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Choosing VoIP: The Pros And Cons Of An Internet Phone

Until recently, our options have been limited when it comes to making local and long distance phone calls. It has been standard to have to pay high monthly and by-the-minute charges to keep in touch with loved ones that live far away. With mobile phones, you have the freedom to take your communications with you, but the reception is often sketchy, and roaming charges can take a big bite out of your wallet. That is why VOIP is so attractive to so many people.

Quite a few people have made the switch to this technology as their primary mode of phone communication for work and everyday life because of the freedom it allows, and the very low cost to subscribe to the service. And the popularity of VOIP and Internet phone service is continuing to gain momentum. If you are thinking of making the switch VOIP phone service, there are a few issues that you should give careful consideration to before making the decision.

When you subscribe to VOIP service, you are exchanging your traditional landline for a phone that hooks up to your Internet connection. The phone accesses the Internet over your broadband connection, either by cable modem or DSL. Using a piece of equipment that is plugged into the modem known as a telephony adapter, electrical pulses from the IP telephone are translated into data packets that move over the Internet. Thus, your phone line and your Internet connection are one and the same. This provides a myriad of communications option for the subscriber, but also introduces many issues such as security breaches, power outages, Internet service interruptions, and sub par reception due to Internet traffic.

VOIP is gaining popularity primarily because of the low cost to subscribe to a service. Local and long distance calling is bundled together along with other options like Caller ID and Call Waiting for one low monthly rate, and International calling rates are very reasonable. Rates for calling oversees are usually $ .03 - .04 per minute, and calling Canada falls under the domestic long distance region. In addition, it is also customary for service providers to allow subscribers to call one another within the service free of charge.

In order to subscribe to VOIP phone service, it is necessary that you have a broadband Internet connection. If your Internet service is not totally consistent, and you tend to lose service on occasion, you will lose your phone service during Internet service outages. As a subscriber to VOIP, your service will provide you with a telephony adaptor that you can connect to any home phone, which you in turn connect to your modem, which will give you VOIP phone capabilities. Keep in mind that you will pay for VOIP service in addition to your monthly Internet service charges. However, charges for VOIP phone service are far lower than traditional phone company charges.

Other issues, such as power outages, need to be addressed before switching to VOIP. In essence, if your power goes out, so does your phone service. It is possible to avoid losing phone service during power outages by hooking your computer up to a universal power supply. This keeps your computer - and your phone service - operational during power outages. The sound reception over an IP phone is often just as clear as that of a traditional telephone. Unless your Internet service is experiencing heavy traffic, your calls will likely come through clear and audible. One thing to note is that the quality of 911 services depends on the service you decide to subscribe to. Some services route emergency calls to different call centers than traditional 911 calls, therefore emergency response might not be as efficient as you are used to.

With all of the questions that arise from VOIP phone service, there are still many reasons to consider subscribing. Aside from the attractive cost savings, you can take your IP phone with you and connect anywhere that there is broadband Internet service, you can more than likely keep your current phone number, and since VOIP services is federally regulated, there are no state fees to pay that you customarily do with traditional phone service. And as long as you stick with a well-known service provider that you feel confident will provide long-lasting service to you with the best prices and options available, you have nothing to worry about. VOIP phone service is not only convenient and cost effective, but it is great way to make the most of your Internet capabilities.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analogue) phone line.

The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VOIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, you are bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely.

In addition, the quality of VOIP is good.Your voice is digitalized and transported over the Internet as well as over the phone company’s private network using Internet Protocol (IP) service. A broadband phone call happens in real time. More than likely you receive many VOIP phone calls in the course of a week without realizing it. This is because the phone line quality for VOIP is the same if not better than the traditional phone services.

Good value for money too. VOIP service is available to anyone in the world who has an Internet broadband connection

Number portability. This allows you to keep the same telephone number you had before subscribing to the Internet-based plan.

No Regulatory Fees. Currently, there are no regulatory fees or special taxes with Internet phone call service. This give you instant savings!

How about the down side?

