VoIP Services & News

Why VoIP And VoIP Video Phones Are The Next Ipod

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:57:00 +0000

In the 1970's it was the cassette tape crushing the 8 track. In the 1980's it was the VHS VCR putting an end to the BETA VCR. In the 1990's DVD's started the beginning of the end for Video Tapes. And in the 2000's, mp3 players and the iPod specifically are about to start throwing dirt on the grave of CD's. So, which product or service that's been the standard for years, will be the one that sees it's demise in the 2010's... it's one of the oldest technologies you have in your house. Your telephone.

To be able to replace an old product or service, and get in a majority of households, you have to have 3 things.

A need or want for a new product.
A new product that is better than the original.
A price that the majority of people can afford

Even though it's in it's infancy, Voip (Voice over internet protocol) technology passes all 3 of the above questions with flying colors.

How would you like to talk to and see a friend or relative, that lives in another State or Country, anytime you wanted to? No more sending pictures or having to wait to see someone every few years. Now you can see them on a video screen, in real time video, while talking to them on the phone. I'd want that.
What if you could not only talk to someone and see them, but you could also have caller id, call waiting id, call waiting, voice mail, call forwarding, conference calls, last call return, call blocking, do not disturb and more, all built right in to your phone, with no additional costs for these services. That's pretty darn good.
What if you got ALL of the above mentioned features from #1 and #2, for LESS than you pay now with your current local phone company? What if it was so much less, it saved you HUNDREDS of dollars per year? I can definitely afford that!

And that, my friends, is why VoIP and video phones are the iPod of the next decade. You're local phone company knows it's coming and they are preparing for it. The big internet companies (Yahoo, Google, AOL, etc) are all prepared to launch their versions. The Wall Street Journal predicts 70% of all houses will have voip by the year 2010... that's only 4 years from now! 70%!!!

So, unless you still have an 8 track in your vehicle or are still trying to keep those records from scratching when you play them on your record player, it might be time to look into something new for your home phone service.

About the Author
Jeff Cagan is the owner/webmaster of several free information websites, including http://www.free-voip-information.com

Common Disadvantages of VoIP

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:47:00 +0000

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) or IP telephony is rapidly changing the way we communicate. Aside from being a lot more cheaper than traditional phones, certain features such as portability makes it attractive for residential and business owners alike. But as with all modern technologies, VoIP has its own disadvantages. These flaws are minor, and solutions are being worked out as you read this. One thing is clear, though. The advantages of VoIP clearly outweighs its disadvantages.

VoIP is dependent on bandwidth. Even the best of the best ISP (Internet Service Provider) experience technical issues. Since VoIP uses your Internet connection, it is bound to be affected. If your Internet is down, you will not be able to make or receive a call. If your connection is exceptionally slow, then expect low voice quality. A user might also encounter problems if he makes or receives a call while streaming videos or audio, or while downloading a large amount of data. If bandwidth is the problem, then it might be time to change your provider. Search for a more reliable and stable ISP and don't forget to ask your friends for referrals.

Voice quality issues. This has been a problem attributed to VoIP calls ever since its birth. Static noise, echoes, and delays are a common complaint of users. There are a number of factors that affects VoIP's voice quality: internet connection, the hardware in use, the VoIP provider, distance of call, and many more. It is best to try out the service before committing to it. Also, try different combinations of hardware until you get the results that you want.

VoIP needs power. Unlike traditional phones, VoIP needs electricity to work. You have to plug in your modem, ATA, and other VoIP hardware for you to be able to make and receive a call. You can not use your phone if there is a power interruption. Emergency power generators might be a little far-fetched for a regular home to have, but if you are running a business then you should probably get one.

Emergency calls. If you use traditional phones to dial 911, it will be diverted to a call center nearest to you where the operator has the ability to see where exactly you are calling from. Using VoIP, there is no way to trace where your call is coming from. In addition, if the emergency involves a power interruption then you will not be able to make a VoIP call. There is a new service called E911, which a lot of VoIP providers are offering. It is for your best interest to ask your provider regarding this and other emergency calling issues.

To be on the safe side, having a traditional phone aside from the VoIP phone is a good idea. It will also help if you could write down individual phone numbers of emergency facilities (local police, fire station, hospitals, etc.) and post it near your phone.

Keep in mind that these are just minor inconveniences and every passing day VoIP is advancing. Its advantages and benefits are too many to pass up. Soon it will replace traditional phones as the communication technology of choice.

Rivers Cruz is a writer for OpenTone Communications Inc., a VoIP service provider that offers unlimited VoIP calls to the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rivers_Cruz

Choosing The Best VoIP Provider

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:55:00 +0000

Are you looking for the best VoIP provider? There are thousands of available providers out there. Choosing just one can be very confusing. There are ways however, for you to spot providers that can really give you greater value for your money.

