VoIP refers to voice transmissions that are sent over an Internet connection, rather than over land lines as with traditional phone service or via cellphone towers. VoIP requires a computer or a Wifi or other internet connection to work. The voice signal is converted from analog audio to a compressed digital format, then converted back to analog on the other end. These services are often much cheaper than other phone services.

There are several different ways VoIP can be used. VoIP technology can use a dedicated VoIP phone or an analog telephone adapter, or it can use special software. VoIP phones work much like cellphones, but transmit their signals via Wifi or other IP connections. Service plans for the phones can be purchased, and because they are usually billed by the data transmission instead of minutes, plans are often much cheaper than comparable mobile phone or traditional phone plans. Many services offer a flat rate fee, and some offer free services. These may vary widely by the provider, but in general, VoIP services are much cheaper than land lines or cell phones due to the lower cost of transmitting via IP.

Some VoIP providers provide free calls to other lines which are also using their plan. They often offer an inexpensive flat rate plan for other domestic calls, which may be unlimited. You can call other lines using VoIP, or you can call cellphones and landlines. Service plans may also include rates for international calls.

More than one call can use the same internet connection, so VoIP may eliminate a business’s need for additional phone lines, which often cost more from the phone company. VoIP software can be used in any location, provided that there is a suitable internet connection, so they also are not tied to a certain location like landlines are. They also eliminate the need for separate lines for phones and data transmission, so they can cut business costs by using lines that are already installed.

Some VoIP providers provide many additional features free of charge, or for a low fee. These may include call forwarding or caller ID, which often cost more if you get them from a traditional phone service. Because they use the internet to place calls, some Internet phone or “softphone” software may also be able to integrate other features available through the internet, such as making video conferencing calls or exchanging messages or files.

There are some disadvantages to VoIP, however. The services may not connect directly to 911 and other emergency services, making them less reliable than other services in the event of an emergency. They rely on the power of the modem, so they may not function during a power outage unless there is a backup power supply available from the provider. The lines have a maximum data capacity, so if they are overloaded, the quality of the transmission may suffer. Congestion can also cause “jitter” and delay, which can result in sound distortion or dropouts.

By: Tina L Douglas

About the Author:

Teeth Whitening

Did you know that it’s possible to make free international calls from your computer? That’s right – as long as you have an internet connection and the right hardware on your computer, it is really easy to make totally free international long distance calls.

You can now talk to your friends and relatives overseas for free using some simple software available on the internet. You should have a broadband internet connection for the best call quality, but it is possible to make calls over a dial up connection.

Here’s how to make free international calls over the internet:

First of all, make sure your computer has a sound card with a speaker and microphone jack.
Look at the back of your PC and see where your speakers are connected; this is your sound card. A sound card usually has three small “holes” that are usually color coded light blue, light green and/or light pink. If you look carefully you might see symbols next to each hole indicating a microphone and speakers. Most computers that are under 5 years old will have a sound card.

If you have speakers connected, purchase a computer microphone and connect it to the microphone jack on your sound card.
If you don’t have speakers, or want to have better sound quality, purchase a computer headset with microphone and connect it to the appropriate jacks on your sound card.

Download free internet phone software from the VoIP provider of your choice. VoIP stands for “Voice Over Internet Protocol”, which is the method for making phone calls over the internet.
Popular VoIP internet phone service providers are Skype, Gizmo, Net2Phone and WebPhone. It doesn’t matter which one you use – the important thing is that everyone you talk with uses the same VoIP provider.

Install the software and register for a free account. Remember the user name you choose, as this is how the people you call will know you.
Start the software and follow the instructions to configure your equipment and make a free test call to make sure everything is set up correctly.
When your equipment and software is set up and the test call is fine, email your friends and family and ask them to do the same thing you did – get a headset or microphone and speakers, go to the VoIP provider’s website to download and install the software, set up a free account and make a test call.
Share your VoIP internet phone service user name with everyone you want to make calls with. Everyone should enter each other’s user names into the VoIP software’s “contacts” list. This is how you will “dial” and connect with your international friends and family.
Email your friends and/or family and decide on a time to talk. Make sure both parties are online, and that everyone has their internet phone service software running.
Make your international call by clicking on the person’s user name within your contact list and then clicking the “dial” icon within the program. You will hear a ringing sound on your side, and the other party will hear the ringing also. They may also see a message on their computer screen telling them that you are trying to call.
When the person you are calling clicks on the “answer” icon on his/her internet phone service software, you will be connected. You can then talk to each other over the internet for free.
When done talking, simply click the “hang up” icon on the VoIP software.

