VoIP Phone Service Saves you Money.

VoIP Phone Service Saves you Money.
If you're wondering how to save big money on your phone bills, VoIP can help.?VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.?VoIP has gone from little known a few years ago to widespread use today. Why are millions of business and residential customers using VoIP everyday??
VoIP does not need landlines to operate.?If you have a broadband connection to the internet, you can call any phone, internet or landline in the country or around the world. Making phone calls using VoIP can save you quite a bit.?Most residential users are charged $25 per month or less for unlimited calls made throughout America and only a few pennies per minute for international calls.?If you want high quality calls without the high price look into VoIP.?
VoIP provides some advantages not found on land-based lines, or traditional type cell phones. By taking? your VoIP phone along with you on a trip, you can receive calls anywhere you can connect to the internet. This is great for business travelers who spend a lot of their time on the phone in hotel rooms, etc. VoIP phones can be easily used with other services available over the Internet, including video conferencing , text messaging and data transferal.
You can use VoIP very easily.?Most service provider give you a phone adapter that is plugged into your broadband internet connect at home or special software for downloading onto your computer.?By using either your computer or a regular landline phone attached to the adapter, you'll soon be making phone calls throughout the country or worldwide.?
There a a few drawbacks associated with VoIP service. Emergency 911 calls are currently unavailable with some VoIP providers. Be sure you have a back-up plan for emergency situations. Also unlike those using a traditional land line phone, you will be dependant on electrical power and your computer to make your calls.

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What Do I Need For VoIP?

You can try out VoIP for free! All you need is a headset attached to the sound card of your computer. Next, download one of the many VoIP software packages. Skype, Gizmo, Free World Dialup, and Net2Phone are some of the big names. With the software installed, invite all your friends to download the same software and when someone is up and running, give them a call!

Most of these "soft phones" (as they are called) allow you to make and receive calls at no charge anywhere in the world as long as you are not connecting to a cellular or landline phone. They are easy to use ? simply click on a contact name to initiate a call. Features such as call display, call forwarding, voicemail, and conference calls are included at no extra charge as long as both parties are using computers.

A step up from headsets is Internet phones. These feel a lot more like "real" telephones -- they ring, they have regular number pads, and you use them like traditional telephones. They plug into the USB port or sound card of your computer. These phones are still considered soft phones because you need VoIP software installed on your computer to make and receive telephone calls.

As we progress up the VoIP ladder the next is an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) which allows you to connect a traditional analog telephone to a broadband modem. ATA's are usually provided free of charge when you sign up with a VoIP service provider. This is similar to signing up with a regular phone company -- there is a monthly charge and you may have to sign a contract tying you into the service for a certain period of time.

The ATA is simple to use. It connects to a broadband modem - either a DSL modem connected to your traditional phone line or a cable modem which attaches to your cable TV connection. Any traditional analog telephone can be plugged into an ATA. You do not even need a computer in the house to use this type of VoIP connection.

Using an ATA for Internet phone calls is transparent. You simply pick up the phone and dial a number just as you would with your regular phone service. Anybody calling your phone number will not be aware that you are using VoIP instead of PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

If you are travelling, you can take your ATA with you and receive phone calls anywhere in the world by connecting it to a broadband modem. Any calls to your phone number will be routed to your ATA (which has an identification number making it unique in the world) at the same cost as the call to your residence or business would cost.

The third option for VoIP is to have an IP phone. Don't confuse IP phones and Internet Phones. IP phones plug directly into the modem, but Internet phones plug into the sound card or USB port of your computer. An IP phone is a handset which has all the necessary hardware and software installed in it. You connect an IP phone to a broadband modem and make or receive calls the same way that you would make or receive calls with an ATA. The advantage of an IP phone over an ATA is that you do not need an extra telephone set to plug into the ATA -- it is a completely integrated unit.

IP phones also have the advantage of having all your phone numbers stored in the phone as well as a display screen which gives you information about incoming calls.

Cal Golden is the editor of Hot VoIP secrets. For cutting-edge infomation and the pulse beat of the VoIP industry, visit=> http://www.get-hot-voip-secrets.com

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As Predicted, 2005 was the year VoIP hit the Mainstream

As Predicted, 2005 was the year VoIP hit the Mainstream A stable call accounting system is critical in this new VoIP environment Having a stable call accounting system that provides accurate call detail records is critical in this new VoIP environment. A recent article (http://www.b-eye-network.com/view/2027), talks about how VoIP has come forward in the mainstream and that the key to VoIP is the ability to provide accurate and sustainable billing and operational support systems.

