amaze us, and the fact that Skype works in most environments, irrespective of firewalls or NAT, widens its reach.
So, what’s the downside? A comparative analysis will help clarify the situation. For a start, Skype does not offer as many calling features as other service providers like Vonage. Then, there have been question marks about the technical/customer support offered by Skype. Another point where Skype loses out is the quality of the SkypeOut package, where the calls made to landlines are of inconsistent quality. One hopes that Skype can add video chat to its repertoire in the near future, which will place Skype on an equal standing with other free VoIP providers like Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger, which already have video capabilities. Skype is undoubtedly ahead of both MSN and Yahoo in terms of voice quality and the real-time conversation experience. On the other side of the spectrum, Vonage offers feature-rich services and better customer service, although all this comes at a price.
My Overall Assessment: Vonage is a better option than Skype for traditional telephone users because Skype is totally computer-dependent and caters to consumers who are “living out of their computers.”
The future has a lot to offer, and undoubtedly Skype will move forward in its evolutionary process, and hopefully improve SkypeOut and emerge successfully out of beta testing for SkypeIn. However, for the moment, Skype is arguably the best option for free PC-to-PC calls. Skype says that the “current focus is to make the best voice-application on the planet”—judging from user feedback around the world, Skype has already gone a long distance towards that objective.
With internet usage reaching almost every country, and economic class, and with its permeation throughout the western world, applications designed to harness its potential in ever more practical ways are constantly arising. One such application is Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP), which continues to challenge its own limitations. There are a few leading players who are jostling for supremacy, including Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Skype, and Vonage.
Recently, there have been many converts to Skype, including this reviewer. There are several factors that have influenced my own personal move, but my primary motivations were innovation, quality, and marketability. VoIP has always been an application that is easily marketable, and Skype has added innovative features that are quality-rich:
• SkypeOut, where you can use your computer to call ordinary phone numbers all over the world. The global SkypeOut rate is currently 1.7 Euro Cent (about 2 US cents or 1.1 pence) per minute to more than 20 countries.
• SkypeIn, which is a virtual phone number your friends can call. This is in beta testing at the time of writing this review, but the 12-month subscription is available for € 30 and 3 months for € 10.
• Skype Voicemail, which lets you redirect calls to your voicemail, is available at € 5 for 3 months or € 15 for the year.
However, the most widespread application of Skype is PC-to-PC calls. Any user can make free calls over the Internet to anyone else who also has Skype. It is a simple wizard-based process to download and use the application, and works via your broadband connection with operating systems based on Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, and Pocket PCs. All you need is a PC microphone and speakers or a basic USB headset, and what you get is a real-time, telephone-quality voice conversation with any PC end-user in the world. I found the downloading to be extremely simple and straightforward and imagine that anyone, no matter your computer fluency will find it easy as well.
In addition to its ease of setup, the features of Skype are really impressive. There is a facility to search the Skype database, so that you are able to build a list of contacts. We have used Skype for Windows 1.4 for a PC-to-PC conversation between Los Angeles and Mumbai (India), and there was no recorded break in the half-hour call. The clarity was definitely on par with a normal telephone, perhaps even better, with no noticeable time lag. On subsequent calls between these destinations and other US cities including Chicago, the quality continues to amaze us, and the fact that Skype works in most environments, irrespective of firewalls or NAT, widens its reach.
So, what’s the downside? A comparative analysis will help clarify the situation. For a start, Skype does not offer as many calling features as other service providers like Vonage. Then, there have been question marks about the technical/customer support offered by Skype. Another point where Skype loses out is the quality of the SkypeOut package, where the calls made to landlines are of inconsistent quality. One hopes that Skype can add video chat to its repertoire in the near future, which will place Skype on an equal standing with other free VoIP providers like Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger, which already have video capabilities. Skype is undoubtedly ahead of both MSN and Yahoo in terms of voice quality and the real-time conversation experience. On the other side of the spectrum, Vonage offers feature-rich services and better customer service, although all this comes at a price.
My Overall Assessment: Vonage is a better option than Skype for traditional telephone users because Skype is totally computer-dependent and caters to consumers who are “living out of their computers.”
The future has a lot to offer, and undoubtedly Skype will move forward in its evolutionary process, and hopefully improve SkypeOut and emerge successfully out of beta testing for SkypeIn. However, for the moment, Skype is arguably the best option for free PC-to-PC calls. Skype says that the “current focus is to make the best voice-application on the planet”—judging from user feedback around the world, Skype has already gone a long distance towards that objective.
Get the most out of your VoIP provider
Get the most out of your VoIP provider
Features and pricing are the two prime considerations in selecting your VoIP provider and deriving the maximum benefit from the product. With most VoIP users, all the features available in a particular product will rarely if ever be used. All leading service providers promise a range of features that look impressive as a marketing strategy, but often do not deliver as practical options. “Features” do not always translate as “benefits.” Pricing is also a relative factor and is linked to “quality” in the long run. Let us look closely at the packages offered by three market leaders of today: Skype, Lingo, and Vonage.