This type of VoIP internet phone service is called “softphone” because it requires a computer and software to make phone calls over the internet. Calls between users of the same VoIP service provider (i.e. Skype, Net2Phone, Gizmo, etc…) are always free, so it’s easy to keep in touch with international friends and relatives. If desired, you can hook up an inexpensive webcam and make free international video phone calls too!

By: Debbie Jacobsen

About the Author:

The DUI Attorney

Hitherto, telecom services were provided either by Government bodies or large multinational companies in view of the huge investment in infrastructure. With the advent of the Internet and the newly emerging VoIP technology, it is now possible for any small company to provide online services offering free phone calls to anyone, anywhere in the world. The services include PC to phone calls, PC to PC calls, PC to cell phone, online conferencing and Internet fax facility. These types of service providers can be rampantly found on the Internet.

Using the Internet to place your long distance calls has become the order of the day. To those who may not be familiar, voice over IP is a new form of telecommunication that allows users to place long distance telephone calls through their computer, often at negligible cost as well as free. Moreover, 3-way calling and chatting with a number of people simultaneously is possible.

With the Internet, long distance calling methods have become both easy and cheap. Voice over Internet Protocol or more popularly known by its acronym VoIP helps to make unlimited long distance calling cost-effective for many business enterprises – particularly export houses and companies that have a large number of overseas clients.

With VoIP technology, your voice is changed to a digital format that is then transmitted over the Internet wirelessly. Thus there is no more need of long wires to link one phone to another. Now, satellites help to transfer the signals that can then be received at any corner of the world. A decade ago, none would have imagined that Internet phone calls would become so easy and cost-efficient! Now there are millions of users all over the world making free long distance calls using popular, free VoIP services and software.

This is much more effective than standard telephone lines, because it costs much less than transferring voice units through telephone lines and the voice quality is also rich and clear. This is the reason why VoIP is much sought-after today by many individuals, self-employed professionals and companies – both big and small.

Before choosing an Internet phone system, you should do some pre-study to determine the right plan suitable for your use. Check also with various VoIP providers for pricing, so that you get the best long distance rates available. Most VoIP service providers offering free phone calls will obviously impose some restriction on the amount of free time customers can avail.

Other restrictions may also apply in the way free phone calls are used – such as restricting calls only to other users in the same network or restricting free calls to certain countries. However, the consolation is, even if the free service ceases to be free, the amount charged for all types of calls are extremely low rates – particularly when compared to the earlier conventional telephony.

People who are already familiar with the use of computers and willing to download and setup the software, unlimited free phone calls is a distinct possibility. All you need is the computer, Internet connection, software and a gateway from a service provider. Please remember that the called party should have the same compatible setup on their computer

By: A. James

About the Author:

New Age Music

The day by day improving technology has undoubtedly abridged the distance between people by a remarkable margin through telecommunication. Getting connected to the people residing in some other country or in some other continent is no more an awe-inspiring thing. Touching the peaks of its development, communication industry has gone a long way in the last decade. A part from digging out the new ways of communication, the industry has also exploited the Internet to mark out that perfect blend of technology through which cheap international calls can be made.

Internet telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is designed to render global connectivity solutions in a cost-effective way. The best thing about this product is that it is designed to fit to the pocket of a common man, who cannot afford hefty sum to keep in touch with people over STD or ISD on mobiles or landlines. Most of the times it happens that people cut short their calls just to save on their money, that unsatisfied thirst of not being able to convey or express what they wanted to in the way they wanted to somewhere or the other pinches their heart, but they are bound to do this.