"VoIP is not a new invention from the last six months.... But when the Economist puts the "death" of the traditional telecom service provider on the cover in association with eBay's purchase of Skype, it appears that VoIP has hit the mainstream.

VoIP is moving out of the corporate PBX and PC attached headset. In fact, you can now have a home VoIP conversation on a "phone." The conversation quality is constantly improving as well. This is providing a meaningful substitute to traditional wireline and wireless telecom service providers. As stated in Porter's Power of the Substitute, some combinations of VoIP and various transmission networks are amazing.

What does VoIP mean for business intelligence?

Billing World and other similar organizations believe that the key to VoIP is the ability to provide accurate and sustainable billing and operational support systems (B/OSS). Such organizations are the B/OSS community! Hopefully, they are taking this approach. Carolyn Schuk's article on VoIP fraud shows exactly how much residential and corporate VoIP providers have to lose if they do not provide that robust B/OSS infrastructure.

From customer care to provisioning to billing, maintaining the "standards" set by the existing telecom industry is a good way for VoIP providers to win customers from the remaining group of traditional providers. But I do not believe that B/OSS, the traditional customer care center, will be the answer. The answer is in the transition from the customer care call center to the self supported activation, provisioning and care for a VoIP customer.

For the VoIP provider's business intelligence organization, this will require new ways of including the customer in the loop for accurate billing, fraud detection and network outages. While the big challenge is to avoid the classic Dilbert moment where you must report network performance problems, but you cannot because the network is having the performance problems."

Having a stable call accounting system that provides accurate call detail records is critical in this new environment.

Author, Karen Ritz, VP Business Development for TelSoft Solutions, writes on the business benefits of call accounting and call detail record technology. More information can be found at http://www.telsoft-solutions.com.

Cable Company VoIP Information

Recently many internet service providers such as Comcast and WOW have started offering VoIP service as a package price plan when you purchase their cable. If you are already paying for Cable TV and High Speed Internet from the cable company don't be tricked into adding VoIP from them also. Cable and traditional phone companies are realizing that VoIP is here to stay and want to join in.

Many people see the initial savings over traditional phone service and think they are getting a good deal, however many times they are paying almost double for VoIP just to have a single bill for all three services.

Comcast charges $39.95 a month for their unlimited VoIP service compared to $16.58 for VoIP service through SunRocket if you pay yearly. Probably the most well known and best VoIP service provider available is Vonage and they charge $24.99 for unlimited calling. WOW charges about $35.00 a month depending on the package you purchase. As you can see using the cable companies for your VoIP needs can cost you $23.00 more a month just to keep your Cable, Internet, and Phone on one bill. The VoIP service that the cable companies are offering is usually no better than most VoIP providers out there regardless of what the telemarketer tells you.

Cable Company VoIP Provider Information:

* Comcast Digital Voice: Comcast offers an unlimited US & Canada calling package for $39.95 a month when you purchase their high speed internet service. If you would like to keep your existing internet service from a competitor then the price jumps to $54.95. The main selling point for Comcast is the promise of calls traveling across proprietary Comcast lines, which allows for higher quality and reliability than calls from upstarts that travel exclusively across the public Internet. Comcast quality and reliability have yet to be proven compared to other competitive VoIP providers.

* Wide Open West (WOW): WOW offers two choices, the WOW phone Basic and Advanced plans. The basic service offer unlimited calling in the US with Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, 3Way Calling, and Call Return(*69). The Advanced plan offers the same features as the basic plan and Caller ID, Repeat Dial, Selective Call Forwarding, and Voice Mail. The Basic plan costs around $25.00 a month when you purchase their high speed internet service. The Advanced plan costs around $30.00 a month when you purchase their high speed internet service. WOW does not offer VoIP unless you purchase internet service from them.

* Bright HouseNetworks: Bright house offers what they call Digital Phone for their VoIP plan. The plan offers unlimited calling in the US with Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, 3Way Calling, and Call Return(*69), Caller ID, Repeat Dial, and Selective Call Forwarding. The plan costs $39.99 a month when you purchase their high speed internet service or $49.99 if you use your existing internet service provider.