What to Look For

Your first concern should be to know what to look for in a provider. This is especially if you plan to manually research on VoIP providers yourself. Here are some factors to consider when assessing a provider:

One of the top considerations is the price. VoIP in general is far cheaper than a regular telephone line. As with everything else however, the rates may differ from one provider to another. This may be because of differences in features offered. Well known communications giants may also charge slightly higher than smaller companies.
Features should be a major concern in your search for the best VoIP provider. Your preference for certain features however will also depend on what you need VoIP for. You may need it for personal local calls, international calls or corporate communications. Depending on your use in mind, certain features to choose from include video conferencing, call waiting, caller ID, call transfer, vice mail, auto redial and speed dial.
Voice quality is another important concern. Not all companies provide the same quality when it comes to transmissions. You may have to consider such details as the availability of soft switches.
The reputation of a provider should be considered. You don't have to go with the biggest name on the list. You just need to make sure that you are with a company that has been around in the communications business for some time. They also need to have some experience in the field of VoIP.

Where to Look for Providers

The internet is a good first stop to look for a provider. In fact, the internet may be all you need to locate a good provider. You may manually search and compare providers yourself. You can however also consult online comparison sites. These sites have lists of providers with their corresponding prices and feature offers. They may also carry consumer reviews of these providers.

Comparison sites can also offer a couple of other services. They may have information pages to help you understand VoIP technology better. Others also provide e-mail and newsletter updates regarding VoIP technology developments. These updates include the current availability of providers in different localities.

Aside from review sites, you can also head off to forums. This will help you get an idea of what actual individual VoIP users have to say about their providers. This is the best first hand information that you will ever get. Forum rules also give you a higher assurance that you are communicating with people who are truthful about their provider experiences.

It may be hard to look for the best VoIP provider at first. Finding one isn't impossible though. You just have to take your time with making your choices. Make sure that you thoroughly compare the different aspects of providers before settling on one.

Get a low rate voip. Find the best voip provider online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Torrie_Cantor

YouTube on the iPhone--Who cares?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 17:21:00 +0000

Apple announced yesterday that iPhone users will be able to watch YouTube's content on their iPhones when they begin shipping on June 29. A new Apple-designed application on the iPhone will wirelessly stream YouTube's content to iPhone over Wi-Fi or EDGE networks and play it on iPhone's 3.5 inch display.

How appealing is this? Would you watch YouTube videos on your phone? Are users willing to pay the extra fee to have the EDGE service to watch YouTube videos? Does this new feature make the iPhone more attractive, even at a price tag of $499?

Tom Taulli has an interesting write-up at blogging stocks and questions whether this is simply hype. According to Dipanshu Sharma of V-Enable, Apple may be going too far and even "misguiding the consumer" in believing that the YouTube content will stream effortlesly on the EDGE network. It's an interesting viewpoint and worth the read.

In addition, Apple announced that YouTube is now live on Apple TV. Users can download a free software update using Apple TV's update feature, and then navigate through YouTube's video categories or search for specific videos. YouTube members can also log-in to their YouTube accounts on Apple TV to view and save their favorite videos.

To achieve higher video quality and longer battery life, YouTube has begun encoding their videos in H.264 format, and iPhone will be the first mobile device to use the H.264-encoded videos. Around 10,000 videos will be available on June 29, and YouTube will be adding more each week until their full catalog of videos is available in the H.264 format this fall.

iPhone will include the built-in YouTube application when it is available in the US on June 29, 2007 in a 4GB model for $499 and an 8GB model for $599. iPhone will be sold in the US through Apple's retail and online stores, and through AT&T's retail stores.

Credit to tvover.net

Making Life Better with VoIP

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 07:57:00 +0000

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a path breaking invention in the world of communication. It has made communication smoother and much cheaper. Now international calls do not mean high expenditures. All you need is internet connection along with appropriate device, to make web calls anywhere in the world – at any time – and at much reduced costs.

There are many devices in the market today, that provide VoIP facilities. Leading manufacturers like Philips, Linksys, Siemens, Panasonic and Plantronics are churning out new and advanced VoIP devices one after the other. They are coming out with fantastic devices in order to provide maximum features to their consumers. They are trying to punch in more and more user friendly features that make lives more comfortable and more efficient.

VoIP phones are very much in demand these days. Both corporate organisations and individuals are enquiring about the new and better devices in the market and also purchasing the latest models. Some of the latest models available in the market today are: WIP330 Wireless-G IP Phone from Linksys, VoIP4331 MSN Messenger phone from Philips and Gigaset C460 IP DECT VoIP Telephone from Siemens. There are many more advanced phones with VoIP facilities that are equally in demand. You can choose any of them depending upon which device meets your requirements the best.

Some of the common features that almost every model has are:

Support Microsoft Windows. (Version may differ)
Support Wi-Fi technology.
Common features like Conferencing facilities, Call Wait, Call Transfer and Call Forward, Call Hold and Resume, Call Mute and Caller ID.
LCD screen
Superb sound quality
Increased Stand by time and Talk Time
Skype (not all VoIP phones support Skype)

The VoIP phones are available at cost effective rates. However, with some of the leading web stores, you can expect a further cut down on prices. Enjoy high speed internet connectivity and talk at length from home, office, or your favourite joint. Low-cost phone calls at its best!