As it is no more a hidden fact that people go out of their country for work, for better opportunities, studies etc. Their families and friends are left behind. Sometimes, it becomes very hard to give away a lump sum amount for a little chit chat with them. People look out for saving as much as they can but being in contact sometimes become costly enough to take away hard earned money in a jiffy. But, by using VoIP one can gain access to cheap international calls in no time. All an individual needs to do is to get a cheap international calling card and start getting benefited by using it.

Now, it is no more a pain to pocket to call abroad. UK people can use this facility on their mobiles and landlines through cheap international calling cards, which they can buy online. No more holding back, stay connected to friend and families with this unmatched global connectivity solution.

By: Ethan S William

About the Author:

DUI

There has been great fanfare about the advent of unified communications and presence based applications that enable business processes. However, telecom spend is still overwhelmingly driven by cost savings.

When asked what business problem they are trying to solve, 32 percent of large-enterprise respondents to a recent Yankee Group survey say “lowering the overall cost of voice and data networking” is the objective. Survey respondents say domestic long distance calling, international long-distance and local telephony connections are the three areas that would deliver the highest cost savings.

A recent study by the Aberdeen Group supports these finding. “The telecommunications spending area is so wrought with inefficiency, in fact, most enterprises don’t know how much they spend on telecom services, never mind how they can best manage those budgets.”

These survey results highlight the critical need for all encompassing total communication management software (TCMS) solutions that can provide concise metrics about calling patterns and comparative analysis of various plans. The migration to IP can be fraught with danger unless a measured approach is taken in analyzing current and projected infrastructure.

Call accounting remains the centerpiece of every successful enterprise that is looking to manage, transition or implement new communication technologies whether TDM, IP or a hybrid solution. The data from a key system, PBX, iPBX or VoIP communication servers and gateways is collected and massaged by the call accounting software . The system usually attaches additional information such as subscriber name and transaction cost to the activity record (or more commonly call detail record (CDR)).

It is true, traditional call accounting systems may no longer cut the mustard. You will need to have a comprehensive solution that integrates communication statistics under one umbrella. When researching call accounting software, you will need to focus on a vendor that provides an end-to-end total communication management software. Sophisticated communication management systems will catch billing errors, identify network bottlenecks, highlight misuse and abuse and suggest the provisioning of additional resources for more effective management of communication facilities.

By: Rito Salomone

About the Author:

Online Videos

Voice Over Internet Protocol is one of the latest discovery in the field of communication. The simple function upon which it sells itself is the factor that it uses the Internet to make calls. Endowed with several advantages, VoIP is believed to be one of the best and the most economical ways to make calls to international locations today. Moreover, quite easy to set up and use, the service can be availed easily too.

As said earlier, VoIP lets you make calls through the Internet, wherein you are charged for the Internet facilities you are using during the call process. In this condition, you have to pay only the local call charges and the usual Internet expenses. Thus, it makes no difference whether you are calling an international location or domestic one since the charges will remain the same. Thus, for companies operating in different countries, and for people who make a lot of international calls, VoIP is the best solution to cut down on telephone bills and save plenty of money.

Further advancements have deployed Internet telephony to be availed free of cost. All you need is a headset, sound card, a computer and an Internet connection. The next thing you need to do is to download any of the many VoIP software packages like Skype, Net2Phone, Gizmo and Free World Dialup. After you have installed any of these softwares, ask all your friends or people you want to chat with to install the same software. After the software has been loaded on both sides, you are free to make calls.

Not only is this service seamless, but quite economical too. Using VoIP solution assures you better voice quality than what you get on traditional calling. Moreover, VoIP enabled phones are equipped with several features like call forwarding, voice mail box, redial button and call records, which make the communication easier. Portability is another important feature attached with it. Even when you are travelling, you can make calls through Internet telephony.

By: Dennis Jaylon

About the Author:

Spa Resorts

There has been a number of positive developments in the telecommunications domain in the past couple of years. The competition has become intense with small and medium players giving the larger ones a run for their money. The service providers are doing all that it takes to attract and maintain a loyal base of customers in their respective areas of operation. For the callers, all these translates into low costs for making long distance calls.

Customers and end users have never had it better. They can now make calls to faraway locations, without worrying about money. They can call almost any number and that too from their personal computers – quite an amazing feat in itself. Moreover, end users and customers have the freedom of using special VoIP phones to make these low cost calls. However, the selection of a ‘good’ service provider becomes important in this context.