* Time Warner: Time Warner offers what they call Digital Phone for their VoIP plan. The plan offers unlimited calling in the US with Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, 3Way Calling, and Call Return(*69), Caller ID, Repeat Dial, and Selective Call Forwarding plus a few more. The plan costs $39.99 a month when you purchase their high speed internet service.

This is just a sample of Cable Companies that are starting to provide VoIP. To find out more you can search for additional providers online or visit our website.

For more information regarding VoIP visit our site at Michigan VoIP

Article may be reprinted without permission with original content, including signature and links.

Jason Christensen is the creator and editor of Michigan-VoIP-Info.com Visit our site for additional VoIP information Michigan VoIP

Can VOIP Calling Save You Money on Your Phone Bill

As high speed and broadband internet connections are becoming more prevalent in homes across the United States, people are asking themselves can VOIP calling save me money on my phone bill? To answer this question you need to take a deeper look at VOIP calling and the expenses related to switching to VOIP.

The first thing to you should know is how VOIP calling works. When you place a VOIP call it works by converting the voice signal that you speak into the phone handset into a digital signal and sending it over the internet. This signal is then converted back into a voice signal and comes out of the earpiece on the other end. By sending the signal over the internet it doesn't matter how far it has to go, a call across the street costs the same as call across the country. For people who have monthly long distance bills that are over $20, VOIP calling may be able to save you money on your phone bill.

When evaluating VOIP services you should have an idea of your monthly calling volume. The best thing to do is look at your phone bill for the past three months and figure out how many minutes you are using. If you are using less than 500 minutes a month you will find VOIP calling plans that are probably much less than your monthly phone bill. If you are using over 1000 minutes each month you'll probably find unlimited calling plans will be more cost effective. If you make a lot of international calls, check to see if those calls are included in the plans you are evaluating.

Some VOIP services require that you update your telephone equipment. This is especially important if you have more then one phone in the house. The key to the VOIP system is VOIP router. It connects your broadband internet access to your new phone system. Some routers only interface with newer VOIP phones, meaning you will have to purchase new phones. Some routers allow you to plug conventional phones into them and keep your existing equipment. This really becomes an important factor if you have more than one telephone in your house.

Another factor to consider is the length of the contract. Many companies offer month to month contracts, others offer yearly, and some offer two year contracts. While a two year contract may look attractive from a price standpoint, locking yourself into a developing technology for twenty four months is something to give serious consideration to. A one year contract usually provides the best trade off between price and time commitment.

? Copyright VOIPTelephoneSystem.org, All Rights Reserved.

Jessica Liu writes articles about VOIP for http://www.voiptelephonesystem.org which cover VOIP technology and VOIP related news.

Is Your VoIP Hosted PBX Provider Blind to Your Troubles?

A recent survey conducted by Emprix revealed that more than one third of all VoIP service providers, which includes Hosted PBX service, are unable to recognize they have a service quality problem until a customer complaint is received.

In a world where mission critical business applications routinely flow through data networks, it is distressing that no monitoring capability exists for many service providers of our newest and best technology. In the enterprise market, the financial viability of a business can very well depend on a vendor's technical strength and on their capability to proactively monitor and fix problems before the end user is affected.

Before selecting a vendor for your VoIP Hosted PBX service make sure they are equipped with the proper Network Management System (NMS) for their VoIP deployments, one that allows their Network Operations and Field Technicians to identify and troubleshoot VoIP problems without relying upon a complaint from you to trigger an action on their part.

Your Hosted PBX provider should have the capability to proactively monitor detailed call quality statistics including MOS, jitter, latency, and other measurements. State-of-the-Art network monitoring systems have advanced diagnostics linked to an online knowledgebases that automatically provide network technicians with troubleshooting tips. This capability dramatically reduces the effort and time required to identify the root cause of poor quality calls, and more importantly it reduces the time that your business is affected by the trouble.

Their system should also incorporate trend analysis and pro-active notification of poor VoIP call performance so that the network technician is able to identify and resolve issues that would otherwise impact VoIP service delivery to your business. With the proper network management system, in the event that you do have a problem, it is likely that the trouble can be rectified remotely rather than waiting for a time-consuming truckroll.

When you are in the process of evaluating Hosted PBX service offerings, make sure that your evaluation criteria is heavily weighted to include the vendor's network monitoring capabilities, and that they have the proper tools to effectively measure, monitor and manage all of their VoIP endpoints.