Credit to Dennis Jaylon

Ascalade Launches New VoIP Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 05:26:00 +0000

Ascalade Launches New VoIP Phone: "Digital wireless telecom Ascalade Communications launched on Thursday the newest addition to its Companion series of VoIP phones. The new Companion Simple VoIP phone with ClearAudio technology is currently available for sale to new and existing strategic partners and customers, including Ascalade’s branded telephony and PC accessory customers. The first commercially available product will be released next month. The Companion Simple is the company’s first product to feature its ClearAudio technology, which offers a clear digital sound experience. Ascalade’s ClearAudio technology integrates wideband audio, which supports a broader range of sound frequencies and a higher voice sampling rate, with Ascalade’s acoustic expertise in telephone design, giving better voice quality and clarity."

Skypecasting and Marketing With Skype

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 02:45:00 +0000

Skype is already changing the way we do we do business, even as you're reading this. A little piece of software that uses VoIP (Voice Over IP) and P2P (Peer-to-Peer) technology, it created waves after waves of excitement, anticipation and even frustration since its launch.

Skype (sometimes pronounced as Skaip or Skypee) is a softphone application that allows you to make phone calls from your PC direct to another Skype user, or any regular fixed or mobile telephone. The cost is extremely cheap, and the quality has seen massive leaps of continuous improvement since it's launch in 2003. Everyone knows all that.

Here's what most people don't know: Skype can be used as powerful and effective marketing tool for any small business. If you want to reach an international market, get telephone inquiries and leads from China, or even if you just want to use it to communicate with your business buddies, you should explore the hidden potential of Skype.

The latest phenomenon to be related to Skype is "Skypecasting" which is basically having teleconferences using Skype. In fact Skpecasting itself is a term coined from "Podcasting". With Skypecasting you can have online teleconferences for free. The latest version of Skype should support more than 100 users simultaneously so numbers should not be a problem.

However, there are more basic Skype applications that can also be used to get your sales and marketing efforts across to your target market quickly.

SkypeIn, a feature of Skype still in beta, allows you to create virtual numbers in many different countries. If you maximize on this fact, you can literally have "virtual offices" all around the world, even if you're a home based business entrepreneur with no staff, an embarrassing budget and limited time.

There are many third party applications that enhance the basic software. If you know the correct ones to use, you can literally build a "virtual call center" from your desktop that has all the feature of a real call center: your own personal secretary, day-and-time manager, call routing and call waiting, conditional call forwarding, language translations and much more.

If the "off-the-shelf" version just doesn't cut it for your business needs, then you can customize and adapt Skype into your own proprietary systems and software. You can choose to do this in-house, or outsource it to experts all over the world. If you know where and how to do this, you can create a powerful telemarketing application that cost pennies a day compared to the traditional solutions. It will be much more time-efficient, too.

Of course, there are more third-party applications being developed as you're reading this. In fact, much like the iPod, there's an entire sub-industry built around Skype, including USB phones, lead generators, Skype "call centers" and much more. All in all, it's an exciting time for telecommunications over the web.

G. Krishnan is the author of "Internet Telephony Secrets", one of the first guides to marketing with VoIP and Skype. For more information please visit http://www.voipandme.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gobala_Krishnan
Tagging with: VoIP , VoIP service provider , Packet8 , VoIP Technology , Skype , Skypecasting , Marketing

VoIP Calling Card Business Market Wars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 07:57:00 +0000

VoIP is one of the hottest technologies out there today. VoIP phone card business has been rewarding for early movers such as Vonage and Skype. But like any other growing market, the threat of new entrants is high in this market. As a rule in economics, companies will enter this market until there is a profit to be earned. Microsoft, Google, and AOL are just a few companies that are planning to compete in the VoIP market. But there is more to come, and the battle for the VoIP phone card market supremacy is going to heat up in the next couple of years.

The VoIP telephony business is intriguing since it allows the VoIP service providers to keep their costs low and pass on their savings to their customers. Vonage and Skype are the two most famous names in the VoIP phone card business. Vonage recently had its IPO, and the investors are optimistic about the future of this company. Vonage is planning to spend heavily in the next quarters to bolster its position in the VoIP market. Skype, now an asset of eBay, has other plans in mind. Skype understands that the next couple of years are critical for all VoIP service providers. The market is expanding fast, and a small mistake can lead to a disaster for a VoIP market leader. Skype has decided to take matters in its own hands, and it has planned out a very aggressive strategy to take market share away from Vonage and other VoIP service providers.

Skype has decided to offer free calls to the U.S and Canada to its service users for a limited time. This strategy will allow Skype to solidify its position in the VoIP market. Moreover, this move will strengthen the VoIP phone card business’ barriers to entry. In other words, small companies which are thinking of entering this market are now unlikely to do so because of the difficult task of matching or bettering Skype’s newest offer. In addition, this will be a huge blow for Vonage since it charges $25 a month for a similar service. Vonage is the leader in the “hard VoIP” market. It provides its customers with a piece of hardware that allows them to use its services. Vonage has been losing money for quite some time now due to its high marketing costs. With the introduction of SkypeOut, Vonage has to spend even more money to save its VoIP phone card business. Besides, Vonage will have to convince its investors that it is not helpless against the eBay’s newest wave of attacks. So eBay has certainly taken the upper hand in the fight for the supremacy of the VoIP market.