A ‘good’ VoIP service provider is one that offers cost effective deals for making cheap telephone calls. Other value-added applications are also a part of many such deals. One could cite features such as caller ID or call waiting, for instance. In traditional telephone systems, services of such nature can generally be enjoyed only after paying an additional amount. However, in VoIP telephony, these services are often made available, absolutely free, as part of the package.

For such services to run smoothly, high speed Internet connections are a pre-requisite. The stress in on large bandwidth and high speeds. The dial-up connections consequently fare worse than the broadband connections in this regard. In broadband connections, the VoIP codecs come with a larger bandwidth. This in turn facilitates smooth transfer of voice data. The call quality is impressive. In addition, there is a lot of savings in terms of time required for the data packets to travel from one destination to the next.

Another interesting feature of VoIP is three-way call conferencing, a feature that holds special significance for domestic as well as corporate users. Corporates can communicate with colleagues located in another office and take decisions that could have an impact on the overall growth of the organisations. Individual users, on the other hand, can use these services and connect at a more personal level with people who matter – who could be situated anywhere across the globe.

The VoIP telephones are also very much preferred by busy professionals and globe trotting executives. Traveling with such phones is another possibility that is currently being explored by many among them.

There is another scenario that one could consider. Say, there is a shift in address for a person. He is required to move out from one address and go to a new one – which could be due to either professional or personal obligations. In such an instance, staying connected with people who matter could tend to become a problem. One would not like to spend exorbitant amounts as phone bills, which would be quite likely if one uses PSTN phone services. In such instances, potential users could check out the facility of having local numbers with Internet telephony services.

By: Kristen Kiya

About the Author:

Mortgage Refinance

If you have a computer, a headset, and an internet connection, you can make free PC to PC phone calls to anyone in the world! The only catch is that the person you are calling must also have an active account with the same VoIP service provider, and must be online to get the call. With any VoIP service, “in-network” calling (all callers subscribing to the same carrier) is always free, but most providers require that you pay a small monthly fee which allows you to make “out-of-network” calls as well. Since this article is about making totally FREE internet phone calls, only the VoIP providers that offer 100% free calling will be mentioned.

There are several internet phone service providers that offer PC based phone calling, but only a few do not require a monthly service fee when you register. Because the PC to PC calling service is free, you may have to put up with ads on your dial pad or be limited to a certain call length, but for a free long distance call this is probably acceptable to most people. If you want to make calls to a landline phone, you can do so by paying a low cost per minute (much less than traditional long distance).

So here’s how to make free PC to PC phone calls:

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Choose a provider, then download and install their free software (the software is a “dial pad” that you use to make calls).Register and get an account (you need to have a valid email address).Make sure the people you want to call install the software and register with the same VoIP provider.Enter your friends usernames into your contact list, and ask that they do the same (this allows you to see that they are online and able to accept calls).Plug your headset (with microphone) into the appropriate in/out audio jacks on your computer (or USB port if applicable).Click on your contact and make a call – that’s all there is to it!

Since PC to PC calling uses a technology similar to instant messaging, most VoIP provider’s software allows you to text message the person you are talking to. Conference calling is also possible – just click on another active user and they can join in the call!

As of this writing, here are some VoIP providers I found that offer free PC to PC internet phone calls with no monthly fees. Because services can change from time to time, make sure you agree with the terms and conditions before creating an account. Skype is the largest and most well known provider with over 190 million downloads to date.

* http://www.skype.com

* http://www.google.com/talk

* http://www.earthlink.net/software/nmfree/onlinecalling

* http://www.voipbuster.com

* http://www.inphonex.com

* http://www.pc-telephone.com/free-phone.htm

As with any software, your computer must meet certain requirements in order for the installation to succeed. As a general rule, your computer should have at minimum a 400 MHz processor, 10 MB of free disk space and 128 MB of RAM. You also need a sound card, and either a headset with microphone or speakers and a microphone. Of course, you need an internet connection as well. Software is available for PC, Mac and Linux platforms. Skype has software for Pocket PC as well.