Emergency reliability. As your VOIP works via cable of DSL,you are hardly tracked in emergency which may cost liveswhen your connection got cut up during 911 calls.

You will have to have a DSL router or a second computer set up to run a second phone line.

Despite of the down sides, VOIP is getting more attention because it could be applied to almost any voice communications requirement, ranging from a simple inter-office intercom to complex multi-point teleconferencing/shared screen environments.

As the demand is going up, so is the supply. You have to choose wisely.

The following factors have to be considered when you choose a VOIP provider.

Choose a VOIP that works with your system. Most VOIP only works with DSL or cable modem internet, and will not workwith satellite or wireless broadband. Your internet connection has also need to be ” VOIP -ready”

Go for the best service plan that suits you. There are unlimited local callings or large numbers of free minutes.However, long distant call charges may still apply.

Look at the money back guarantee and equipment return policies. Make sure that any service provider that you’re considering offer a money back guarantee. Otherwise go for someone elsewho does. All of the major providers offer a solid guarantee.

Go for VOIP only it saves you money. Look at your phone bill to see how much you’re paying in services and what servicesyou really need such as call waiting, call forwarding, three way calling, caller ID, etc.

Even though you have managed to install VOIP, you have to have a Mobile Phone or a metered landline handy as a backup. Remember, if your internet connection goes down, so does your VOIP line. Always be prepared in case of an emergency.

Many people have heard of VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol, but not many know about the benefits of VoIP. In short, VoIP is a technology that transmits audio files as data over the Internet to another computer or a VoIP phone or a standard landline telephone, depending on what you use. As it uses the Internet as the medium, call charges can be minimised.

By not knowing these benefits, people are not aware of the advantages that VoIP has to offer and hence are not making the switch as they should. Below is a list of some of the benefits of VoIP:

Cheaper Calls

Who would not jump at the opportunity of reducing their local and especially long distance calls? Different service providers would offer different packages. Some might offer free unlimited long distance calls, while some might offer calls for a small fee.

Whether it is for your business or residential use, VoIP is undoubtedly cheaper than the standard landline telephones. Families can talk to each other longer, and businesses can increase their productivity.

Additional Features At No Charge

Features that are normally offered for a fee are often free of charge with VoIP services. Features such as Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Call Transfer, etc. are offered at no additional cost with VoIP. For business purposes, features such as email and web utilities, just to name a few, are also offered free of charge. Long gone are the days where you have to pay for these extras.

Choosing Own Area Code

Another great benefit of VoIP is the ability to choose your own phone numbers and area codes. This means that, should you want to maintain your existing number, you can always transfer your number to the new VoIP service or you may decide to choose a new one based on the area code.

The latter is beneficial if you have family members and friends who are staying in a different area code from you. All you have to do is to change your number to the same area code as theirs. This way, whenever they call you, they will be charged for local calls. They will thank you for this additional savings on their phone bills.

Great For Business

Business owners are now switching to VoIP as we speak. With all the features and benefits discussed above, they can reduce their business costs and phone bills, hence increasing their productivity. With VoIP, employees are able to stay in touch with their employers, colleagues and especially their customers.

This further saves a lot of money if you have mobile employees who travel extensively like sales people in your business. They can stay connected at all times and never again miss an important call. All they have to do is to plug in and accept the calls no matter where they are in the world.

On top of that, VoIP is a blessing if you have a call center for your business. This way, you are able to outsource your work inexpensively to agents in the countries that your business operates in.

Now that you are aware of the many benefits of VoIP, as well as the flexibility and freedom that VoIP offers, you know that they are far more advantageous compared to the standard landline telephones.

Unfortunately, many people will keep on paying the high monthly phone bills when they could have easily made the switch to VoIP and save on their next month?s charges with a single decision.

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.

For a fraction of what most people pay for a tradional telephone service, you can have a feature rich communications sytem.

But there are a few pitfalls that people fall into time and again. Make sure you aren”t one of them.

1) Missing Out on the Best Deal - So you know that you can make a big saving by switching from your traditional phone carrier to a VOIP service. But did you know that you can also make a huge saving again by shopping around? Some VOIP companies are up to 50% cheaper than others that offer similar featured packages.

