A quick reference to VOIP

The term VOIP has been flooding around for some years, and you want to know what that really is? Well if so you are at the right place. Let us get a quick overview about VOIP in plain non technical way…..

VOIP means Voice Over Internet Protocol. It works the same way emails work. When considering emails, you send text over the internet to the recipient and VOIP send voice over the internet to the destination, it’s simple as that mha….

So how dose a VOIP phone system work?

• You speak over the microphone connected to your computer or through your VOIP phone
• Your voice is converted to digital data
• That data is transported to your VOIP service provider through the internet
• They forward it to the phone number you specify so that the recipient gets the call.

So how does the quality differ from an ordinary call?

Well the quality depends on the data rate of your internet service. When you make a VOIP call from a low speed internet connection, the quality is similar to a call made from a mobile with low signal. But most VOIP service providers do not install VOIP for Dialup internet connection.

VOIP service provider is the person who connects your VOIP phone to your friend’s land line. So what is a VOIP phone? It looks and like a regular phone. You dial a recipient’s no the same way you dial in a mobile phone and when some one call to your VOIP phone it rings as usual.

But there is software installed and a modem integrated within the phone. The modem converts your voice into digital data and connects you to the internet directly without turning your computer on.

There are plenty of VOIP solutions available such as Skype. Some of them are free of charge. You can download the software and install it in your PC and your recipient also should have the appropriate software to receive your call.

You can use your VOIP solution such as skype to call land lines and mobile lines, but you will be charged a small amount, which is very cheap when compared to other international call solutions. Other call supplementary services such as call waiting, call forwarding, call barring, conference calls, caller ID and voice mail-are usually free on VOIP.