Skype has three basic usages: a PC-to-PC call, which is free voice communication between two computer users across the world with an Internet broadband connection; a paid SkypeOut voice call from a Skype user to a landline/mobile phone; and a paid SkypeIn call from a landline/mobile phone to a Skype user. For a home requirement of chatting with family and friends, the Skype PC-to-PC free call delivers on most promises made on the official Skype website, including voice quality. If you are not against being “wired” to your computer with your multimedia speakers and headphone, this free offer is the best option in this category.
However, if your requirement is for a full-scale voice service that caters to PC-to-telephone and telephone-to-PC services, you need to step up to the paid categories. SkypeOut offers a flat global rate of € 0.017 per minute for some of the most popular destinations worldwide, and has specific rates for other destinations. SkypeIn, which is still in Beta, makes it possible for your family, friends, and business acquaintances to reach you from a landline by dialing a number assigned to you. SkypeIn charges are independent of your location; if you are assigned a Chicago number but are currently in Japan, the party making the call only pays for a call to Chicago. If you buy a Skype number—an annual subscription will cost you € 30 and a quarterly subscription comes at € 10—you also get Free Skype Voicemail bundled in the package.
Skype’s cost plans are uncomplicated, and making a choice is relatively simple. Compare this with Lingo’s Home, Office, and International plans, and the corresponding plans from Vonage:
From this analysis, Lingo emerges as the service that will save you more on your telephone bill. However, to get more out of your VoIP, you need to look at the international pricing because that’s where VoIP scores over a traditional connection. If you make frequent international calls to Asia, you can take advantage of Lingo’s Asia package. Lingo’s international rates to individual countries are also lower than those of Vonage, but higher than Skype. Here is a comparison of the rates for three destinations:
Skype has the lowest call rates, but is limited in features. At the other end of the spectrum is Vonage, which offers the most consistent call quality and delivers on features, but is heavier on your pocket. Although it loses out on voice quality, Lingo has the features to match Vonage.
There are a few other features mentioned by both Lingo and Vonage—such as Anonymous Call Rejection and Do Not Disturb in Lingo, and Click-2-Call and Call Hunt in Vonage—but these are more in the way of cosmetic embellishments than utility tools.
The features are many, the utility diverse. To get the most out of your VoIP provider, you need to place the key factors of pricing and features at both ends of a see-saw, and weigh them with the cornerstone of quality—that will position you enticingly in making the right choice and getting the maximum out of your service provider.
Features and pricing are the two prime considerations in selecting your VoIP provider and deriving the maximum benefit from the product. With most VoIP users, all the features available in a particular product will rarely if ever be used. All leading service providers promise a range of features that look impressive as a marketing strategy, but often do not deliver as practical options. “Features” do not always translate as “benefits.” Pricing is also a relative factor and is linked to “quality” in the long run. Let us look closely at the packages offered by three market leaders of today: Skype, Lingo, and Vonage.
Skype has three basic usages: a PC-to-PC call, which is free voice communication between two computer users across the world with an Internet broadband connection; a paid SkypeOut voice call from a Skype user to a landline/mobile phone; and a paid SkypeIn call from a landline/mobile phone to a Skype user. For a home requirement of chatting with family and friends, the Skype PC-to-PC free call delivers on most promises made on the official Skype website, including voice quality. If you are not against being “wired” to your computer with your multimedia speakers and headphone, this free offer is the best option in this category.
However, if your requirement is for a full-scale voice service that caters to PC-to-telephone and telephone-to-PC services, you need to step up to the paid categories. SkypeOut offers a flat global rate of € 0.017 per minute for some of the most popular destinations worldwide, and has specific rates for other destinations. SkypeIn, which is still in Beta, makes it possible for your family, friends, and business acquaintances to reach you from a landline by dialing a number assigned to you. SkypeIn charges are independent of your location; if you are assigned a Chicago number but are currently in Japan, the party making the call only pays for a call to Chicago. If you buy a Skype number—an annual subscription will cost you € 30 and a quarterly subscription comes at € 10—you also get Free Skype Voicemail bundled in the package.
Skype’s cost plans are uncomplicated, and making a choice is relatively simple. Compare this with Lingo’s Home, Office, and International plans, and the corresponding plans from Vonage:
From this analysis, Lingo emerges as the service that will save you more on your telephone bill. However, to get more out of your VoIP, you need to look at the international pricing because that’s where VoIP scores over a traditional connection. If you make frequent international calls to Asia, you can take advantage of Lingo’s Asia package. Lingo’s international rates to individual countries are also lower than those of Vonage, but higher than Skype. Here is a comparison of the rates for three destinations:
Skype has the lowest call rates, but is limited in features. At the other end of the spectrum is Vonage, which offers the most consistent call quality and delivers on features, but is heavier on your pocket. Although it loses out on voice quality, Lingo has the features to match Vonage.