AOL and Google are also planning to add VoIP technology to their messenger services. So, Vonage’s position the VoIP market is expected to come even under more pressure in the upcoming quarters. Whether Vonage can come up with its own knocking out punch against its rivals is remain to be soon. But, the VoIP market wars are bound to get even more interesting in the upcoming months.

Panah Mosaferirad began his career as an IT. After 2 years in the IT industry, he started an online venture on eBay and Amazon. During this period, he sold numerous items online and mastered the strategic aspects of eBusiness. In 2006, Panah Joined the Fox school of Business and Management’s MBA program to study e-business management.

Panah Mosaferirad is a marketing intern for Pingo’s International calling card business that provides virtual VoIP prepaid calling cards online at http://www.pingo.com/aboutus.do

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Panah_Rad
Tagging with: VoIP , VoIP service provider , Packet8 , VoIP Technology

Packet8 Review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 07:48:00 +0000

Packet8 internet phone service is one of the top VoIP service providers in the United States and Canada. They are owned by 8X8, Inc., which is a U.S. company located in Santa Clara, CA. In business since 1987, 8X8 has made a significant contribution to the development and advancement of broadband phone technology.

VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone service made its public debut in 1995, and 8X8 introduced Packet8 broadband phone service for residential use in 2002. In 2004, Packet8 introduced internet phone service for small to medium businesses, and was also the first VoIP provider to deliver video phone service. Using technologies that they have developed and patented themselves, Packet8 has become one of today’s best VoIP providers in terms of service, reliability, and market share. As a Packet8 user for over a year now, I can personally attest to their ongoing commitment to constant improvement and quality service.

Offering unlimited local and long distance service within the US and Canada for $19.95 per month, Packet8 is one of the lowest cost internet phone service providers in the USA. Great features like voicemail, voicemail to email, call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, call return, and call blocking are available for free; and this is just a small sampling of the free features they give you! They are continually adding service enhancements and new features, all designed to work seamlessly with the Uniden 1868P whole house phone system as well as their videophone. Enhancements planned for summer 2006 are caller ID with name and a new soft phone service called Packet8 Softalk. A soft phone is a PC-based telephone; most of the larger VoIP carriers are now offering softphone service due to the huge popularity of the service that Skype is now famous for.

Packet 8’s main competitors are Vonage, AT&T CallVantage and VoIP service offered by local cable television providers. At $24.99 per month for Vonage unlimited residential service and $29.99 per month for unlimited local and long distance calling with AT&T, Packet8 is the clear leader when it comes to price. Unlimited internet phone service offered by cable companies is currently averaging around $40 per month, depending on the cable provider (cable companies often refer to VoIP telephony as "digital phone service"). All these VoIP carriers offer similar free features and unlimited local and long distance within the USA and Canada. Vonage now includes free calls to Italy, France, Spain, UK and Ireland in their unlimited plan, which makes Vonage service the better buy if you often call these countries.

Although VoIP usage statistics vary, it is estimated that there are around 48 million internet phone users today. Within the next 5 years the number of people using VoIP is projected to grow to 100 million. Due to the portability of VoIP, the tremendous cost savings vs. traditional telephone “land lines”, and the included features available for free – VoIP is here to stay.

VoIP is so easy to install and use that the hardest thing about broadband phone service is choosing a provider. No matter which VoIP service provider you choose, you can’t go wrong as long as you stick with an established, progressive company that offers excellent customer service and has a reputation for quality. Depending on your needs, Packet8 VoIP service may or may not be the perfect fit for you, but it is definitely worth considering.

To learn more about Packet8 VoIP: http://www.saveonphoneservice.com/packet8.htm To compare top VoIP providers: http://www.saveonphoneservice.com/Internet-phone-service-providers.htm. Not yet ready for VoIP, but want to save money on phone service? Check out some good long distance alternatives at http://www.long-distance-savings.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Jacobsen
Tagging with: VoIP , VoIP service provider , Packet8 , VoIP Technology

VoIP - VoipStunt vs Skype - How They Compare

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 10:56:00 +0000

This article provides up to date information in relation to VoIP services provided by VoipStunt and Skype however mainly focuses on call cost and free calls.

VoipStunt

Free calls to any regular landline in these countries with the condition that the call drops out after one minute if not registered with credits however if have call credits provides 300 minutes of free calls per week? It appears 10 Euro will activate the 300 minutes of free calls and low priced calls to many other destinations and mobiles.

It must be noted however that it is very clearly written into the terms and conditions that Voipstunt do not nor do they intend to provide emergency service call facilities. This option should seriously be weighed up especially in the case where this provider is going to be utilized as the sole method of telephone communications. However most households do have mobile phone(s) so this may not be a significant consideration.

Countries included for free calls include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela.

If using the software phone option ie a headset with VoipStunt software, it is possible that Zimmerman’s Beta encryption tool ZFone may be utilized where as Skype utilizes a separate propriety encryption that allows no public scrutiny.

The service does allow for SIP connection with instructions on how to configure your SIP phone or router. (Source: VoipStunt website)

Skype

With Skype calls to other Skype clients are free regardless of location.