PC based VoIP will work fine over a dial up connection of at least 33.6 Kbps, but be sure to close all email applications and don’t do any web surfing while talking because these processes will degrade performance. For the absolute best internet phone calling experience, broadband is the way to go.

Free software-based PC to PC internet phone service is a great way to “test the waters” if you are interested in trying VoIP before jumping into a paid service. It’s also perfect if you’re on a tight budget and want to make some free long distance calls. Anyone in the world can use VoIP as long as they have an internet connection; just make sure all your friends and relatives use the same carrier if you want to keep the calls free.

This type of VoIP service is not compatible with 911, so it should not be used as your one and only phone. If you want save a lot of money on your phone bill and use VoIP as your primary phone, consider subscribing to a hardware-based VoIP carrier like Packet8, Vonage, Lingo or Voip.net.

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There was a time when the original AT&T completely dominated phone service and you had no choice but to use them. AT&T not only owned the phone market, the company also owned your phone You couldn’t buy a phone from anyone else. In fact, you couldn’t even buy one from AT&T; you had to rent it from them, and the charge never went away. I even remember AT&T spying into people’s homes to figure out if they had bought their own phones, which was strictly forbidden.

How times have changed. The old AT&T monopoly was broken up a quarter of a century ago and the local Bell System phone companies became independent. Initially there were seven “Baby Bells,” and what was left of AT&T handled long distance, eventually duking it out with the competition at Sprint and MCI. Then the Baby Bells began merging and buying each other. One of them, SBC Communications, bought the much-diminished AT&T, gave up its Cingular brand they had spent a fortune promoting, and again called itself AT&T. So things have come pretty much full circle.

One thing that has changed is that you can get home phone service from a wide variety of companies. Theoretically that should result in more competition and better rates for residential phone service and business phones. In reality, the deregulated phone companies simply came up with so many rules and plans and services that no one could figure out anymore how high their phone bill would be. People began distrusting the phone company after they were socked with absurdly high charges that were buried somewhere in the fine print. I personally almost stopped making long distance calls for fear of huge charges.

For a while cell phones seemed to promise cheap phone service with fixed fee rate plans. But then the phone companies got greedy again. They lock you in with their mandatory two-year contracts, and then pepper you with extra fees and charges that can add hundreds of dollars to a monthly phone bill. It’s still somewhat simpler to keep on top of cell phone charges than the Byzantine landline phone charges, and a lot of people have given up on landline phone service entirely. The problem there is that the voice quality is generally awful. And you’re dealing with an industry that thinks “fewest dropped calls” is something to brag about. Geesh!

Fortunately there is an alternative. Just as the Internet has totally revolutionized the way we entertain ourselves and communicate with one another, it is also rolling out Internet phone service. VoIP stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol” and describes Internet phone communication that is now rivaling and surpassing the convenience and quality of traditional landline phone service. Rates are generally a lot lower and legalese is kept to a minimum.

Internet telephony has come a very long way since the first online IP phone These days you can get very inexpensive plans and packages that let you keep your existing phone number. Plus, you often get all the usual goodies (caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, additional lines, caller block, conferencing, etc.) thrown in for free. Since broadband phone service uses the high-speed Internet connection in your home, you don’t need any equipment other than a broadband phone adapter that usually comes with the VoIP service. This is not just a case of switching to a different phone company. It is leaving the old telephone company monopoly behind entirely and using the Internet for phone service instead. Once you switch over, you’ll find that it is simpler and better in every respect. And a whole lot less expensive to boot.

By: Chris Robertson

About the Author:

Skin Care

VoIP.com internet phone service is probably the best VoIP value available in the United States today. At $199 for a year’s worth of unlimited local and long distance calling within the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, VoIP.com’s annual plan works out to only $16.58 per month. With this annual broadband phone service plan, you need to pay the $199 up front, but you will never see any additional charges. VoIP.com’s VoIP plans are “all-inclusive”, meaning there are no extra fees commonly associated with other telephone service and cellular service providers.

VoIP.com Unlimited Annual Calling Plan

VoIP.com offers unlimited local and long distance calling for your home, at a fraction of the price other telephone companies charge.