VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that converts voice communication into the use of data, which can be processed through the Internet and used as an interactive tool. The voice communication is then converted to a text format, which can be sent over the Internet using software such as Skype. There are different VoIP service providers who offer their services for organizations, business enterprises, and individuals to use for voice and data communication over the internet. With the rise in popularity of VoIP, the market for internet-based phone systems or PBX systems also rose. There are many types of VoIP phone service providers available for organizations such as: analog phones, PC-to-PC phones, IP telephones, ISDN phones, and broadband phone service.
One advantage of VoIP over a traditional telephone system
is that it does not involve any long distance charges and long distance calls can be made within the same network as the user. A VoIP phone system requires an adapter and digital phone lines. There are three different types of VoIP phones: ATA’s (analogue telephone system), PC-to-PC phones, and ISDN telephones.
An ATA is a digital phone system, which does not require an Analog Telephone Adapter. The calls made by an ATA can be forwarded to another computer or a server if the server is located abroad. An ATA can connect to an existing telephone line or to the Internet itself. An ATA has the ability to make both analog and digital calls. Digital calls are much more expensive than analog calls.
An ATA also has the capability of using voice and data at the same time, which is called circuit switching. This makes an ATA a good choice for businesses who need more than just local area calls made and receive multiple calls from various locations at the same time. An ATA is generally more expensive than a PC-to-PC phone system.
A PC-to-PC phone system allows the user to make calls to and from an existing telephone line, which can be a cell phone or a landline. A PC-to-PC phone system connects to the Internet and can route calls made within a LAN, or Local Area Network. Using PC-to-PC technology, the Internet is the gateway to make business calls.
ISDN phone technology is a high-speed phone system that provides low-bandwidth voice and data transmissions. ISDN is the standard for many international calls. Many small businesses use ISDN to make local calls and special calls to other businesses. ISDN phone technology is available in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
PC-to-PC services allow users to make local calls from their personal computers or from any Internet enabled computer. PC-to-PC services require the use of a modem or a router. The incoming calls are transmitted over a private network, which is protected by a firewall. There are usually multiple call options. These include voice mail to forward calls to an answering machine, faxing to a virtual fax machine, or email to a list of email addresses.
ISDN phone technology was originally developed as a digital phone system to be used by the military but is now being used in residential phone systems and for business uses. ISDN phone services can connect to Internet based VoIP services like voice over IP. VoIP services can also connect to ISDN lines. The voice calls are routed over high-speed broadband Internet with a traditional telephone handset.
The primary advantage of ISDN is that it can reduce long-distance charges. This is because calls are routed directly to the appropriate destination instead of through the public phone system. Another advantage is that using the internet and voice over internet protocol technology, calls can be placed from any location. There is no need for a traditional telephone handset. It is also possible for business users to have a mobile phone number when making calls, which can reduce costs and increase employee productivity. ISDN technology allows businesses to provide convenient connectivity to their customers and provides them with a cost-efficient way of conducting business.
Voice over Internet Protocol is a newer technology than ISDN. It offers much better quality and requires much less equipment than ISDN. ISDN technology operates on a digital telephone network called ISDN Over Copper. This technology is more expensive than traditional copper lines and does not always offer the same quality of sound as digital telephone lines do. Some ISDN systems also use analog tones to transmit the voice signal instead of digital ones, but these signals are usually weaker than digital ones.
VoIP is the latest development in business phone systems.
- It is being used to replace landlines and many businesses are finding that this is an attractive option because it allows them to save money without losing the reliability or dependability of a phone system.
- With VoIP phone systems, business owners can easily incorporate voice communication with e-mail and text messaging and also take advantage of internet based applications.
- This allows them to expand their business by making it easier to communicate with clients and employees across locations and time zones.