However if you wish to make calls to non Skype clients then this is called “SkypeOut”. Calls can be made to the 20 most popular call destinations for the one SkypeOut global rate. At the time of writing this rate was 1.7 Euro Cents per minute equating to about 2 US cents or 1.1 pence. With SkypeOut there is no line rental and no contract fees.

The SkypeOut global rate includes the following countries:

Argentina (Buenos Aires), Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Canada (mobiles), Chile, China (Beijing, Guanzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen), China (mobiles), Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (mobiles), Ireland, Italy, Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland (Poland, Gdansk, Warsaw), Portugal, Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg), Singapore, Singapore (mobiles), South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (Taipei), United Kingdom, United States (except Alaska and Hawaii) and United States (mobiles).

It should be noted that unless specifically mentioned, this rate is only applicable to regular landline telephones with mobiles more expensive. However note that Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and United States are listed under the SkypeOut global rate for calling mobiles.

Other destinations are available and it would be advisable to check this rate prior to obtaining credits or calling.

Skype voicemail is available for a fee of 5 Euro for 3 months or 15 Euro for 12 months.

SkypeIn is where you wish to have a conventional phone number so you can be called from conventional phones. The fee for this service is 10 Euro for 3 months and 30 Euro for 12 months. Voicemail is included free if you subscribe to SkypeIn.

Please note that Skype also does not provide emergency services access and actually stipulates that “Skype is not a replacement for your ordinary telephone and can’t be used for emergency calling.” (source : Skype website).

Summary
This article has compared two well known VoIP providers to allow potential or existing VoIP users an idea of whether either of these providers may be useful to you. Both provide significant free calls with numerous countries included on a free list for both services.

The Author has an Associate Diploma in Electronic Engineering. For further information, books or VoIP items, please visit All About Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_ONeill
Technorati Tag: voip , Skype , Internet , technology , Wireless

How to Choose Your VOIP Hosted PBX Provider

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 May 2006 22:47:00 +0000

Once you decide that a Hosted PBX system is the best solution for your business, the next critical step is to select a provider.

Here are four critical attributes you should look for in a provider:

1.) Business Hosted PBX Should be Their Core Business - Many Hosted PBX providers sell to both the residential market and the business market. Many of today's Hosted PBX providers offer both residential and business service. It is no secret that some companies are losing large sums of money in that market. If you want to see for yourself, then take a look at the annual reports of a few public companies providing residential VOIP service.

2.) Experience and Track Record - Let's face it, for most companies VoIP is a relatively new technology. Every day new companies emerge with announcements that they have decided to offer Hosted PBX service. It takes time and hands-on experience to perfect solid, quality-assured business processes for VOIP Hosted PBX engineering, installation, software management, traffic management, network management, and trouble-shooting. At the same time that these processes are being perfected, technical resources must also acquire the skills and experience to deliver quality service to the business market.

3.) Network Management - A recent survey conducted by Emprix revealed that more than one third of all VoIP service providers are unable to recognize they have a service quality problem until a customer complaint is received. Before selecting a provider 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 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 knowledgebase 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.

4.) End-to-End Service Responsibility - When considering a company to be your Hosted PBX provider, ask them one simple question: "Where exactly does your service responsibility begin and end?" Most Hosted PBX providers will tell you they provide end-to-end service, but what they really mean is that their responsibility ends at the demarcation point of your building where their service terminates and your inside wiring takes over.

Your life and business will be much better off with a true end-to-end IP provider. That means you'll have single-vendor accountability - from the cabling in the walls to the phones on your desk and the ongoing service and support you need. No finger pointing between vendors with you in the middle.

If you select a VOIP Hosted PBX provider with those four key attributes, your business risk will be minimized and you can sleep much easier at night.

Bill Casey is the Vice President of Marketing for Reignmaker Communications, Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Reignmaker offers REIGN-FREE Hosted PBX and Virtual PBX service

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Casey

VoIP For Dummies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 May 2006 14:00:00 +0000

Synopsis:

VoIP is the technology that makes voice communication over the Internet possible; the primary advantage of VoIP over regular phone service is cost savings. This book explains in simple terms all the current options for VoIP and converged telecommunications, enabling readers to understand and implement these new technologies in their businesses as well as in their homes. Features useful case studies demonstrating how to implement VoIP in varying scenarios for both corporate and consumer customers. Sharing his experiences in VoIP and converging technology over the past 24 years, Timothy Kelly shows how to use new converging methods in order to achieve more bandwidth, better quality of service, and significantly lower costs.

What it is all about?

Put your phone system on your computer network and see the savings.
See how to get started with VoIP, how it works, and why it saves you money.
VoIP is techspeak for voice over Internet protocol, but it could spell saving big bucks for your business! Here's where to get the scoop in plain English. Find out how VoIP can save you money, how voice communication travels online, and how to choose the best way to integrate your phone system with your network at home or at the office.

Discover how to

Use VoIP for your business or home phone service
Choose the best network type
Set up VoIP on a wireless network
Understand transports and services
Demonstrate VoIP's advantages to management

So why not grab one today? It is never to late to be part of VoIP communities. I already bought it and now it is your turn!!