There are a few other features mentioned by both Lingo and Vonage—such as Anonymous Call Rejection and Do Not Disturb in Lingo, and Click-2-Call and Call Hunt in Vonage—but these are more in the way of cosmetic embellishments than utility tools.
The features are many, the utility diverse. To get the most out of your VoIP provider, you need to place the key factors of pricing and features at both ends of a see-saw, and weigh them with the cornerstone of quality—that will position you enticingly in making the right choice and getting the maximum out of your service provider.
Is Your VOIP Service Secure
Is Your VOIP Service Secure
For individuals, VOIP security is primarily a matter of preventing others from eavesdropping on their conversations. Some VOIP service providers offer voice security through encryption or separate data routes.
Regular precautions for transferring files should, of course, always be followed. A firewall should be in place for protecting your computer from the internet and any data or program that is downloaded should be checked for viruses.
But users should reealize that VOIP hardware devices are inherently more vulnerable to attack. Some types of equipment can be made unstable or inoperable when they receive certain types of data. Some internet phones are also susceptible to data piracy, revealing private information under certain conditions.
While this probably won't be of much concern when you're calling Uncle Tim, it is a huge concern for businesses that consistently use telephone communication for discussing sensitive business information. As VOIP popularity increases, security is becoming a growing concern and is now receiving widespread attention.
Security Issues
It's mainly businesses that need to be concerned with security issues related to VOIP. They are more susceptible to the Denial of Service (DOS) attacks and other forms of obnoxious hacking because many businesses operate personal gateways and other equipment for connecting to the internet.
There are several security issues associated with VOIP. Eavesdropping is an understandable fear with both regular and VOIP calls, but there are additional concerns unique to this technology. Since VOIP data is traveling across the internet just like any other kind of data, it is vulnerable to the same types of attacks. Hackers have countless software tools available to them to retrieve information being transmitted over the internet. These tools are as effective with voice data as with any other kind of data.
Another security threat is the possibility of sending viruses with VOIP data. This hasn't surfaced yet, but viruses could potentially overload VOIP networks, reduced sound quality and create delays.
VOIP isn't secure against spam either. This refers to receiving unsolicited marketing calls from companies selling their goods and services.
There are several points in the transmission of VOIP calls that hackers can use to recover information. In additin to retrieving actual conversations, they can also access critical information such as user identities and VOIP phone numbers. With this information, a hacker can place phone calls using someone else's identity.
Attackers could also record phone calls while eavesdropping on conversations and even potentially restructure voice data to create discussions that never actually existed! Log files could also be accessed and altered.
There are ways currently available that address such security issues. The first is with encryption that provides the same sort of security used in sending credit card information over a secure data connection. The second is to separate VOIP data from other internet traffic by using a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). Both methods can degrade call quality, but they present an alternative for sensitive calls.
For individuals, VOIP security is primarily a matter of preventing others from eavesdropping on their conversations. Some VOIP service providers offer voice security through encryption or separate data routes.
Regular precautions for transferring files should, of course, always be followed. A firewall should be in place for protecting your computer from the internet and any data or program that is downloaded should be checked for viruses.
But users should reealize that VOIP hardware devices are inherently more vulnerable to attack. Some types of equipment can be made unstable or inoperable when they receive certain types of data. Some internet phones are also susceptible to data piracy, revealing private information under certain conditions.
While this probably won't be of much concern when you're calling Uncle Tim, it is a huge concern for businesses that consistently use telephone communication for discussing sensitive business information. As VOIP popularity increases, security is becoming a growing concern and is now receiving widespread attention.
Security Issues
It's mainly businesses that need to be concerned with security issues related to VOIP. They are more susceptible to the Denial of Service (DOS) attacks and other forms of obnoxious hacking because many businesses operate personal gateways and other equipment for connecting to the internet.
There are several security issues associated with VOIP. Eavesdropping is an understandable fear with both regular and VOIP calls, but there are additional concerns unique to this technology. Since VOIP data is traveling across the internet just like any other kind of data, it is vulnerable to the same types of attacks. Hackers have countless software tools available to them to retrieve information being transmitted over the internet. These tools are as effective with voice data as with any other kind of data.
Another security threat is the possibility of sending viruses with VOIP data. This hasn't surfaced yet, but viruses could potentially overload VOIP networks, reduced sound quality and create delays.
VOIP isn't secure against spam either. This refers to receiving unsolicited marketing calls from companies selling their goods and services.
There are several points in the transmission of VOIP calls that hackers can use to recover information. In additin to retrieving actual conversations, they can also access critical information such as user identities and VOIP phone numbers. With this information, a hacker can place phone calls using someone else's identity.
Attackers could also record phone calls while eavesdropping on conversations and even potentially restructure voice data to create discussions that never actually existed! Log files could also be accessed and altered.
There are ways currently available that address such security issues. The first is with encryption that provides the same sort of security used in sending credit card information over a secure data connection. The second is to separate VOIP data from other internet traffic by using a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). Both methods can degrade call quality, but they present an alternative for sensitive calls.
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