Whatever you do, don't buy VoIP service from a "blind" provider.

Bill Casey is the Vice President of Marketing for Reignmaker Communications, Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Reignmaker offers REIGN-FREE Hosted PBX service. Call 877-VOIP.4U2 for information or visit www.reignmaker.net

VoIP Pros and Cons

Pros

One advantage of using VoIP is the cost of the service. Phone service using VoIP costs less than similar service offered from traditional phone services, especially in regards to long distance telephone calls. Long distance calls through VoIP are offered at flat rates, which will ultimately benefit the consumer. Also, VoIP allows the consumer to share its voice and data equipment, which means that the costs are also shared. In other words, if you have an Internet connection already in place, VoIP can be used at almost no extra cost, and any network capacity that you are not currently using can be used for making calls.

Another key benefit of using VoIP is the fact that incoming calls can be automatically routed to your VoIP phone regardless of where you are connected to the Internet. This is especially important for those who go on business trips.

VoIP phones can also be integrated with other Internet services, such as videoconferences and file transfers. A user can send or receive messages or data while on their VoIP phone.

Cons

One cause for concern with VoIP is emergency 911 service. Before the government stepped in, 911 was not an optional feature for VoIP service providers, and 911 calls made after-hours were not guaranteed to be routed to the local area's emergency call centers of the caller. However, the U.S. government required that all VoIP service providers make 911 service standard and functional by September 2005. Some VoIP service providers have appealed this deadline, so it would be wise for consumers to be sure of what their service provider's policy on 911 is.

Another disadvantage of the VoIP service is the lack of encryption, which means that it is relatively easy for someone to eavesdrop on a VoIP call and even change the content of the call. There are a few solutions to this problem, but they do not guarantee full security of any calls. Airtight security would require the user to utilize encryption and cryptographic authentication, which are not yet readily available to consumers.

A third drawback is the inconsistent sound quality of the calls made with VoIP. The sound quality is oftentimes fickle and calls often have delays and echoes as well. This means that some calls made with VoIP might not be as smooth and natural as calls made over landline phones.

VoIP Technology - Talk is Cheap!

VoIP products are integral to the most advanced and reliable VoIP and Voice over ATM platforms currently sold by leading VoIP telecom and networking companies worldwide. VoIP products based on VoIP enabled technology products employ Voice over Packet chip processors, VoIP PCI and cPCI communication boards and VoIP media gateway modules (PMC form factor).

VoIP companies provide voice over packet (VoIP) processors for OEM implementations of voice communications over packet networks or "VoIP". Each VoIP processor features low bit rate Vocoders, a State-of-the-art Echo Canceller and T.38 compliant fax relay. High and medium density gateways, residential gateways and integrated access devices (IAD) are among the major users of VoIP chip processors. These VoIP solutions power client applications from small gateways and IP phones... An As an indication of market size... one major VoIP provider has over 10 million ports installed and growing rapidly.

VoIP Products - Gateway Network The entire VoIP gateway network is based on continued advances in VoIP media boards that offer field proven solutions. Product design of proper PSTN interfaces is a critical factors in VoIP deployment. How can small or medium-sized gateways compete in the market? By implementing cost-effective solutions for enterprise or small POPs and fast market penetration into new and emerging markets. On the other hand, large VoIP gateways are designed to meet major carriers' operational requirements.

VoIP Products - Market Driven The rapid VoIP market expansion for VoIP Gateways led to the large diversity in VoIP products. Today, VoIP providers may choose from different sized gateways for VoIP networks of different sizes. Also, Mediant VoIP gateways enable carriers to address multi-regional requirements and strengthen economics of deployment. For instance, providing PSTN signaling and compression technology deployed in over 75 countries is quite a challenge. Fortunately, VoIP technology may quickly enter new regions and conserve precious bandwidth in hard-to-reach offices.

AudioCodes Ltd. is a market leader in voice compression technology and is a key originator of the ITU G.723.1 standard for the emerging VoIP market. AudioCodes enabling technology products include VoIP, CTI and call logging communication boards, VoIP media gateway processors and modules.

