The converged infrastructure of VOIP has unique attributes that can benefit both corporate and home users. IP PBX and hot spots can provide financial savings and flexibility for corporations. While greater choice of home phone service, a variety of providers, software and virtually free service allow home users more options than traditional phone service.
IP PBX
Corporations will find several advantages and disadvantages to using VOIP:
- The same TCP/IP network handling data can be used for VOIP phone service.
- Existing network staff can monitor voice and data.
- Data networks may not have the speed or capacity required for time-sensitive VOIP packets.
- If voice and data are on the same network and it goes down, all communications into the corporation are down.
- Existing PBX systems may require an upgrade to handle a converged system, such as VOIP.
Home Phone Service
Home users have been embracing the VOIP phone as a way to replace or expand their choice of home phone service. Since home users are not restricted by the same security needs as corporations, pc to phone communications are an inviting way to reduce the number of service providers required for home communications.
In addition, geographic number restrictions do not apply to VOIP phones. So a person residing in one area may be able to obtain a number that would traditionally be assigned to a geographic region other than the one in which they reside. For example, a person living in Philadelphia, might be a able to obtain a number traditionally assigned to Tokyo.
VOIP Providers
VOIP providers include well know vendors, such as Vonage and Skype, as well as smaller private carriers. Any VOIP service requires a VOIP phone, sometimes called a digital phone, which uses an Ethernet port, rather than a traditional telephone line port.
VOIP Software
VOIP software is required to have a conversation on a data network in addition to the VOIP phone. VOIP software is available in freeware, open source, and proprietary forms.
Free VOIP
A number of vendors offer free VOIP. Free is relative and generally means that the consumer must make calls only to certain types of lines - for example other VOIP lines only - or use only a certain number of minutes on the network per month.
Hot Spots
One of the more familiar uses of VOIP are wireless networks for VOIP, also known as hot spots. Hot spots make use of both wireless 802.11 technology and VOIP to transmit data and voice packets and can be set up in public places as well as homes.
The ability of VOIP technologies to alternate between cellular and wireless using hot spots can allow some home users to eliminate land line home phones in areas where this would not otherwise be possible due to poor cellular signal.
References:
Annabel Z. Dodd. The Essential Guide to Telecommunications. NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. 2005
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