VoIP - Future Developments For Users

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 May 2006 07:34:00 +0000

VoIP is a telephony term for a set of facilities for managing the delivery of voice information using Internet Protocol (IP) and is the future of communication.

Here we will look at changes that are coming that will increase what is already substantial growth in the industry.

With Voice over IP -- businesses have the ability to manage calls at the IP layer which enables operational and productivity benefits that have never been available before at such affordable price.

Worldwide revenues from Internet voice technologies are expected to grow from about $13 billion in 2002 to nearly $200 billion by 2007.

The Future Of VoIP Projected Growth

When it comes to VoIP technology already available long-distance phone calls, conferencing, e-mail, and other communications are now affordable and flexible.

VoIP technology however is developing and some of the developments that will ensure the future of VoIP are outlined below

The Future Of VoIP SIP

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) retrieves server responses and handles client requests.

This technology is able to determine the end system that will be used for a communication session, automatically sets the relevant parameters of the communication at receiver and user ends and then manages call transfer and call termination.

In addition, SIP allows users to initiate and receive communication from any location and networks are also able to identify users, wherever they are.

This technology is an alternative to H.323, which is the protocol, used for IP videoconference transmissions for VoIP up to now.

SIP has taken VoIP technology forward in terms of operational efficiency and many VoIP vendors are now including SIP as standard, bringing SIP to a growing audience.

VoIP The Future - VoIP Gateways

Another influential element in the future of Internet-telephony is improvements VoIP gateways.

Gateways are developing from PC-based platforms to more robust embedded systems, which will be able to handle an increased amount of call traffic.

The economies of scale of placing all traffic- data, voice, and video-over an IP-based network is highly attractive to corporate users.

The reason for this is:

IP will act as a unifying agent, regardless of the actual underlying architecture (i.e., leased lines, frame relay, or ATM) of a companies network.

VoIP The Future - Corporate Intranets & Commercial Extranets

Currently, the most promising areas of development for VoIP are corporate intranets and commercial extranets.

Their IP-based infrastructures enable operators to control who can use a network.

Commercial extranets, based on conservatively engineered IP networks, will deliver VoIP and facsimile over Internet protocol (FAXoIP) services to the general public, by guaranteeing specific parameters, such as packet delay, packet jitter, and service interop.

Companies are already looking to remove fax traffic off the PSTN and relocate it on to the Internet and corporate Intranet, through FAXoIP gateways and via IP-capable fax machines.

Video conferencing

Another area of growth will be video conferencing.

Video conferencing (H.323) with data collaboration (T.120) will become a popular method for corporate communications in the future, as network performance and interoperability increase.

VoIP The Future Expanding Services & Lower Cost

More user-friendly devices and increased promotions are starting to be seen by wider audience and this education, combined with ease of use of VoIP technology is needed for any new technology to gain trust and grow.

For instance, new VoIP telephones are being offered at cheaper prices in a variety of colours, with touch screens that are getting easier to use.

Prices in all VoIP services will continue to drop, as the market grows and competitivness increases.

The future of VoIP as a major communication method over the coming years is therefore assured. VoIP Telecommunications are here to stay.

For more free information on VoIP and SIP including features and articles as well as specific for cheap and free voip calls visit our website ==>http://www.net-planet.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sacha_Tarkovsky

VoIP - A Basic Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 May 2006 06:59:00 +0000

Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, or IP telephony, is simply a system for transmitting telephone calls over data networks, such as the ones that make up the Internet. The efficiency, flexibility and cost savings of VoIP will be taken advantage of by a growing number of personal and corporate users.

In this report we will look at the history, growth, flexibility and advantages of VoIP based systems over traditional public switched networks, (PSDN). Let's look at why VoIP will change the way we communicate forever.

The Disadvantages Of Traditional PSDN Networks

With PSDN calls are made using circuit switching techniques.

PSDN simply means that an individual call uses a dedicated path for the total duration of the call.

During a telephone conversation of this nature only about 50% of the bandwidth is used at any given time.

The reason for this is a call consists normally of two people, one person listens and one person talks, which reduces the bandwidth. This is further reduced as there are natural pauses in conversation such as pauses between words, people thinking, pauses for breath etc. The connection is of course reliable for voice transmission, but its drawback is that, it is very inefficient in its use of bandwidth.

This has kept telephone costs relatively high until now, but VoIP provides the solution: A more efficient use of bandwidth.

The Advantages Of VoIP

Voice over IP, (VoIP), is a way of converting the analogue signals when using a phone, to a digital format (across a network) and then back into analogue when it reaches the receiver.

In a VoIP network, digitized voice data is highly compressed and carried in packets over the IP network. Using the same bandwidth, a VoIP network can carry many times the number of voice calls as a switched circuit PSDN network.

The net result of this obvious.

VoIP can result in huge savings on the amount of physical resources required to communicate by voice over long distances. It does so by providing a far more efficient use of bandwidth, one of the fundamental drawbacks of traditional telephone networks.

There is of course, much more to VoIP than just sending the packets over the Internet.

There is an agreed protocol for how computers find each other and how information is exchanged in order to allow packets to flow between users, there is also an agreed format, (called payload format), which covers the content of media packets.