2) Taking the Cheapest Without Looking - VOIP beats tradition networks in so many ways. Why not make sure that you have a feature rich package? Again, you need to compare features between companies!

3) Going With the Biggest Names - If you follow the VOIP scene, you will know that some of the biggest names in VOIP have had serious system outages. Make sure your carrier has a history of reliability because you don”t want to be caught without a phone service!

4) Low bandwidth - Make sure that you discuss your WAN service provider to make sure you have enough bandwidth for VOIP. This is really important for heavy users such as businesses and call centers.

5) IP Phones - Poor quality hardware (IP Phones) can really reduce your user experience. Don”t buy the cheapest phone you can find, because you will be disappointed at your call quality.

6) Configure Your Firewall - A lot of people get frustrated when their new VOIP service doesn”t work. You need to check your firewall settings to ensure your VOIP service can operate!

7) Ignore Security - A VOIP conversation is data like any other data. It can be stolen and misused (ie. people can listen to your conversations). Make sure you are aware of the problems by asking your vendor and consider encryption to protect your data.

VOIP opens up a massive potential cost saving to home and business users. It can be as secure and high quality as traditional lines, if you take a little time to research and make the right purchasing decisions.

VoIP is a technology that is here to stay. Industry analysts are unanimous that VoIP will be the standard for telephone service in the near future, but there is no time like the present to start saving money. There are issues with the technology that it would be wise to remain aware of, and when choosing a provider, it is always a safe practice to ask questions. But if your first three questions are “can I save money on a monthly plan?”, “Can I call long distance at vastly reduced rates?” and “Can I get some funky new features?”, the answers are yes, yes, and yes!

Tips on Choosing A Provider

* Start local

The first step when choosing a VoIP provider is to see what companies offer service in your area. The best idea is to start with your current Internet service provider. They will often discount the price of the service if you”re a current subscriber.

* Compare plans

We have compiled information on some of the major offerings from current providers, and we think it’’s a great place to start. Most companies offer flat-rate unlimited plans that are great for big talkers, and they usually offer a smaller plan with a limited number of minutes at even lower prices. Shop around and you”re sure to save a lot.

* Check features

Most of the providers that we have studied offer convenience calling features as part of the plan, or at least for a very nominal fee. Just be sure they offer what you need. And be sure to check for 911 and Enhanced 911 compatibility. Because these services are not yet universally available with VoIP providers, you may find that a landline or cell phone back-up is still required.

* Check long distance rates

Long distance rates can vary widely between providers. If you know that you will be calling particular places often, check the best rates available from a number of companies. We”ve included a sample of some of the more popular destinations on our comparison page, but most providers have detailed lists on their individual websites.

* Do your homework

There is a Latin phrase, caveat emptor, that means “let the buyer beware”. VoIP is a fantastic service that will undoubtedly save you money, but it isn”t free. Make sure that when you do sign up for service with any provider that you are aware of all associated costs, fees, contracts or commitments.

* The VoIP Life Perspective

VoIP Life is not associated with any particular provider, so we are unbiased. We will not tell you that one company is better than another; that iss up to you to decide. We just want to make it easier for you to do so. Have a look at our comparison charts to see what is available now and be sure to check back often because we will keep an eye on things for you. Sign up for our newsletter in order to get the latest news on what’’s happening in the industry and what new promotions are being offered.

Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a leading-edge technology that industry analysts are certain will revolutionize the way we use our phones. That revolution may be a quiet one, but there is truth in such grand language. The bare essentials of how we use the telephone are not going to change overnight; we’re still going to dial a phone number, and we’re still going to screen calls. But there are 3 major differences between VoIP and the current standard that will forever alter our relationship with the telephone.

