Unless you have had your head in the sand lately you will have
heard of VOIP. Everyone seems to be talking about VOIP, but you
can be forgiven for probably not knowing much about it. VOIP
stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol and if you believe the
media hype this new phone service is about to revolutionise the
telecommunications market. As with a lot of new technological
developments there are a few causes for concerns that you
probably will not hear the marketing campaigns talk about.
What is it?
Just to give you a bit of background lets take a look at how
VOIP works for those of you that are unsure. You will need to
have a broadband Internet connection and to then open an account
with one of the many new VOIP providers. By having an account
with a VOIP provider you will be able to make a telephone call
through your computer and its Internet connection. Many VOIP
providers will allow you to call another user on their system
for free or phone a standard telephone number for a low cost.
Without getting too technical, VOIP works by converting your
voice into lots of small packets of data. These data packets are
then routed through the Internet to your VOIP provider's
servers, and then onto the person you are calling. The reason
people are raving about this new service is the cost. It is much
cheaper than a standard fixed line telephone and you will also
get all the same services.
Is there a downside?
Now we do not want to put you off setting up a VOIP service, but
we think you should know a couple of things before you do.
Obviously low cost telephone calls is a very attractive offer,
but there are drawbacks to VOIP. One a major issue you need to
be aware of is that a VOIP service requires you to have a power
supply, as it requires your computer to be on. This means should
your electricity be out you will not be able to use your phone.
In some circumstances this could just be a minor inconvenience,
but in an emergency situation it may be much more serious. In
heavy storms and natural disasters electricity power is often
lost first. Would you really want to be without a phone?
Should your PC decide to stop working for whatever reason,
you'll be left without a phone. Computers are prone to crashing
and should this happen, you will not be able to make any phone
calls. A concern of a different issue, is one of security.
Because your phone calls will be transported as data via the
Internet, you will be opening up the possibility of having your
phone system hacked into. A scary thought, especially for
business users.
As we said previously, it is not our intention to put you off
VOIP. We actually think it is a great service with so much going
for it. It is something that you should look into setting up,
and you can find out the most current developments from our
website (link below). We just want to give you the full picture
though so you can make an informed choice.
Take a look at VOIP Basics top ten things you need to know.
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol.
VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol is a new way for you to
make a telephone call.
You will need to get yourself a broadband internet connection in
order to set up a VOIP service.
There are more and more companies setting up VOIP services.
Skype is probably the most known.
VOIP works by converting the sound of your voice into tiny
packets of data and then transmitting these via the internet.
Your PC needs to be on in order to use a VOIP service, which
could be a drawback should your electricity be off.
VOIP services provide extremely cheap calls.
Think about the possible security issues as your internet
connection could be hacked.
Should your PC get a virus this could stop you using the phone
if you are on a VOIP service.
Many VOIP providers will allow you to call another of there
users for free anywhere in the world.
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Voice Over Internet Protocol - A Few Things You Need To Know First