VoIP A Total Global Telephony Solution

VoIP allows us to use a single high-speed Internet connection not just for voice but, video, and data communications. This is known as convergence and is one of the primary drivers for corporate interest in the technology.

The benefits of convergence are obvious:

By using a single data network for all communications, it is possible to reduce overall costs of communication for users.

A VoIP service provider can be located anywhere in the world; a person with Internet access is not geographically restricted in their selection of VoiP service providers. Lower costs for you and everyone. This competition enables low communication costs for anyone no matter where they are in the world.

For more FREE Information on voip sip and cheap and free phone calls visit our website for free articles downloads, news and magazines:

http://www.net-planet.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sacha_Tarkovsky

Skype: We Have 100 Million Users

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 05:50:00 +0000

Skype: We Have 100 Million Users: "VoIP service provider Skype announced on Friday that it now has 100 million registered users. The company reached this mark in two years and a half. Skype (News - Alert) managed to double its subscriber base since it reported it had 54 million registered users back in September 2005. "

VoIP - Save Money When You Talk

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 19:20:00 +0000

VoIP offers many advantages to those who are brave enough to pull the plug. First, VoIP offers incredible savings for local, long distance, and international calls. It also offers great calling features for free that usually cost a fee when purchased with PSTN telephone services. Not only are people choosing to pull the plug from their telephones, but they are also embracing wireless technology as a whole.

With VoIP you can have the option of selecting your own phone number. In some cases, you can keep your current phone number. You will have to check with your VoIP provider and see what options they provide. However, many service providers do provide the opportunity of selecting your own area code. Some companies even have the choice of selecting area codes worldwide. This is a wonderful alternative for those who would like to choose an area code located where their family and friends are. For your unlimited calling plan, you can call your friends and family any time. But for those who are not on VoIP, they will thank you for giving them the choice of calling you on local rates.

VoIP operates in different forms. For instance, you can use VoIP when you use an Instant Messaging program with voice on your computer. These are very popular and now Yahoo, AOL, MSN, ICQ, and even Google have VoIP Instant Messaging programs. The benefits of these programs are that they are free to download off of the Internet and by using a microphone and your speakers; you can talk over the Internet with any of your buddies. As long as your friends and family members download the same program, you will be able to talk with them as long as you like and absolutely free. You can talk to anyone, anywhere in the world with VoIP Instant Messengers.

VoIP has proved that it offers great audio quality and is a perfect choice for meeting both residential and business telephony needs. As technology continues to advance, we can know that as we conduct our transactions over VoIP, the listener on the receiving end is hearing us with crystal clear audio clarity and that the future of VoIP will only have greater products readily available for its users.

Businesses also appreciate the ability to have integrated services. By combining audio, video, email and web-based applications, employees can better meet customer service needs and productivity again increases.

While many people are opting to go with VoIP, it still has some disadvantages. The main one is that it is hard to use 911 with VoIP. This is because the call is made from your computer network and not a landline phone. 911 will not be able to trace the phone call made from your VoIP phone and retrieve your address. Also, when you place your 911 calls, the dispatcher will not receive any of your location information. The FCC has issued rulings pertaining to this. Some options include registering with 911, when you call 911 giving them your information and location right away, or keeping a landline phone or cell phone available for use in case of an emergency. The latter may be the best solution for enjoying the best of both worlds.

To begin with, when purchasing VoIP services, you will be required to sign a statement that says you understand that your 911 services may be impaired by using VoIP. Some VoIP providers do not offer 911 services at all. Other providers will offer what is known as Enhanced 911. To use E-911 services, you may be required to first activate the 911 services. The most efficient way to use E-911 is to register your information with the Public Safety Answering system. They will take your name and physical address. That way, if you call 911, they won’t have your information readily available, but they will have it in their system. However, if you are out or away from your residence and call 911, your information will be useless. In a situation like that, you will need to clearly state your location. Your VoWiFi phone won’t reveal any of your local information, as a cellular phone will.

For more information about VoIP, Skype and Internet Telephony Secrets, visit http://www.bizinfocenter.com and http://www.howvoipworks.info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neil_Day

Using VoIP phone for Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:09:00 +0000

Communication is important for us. Since the development of the internet, it has made communication faster and more efficient by using emails. With this technology, researchers and developers invented the Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP for short. VoIP phone works like your regular landline phone, but instead of using telephone lines, VoIP uses the internet to transmit voice and video data to the person you are calling. With VoIP phone, it is possible to make free or cheap long distance calls.

VoIP not only enable us to call long distance free, but also lets us view the person we are calling with the use of a webcam or videophone. With free long distance calls and conferencing, VoIP benefits businesses in many ways. Many features offered by VoIP free or at a minimal cost enabled VoIP literally replace traditional phones.

VoIP is probably the best way to keep in touch with your business associates and customers.With VoIP it can make your business, either small or large, have an edge against your competitors.

Here are some features that can benefit your business by using VoIP:

With video conferencing capabilities, you can conduct meetings and presentation right in your own office. No longer will you spend expensive travel expenses when using VoIP. It allows you to close deals with your customers a lot faster than before.