For more information on VoIP and emerging VoIP technology, visit AudioCodes

Johnny Mayer writes on travel, technology, software, diamonds and jewelry, business, music and more

VoIP Communications Set Up Demo With Circuit City's

1-866-904-VoIP
893 Highway 138 W Suites 10
Stockbridge, GA 30281

December 9, 2004

Circuit City Store
ATTN: General Manager/Mr. Will Hughes
1906 Mt Zion Road
Morrow, GA 30360

Dear Mr. Will Hughes:
Per request by Mrs. Sara, at the Circuit City Corporate Main Office at 1.800.251.2665 at 1054 am, on Dec 8, 2004, suggested and approved that we contact you on my company letter head about setting up a VoIP Communications Demo Display VideoPhone in your store area during the holiday. (All Metro-Outlet) With these arrangements, the VoIP Communications will conduct media ads with your store demo, for the shopper to visit and see the display VideoPhones.

We are an Atlanta start-up VoIP Communications with Escape International and 8x8, Inc. (Nasdaq: EGHT), the Packet8 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communications service provider, announced the availability of its DTA Broadband Phone Adapter and DV 326 Broadband Videophone at VoIP Communications http://www.voippacket8.net with Escape International Company: http://www.escapeinternational.com/, whose broadband VideoPhone service with Freedom Unlimited U.S & Canada Video calling broadband software lets anyone become a small-scale Internet business provider, Virtual Office hosted PBX Services and a Home-based business.

The Founder, Chairman and CEO of VoIP Communications, Nate Perkins, says it's close to letting people create their own miniature phone networks as well as a small home business.

RECOMMENDED: By Consumer Guru CLACK HOWARD Internet Phone Line Save Money Good Deals available from Packet8 AJC ( Atlanta Journal & Constitution) 11/20/04

The Videophones allow subscribers to see each other as they speak. The number Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) households is expected to mushroom to 18 million by 2008 as service quality increases, already inexpensive rates continue to drop and more homes get broadband, which VoIP operators usually require.

Mr. Hughes, if you agrees with the agreements, we will only need a very small area to display the VideoPhones demo. We have enclosed the companys coupon and PRESS RELEASE for your and your staff information.
If you need any more information, please call me at 678.565.8633 or email: CEO @ voipcommunications.com

Sincerely,

Nate Perkins
VoIP Communications

893 Highway 138 W Suites 10. Stockbridge, Georgia 30281 1.866.904.VoIP (8647)
1-866-904-VoIP
893 Highway 138 W Suites 10
Stockbridge, GA 30281

December 9, 2004

Circuit City Store
ATTN: General Manager/Mr. Will Hughes
1906 Mt Zion Road
Morrow, GA 30360

Dear Mr. Will Hughes:
Per request by Mrs. Sara, at the Circuit City Corporate Main Office at 1.800.251.2665 at 1054 am, on Dec 8, 2004, suggested and approved that we contact you on my company letter head about setting up a VoIP Communications Demo Display VideoPhone in your store area during the holiday. (All Metro-Outlet) With these arrangements, the VoIP Communications will conduct media ads with your store demo, for the shopper to visit and see the display VideoPhones.

We are an Atlanta start-up VoIP Communications with Escape International and 8x8, Inc. (Nasdaq: EGHT), the Packet8 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communications service provider, announced the availability of its DTA Broadband Phone Adapter and DV 326 Broadband Videophone at VoIP Communications http://www.voippacket8.net with Escape International Company: http://www.escapeinternational.com/, whose broadband VideoPhone service with Freedom Unlimited U.S & Canada Video calling broadband software lets anyone become a small-scale Internet business provider, Virtual Office hosted PBX Services and a Home-based business.

The Founder, Chairman and CEO of VoIP Communications, Nate Perkins, says it's close to letting people create their own miniature phone networks as well as a small home business.

RECOMMENDED: By Consumer Guru CLACK HOWARD Internet Phone Line Save Money Good Deals available from Packet8 AJC ( Atlanta Journal & Constitution) 11/20/04

The Videophones allow subscribers to see each other as they speak. The number Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) households is expected to mushroom to 18 million by 2008 as service quality increases, already inexpensive rates continue to drop and more homes get broadband, which VoIP operators usually require.

Mr. Hughes, if you agrees with the agreements, we will only need a very small area to display the VideoPhones demo. We have enclosed the companys coupon and PRESS RELEASE for your and your staff information.
If you need any more information, please call me at 678.565.8633 or email: CEO @ voipcommunications.com

Sincerely,

Nate Perkins
VoIP Communications

893 Highway 138 W Suites 10. Stockbridge, Georgia 30281 1.866.904.VoIP (8647)

http://www.voippacket8.net