Mobility

Have you ever wished you could take your office number with you when you travel? Maybe you have a toll-free number and you simply can’t be unreachable? Sure your cell phone will work, but how much will that cost? VoIP enables affordable mobility in unprecedented ways. The VoIP adapter that your phone plugs into is designed to be universal. You can connect it to any phone and broadband internet connection in the world and take any of your numbers with you wherever you go. Without roaming charges! And if you really want to explore the mobility of VoIP, try getting a phone number from another country. For a small monthly fee, you can get a number local to hundreds of cities around the world and take the long distance burden off of family and friends that want to call you.

Convenience

In the modern age, we use our telephones more than ever, and what we can do with them would astonish Alexander Graham Bell. We have call display, voicemail, call waiting, 3-way calling, and a host of other convenience calling features. VoIP, the new telephony, allows for these features and so many more. Think it might be fun to have your voicemail sent to you by email? VoIP can make it happen. But it’s real-time, online account management that separates VoIP from the the ways of yesterday. Sure, the old phone company will send you a online bill, but you can only get it once a month. What if you’re at your brother’s house and need to check the number of that girl who called you last night? Go online and check a log of your calls. While you’re at it, see you exactly how much you’ve spent on long distance this month, and forward your calls to your cell. VoIP gives you absolute control over your account.

Cost

A French phone number and emailed voice messages can be a lot of fun, and they can certainly be useful in certain situations, but let’s face it; when you switch to VoIP, you want to save money. And depending on how you use the phone, you can save a lot. We mentioned the convenience of taking your home or office number with you. But imagine eliminating the roaming charges altogether! Let’s say you’re not the adventurous type and you let your fingers do the walking. Chances are you have friends or family that live outside of your city. Do you wait until Sunday evening to make all of your long distance calls? That’s not necessarily the most convenient way to operate, and it can still cost an arm and a leg to call overseas. With VoIP, long distance charges within your country are usually eliminated and rates to other countries are slashed by, in some cases, as much as 90%.

Today we use the Internet for a myriad of tasks that previously we never thought possible. We shop for groceries online, we send flowers from a website, and we order a set of our photographs by sending an email. One day we’ll look back and marvel that there was a time when we didn’t make calls over the net. The number of consumers that are switching to VoIP is increasing every minute, and it’s not difficult to see why.

Considering a switch to IP telephony. Look before you leap, here is a thing or two from the people who make the gear and have survived the process.

Stay staff savvy: Companies should not jettison their telephony staff. IT personnel may know IP, but they won’t have mastery of call-related issues like setting up dial plans. Companies will also need a plan to merge their IT and telephony staffs.

Avoid chitchat: IP phones aren’t passive devices. They talk to the network and trade information frequently. The result is a lot of overhead that can make network management a chore. Putting your voice operations on a virtual local area network is an easy way to prevent your data network operations from bogging down.

Know your integrator: The most important party in an IP deployment is the systems integrator. Make sure that you’re comfortable with your integrator and that the project manager on the job is ready and willing to communicate with your company regarding project undertakings and issues.

Train, train, train: From telephony and IT staff to end users, everyone in the company will need training on the new IP phones and systems. If you don’t get end users up to speed quickly, you could face an ugly backlash as users blame the equipment for problems. Cray set up a teaching lab with 20 IP phones, where an instructor could step employees through the new system.

Don’t take chances: Unless you have the benefit of a clean-slate start, consider deploying an IP telephony trial before committing your business to the system. Lucent is taking this approach by deploying IP phones to all 2500 employees at a newly opened building. The company is acquiring valuable experience with the technology that it can later transfer to the rest of the business.

Tighten up IT: People simply won’t tolerate problems in their phone system. Make sure that your IT department has the tools, skills, and discipline needed to finely control bandwidth prioritization, voice quality, service levels, and overall network health. Conducting an in-depth review of network traffic patterns before deployment will help IT identify staffing and equipment needs.

Respect the culture: Is your business ready for IP telephony, and does it need to make the switch? Review your business’s IT skill sets and try to gauge whether your employees need a more advanced phone setup.

Be smart: Seek the insight of people in your IT and phone organizations who understand the IP technology and its implications. Look beyond immediate cost issues, and listen to your IT and telephone staffs. Your business and technical staffs will have to work together to develop a realistic vision for the new system.