What is VOIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol, also known as Voice over IP and VoIP, is the technology which enables voice, fax and video communication over the Internet, rather than the conventional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
Why is it so popular?
The reason why VoIP technology has been so widely adopted is because it is considerably cheaper to use than PSTN networks. Telecommunications providers historically charged a premium for the use of their networks for telephony and other services, making it one of the major costs of doing business in the modern economy.
The rise of the Internet with its advanced communications protocols enabled the revolution in how people communicate. The Internet essentially doesn’t care whether the packets of data being shuttled around are e-mail messages, webpages, or even voice and video calls. When it was noticed that the cost of sending voice calls over the Internet was substantially cheaper than over the PSTN, the success of VoIP was assured.
Various VOIP solutions
There are a number of choices to make when implementing a VoIP solution for home or business. These range from soft phone solutions through dedicated VoIP handsets to PBX and PABXs able to communicate both via the Internet and PSTN.
1. Soft phones
This category consists of devices equipped with microphone, speakers, software and, in many cases, a video camera. The most notable example of this would be a desktop or mobile computer with Skype software which allows its users free voice and video calls to other Skype users.
It also allows users to call other users who don’t have Skype, or even a computer, on their normal PSTN or mobile numbers. The real savings on this system are made are made when calling internationally, because calls are rooted to the destination country via the Internet and, once there, are connected to the recipient’s landline number at the cost of a local call in that country.
Skype does charge for the service but the costs per minute are so low that it is a real no-brainer to use it for international calls wherever possible. I was amazed to find just how much less it costs than the standard Telkom rates and was even more amazed, when calling a toll-free number in the United States, to find that the call was totally free.
Growing numbers of overseas travellers are using Skype (and other similar systems) to get around high mobile roaming charges. The solution is not to use the mobile network for making calls back home but, instead, to use Skype when connected to the Internet at a low-cost or free wireless hotspot. Some business people have found it cost-effective to buy a modem and data package when arriving in a new location.
At the time of writing, it had just been announced that Skype for the iPad would shortly be launching and that would seem to be the ideal means of communicating cheaply while on the move.
Skype even has a business software package which can be installed on the office network and which allows you to grant users access to the service and control how much is spent by each individual.
2. VOIP handsets
These are handsets which can be plugged directly into an Internet router and which will allow you to make and receive calls without needing to switch a computer on first. Examples of this are the Vox Supafone, Skype handsets and many others. These do require you to have an Internet connection and a router but generally very easy to plug in and use.
3. PBX and VOIP
These function within organisations in the same way as a conventional telephone exchange would. They are able to interface with the PSTN network and allow users to make and receive calls over the Internet as well. These solutions are suitable for businesses with more than a few users and there are many solutions available, depending on the number of users that need to be accommodated. Examples of these include Vox’s ADSL PBX and Vodacom’s PBX Lite.