Save money on phone bills. With VoIP, this is possible. You will just pay your monthly internet connection bills and small fees to your VoIP internet service provider allowing more profits for your business.

Not only that VoIP is limited to calling other VoIP phones, but it also allows you to call mobile phones, regular phones, and long distance or international numbers for a very low cost.

With the technology to take your own personal VoIP number, it is possible to make and receive calls anywhere you are in the planet as long as there is an internet connection. This feature allows you to not miss any business opportunities or emergencies while you travel.

This means more business deals, therefore, more profits and also you can take care of your clients while you travel, answering their important questions about your products or services.

A business wants to minimize expenses in order to gain more profit, therefore allowing the business to grow. With VoIP, it can significantly cut your phone expenses, traveling expenses, and more.

However, no matter how many great features VoIP offer, it still depends on your internet connection. If you plan to integrate VoIP in your business, be sure your internet connection is high speed and reliable in order to prevent voice delays or being cut off.

Remember that good communication is crucial for a business to succeed, meaning that a voice lag can mean the difference of an answer to your business associates or clients. A one-second delay may not seem much but it can make the difference of a simple “yes” or “no” answer. This can lead to misunderstanding, therefore, possible of not making the deal.

Choosing the VoIP service provider is also an important factor for your business. Choose one that offers maximum voice quality and reliability.

Also, remember that features such as caller ID, call waiting, speed dialing, call forwarding, video phone, voice mails, call logs, conference calls, long distance or international calls, and call hold should be offered cheap or no fee at all.

Bob Hett has extensively covered the VoIP Service Provider industry as an analyst and has researched the various companies for factors based on price, reliability, support and overall quality. Learn more at VoIP for Business

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hett

The Truth And Myth of VoIP Services

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 10:10:00 +0000

Don't be fooled into thinking that VoIP services is a new kid on the block. The telcommunications industry has known about.......and been using....VoIP services technology of some kind for awhile. There's always been talk concerning VoIP services and how to capitalize on this Juicy market to come. Early on, only Cisco was really able to make it work properly. But it was just a matter of time before covergence would emerge and make more "dreams" posssible.

Today businesses are rushing into this market in mass for different reasons. From the price savings to the convergence effect of using a single network. But there is still "truth and myth" about VoIP as a business application you need to be smart about when using your own IP PBX or IP-Phone. [Note: for the purposes of this discussion soft phone such as Skype is not addressed.]

Myth

Being able to be reach anyone and call from anywhere.

This is almost true but you need optimal conditions in order to do this. The following problems will explain why many times challenges still exist when trying to place a VoIP call.

Let's imagine you have an IP phone connected to your IP PBX or have your own VoIP line and you are willing to use it from a public network, in a conference room, or in the hotel you are staying in. The following problems might appear:

The ADSL line is too slow.....This means you might be able to place the call but lags and echoes will appear.
There is no Quality of service.....Without getting into details, if someone is downloading or uploading a heavy document, you will lose quality because the IP is not prioritized.
The NAT (telecom Network) is blocking all VoIP calls.....This can be caused by multiple problems from Port translation to firewalling.
Your are using the WIFI....Most of the time hotspots are just made for surfing on the Net. Many problems could appear such as lags etc. Hotspots aren't made for using your VoIP phone.....yet.

Truth

To be honest, the truth about IP phone is that it will work fine mainly when you are using it on a clean network using "Quality Of Service"....and in a well known IP enabled environment. To make it work fine you need:

An XDSL pro with "Quality Of Service" and best of all connected directly to your Telco Provider.
An IP phone with a good firmware..... Don't risk using a cheap phone. You'll get what you pay for.
A good VoIP provider..... Most of the time the price of your calls have a bearing on their quality too. Anything costing 50% or less than what your standard PSTN phone service provider is good enough (believe me they still make a good profit).
No WIFI.... Don't use WIFI for VoIP, you will lose quality most of the time.

Conclusion

VoIP technology is still in the growth stage and developing everywhere because of price structure pressures and IP convergence advances. Just don't get the false sense of security that all VoIP providers are good, and don't think you will be able to place a call from anywhere.

If you want to introduce VoIP into your business, do your home work. Be sure to consider your intended application(s), appropriate configuration, and beware of being unduly impressed only by the price you might pay. Make your decision based on the best combination of meeting your application, configuration, and cost point requirements....as a total package.

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lemm

VoIP Pros and Cons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 06:32:00 +0000

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.

http://www.topvoipsource.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Hahn

How Does VoIP Work?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 09:31:00 +0000

To make your VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) work good enough you need to have broadband internet connection. Internet broadband connections are represented with cable or DSL modems with bandwidth of 56 kbits and higher. The main idea of VoIP is voice connection using computers. All you need is appropriate software installed on your computer and microphone with a headset or speakers connected. Do not forget that using such software is free and easy to download.

Unlike computer-to-computer calls which are free of charge VoIP software is also used as simple trunk-line. But even so such calls are still cheaper then phone-to-phone ones.

Remember- to make computer-to-computer calls you should run the same software at both sides. But in case of making cellular or land-line call via VoIP no extra software or equipment is needed.

How does it work?

All internet transmissions including VoIP appear to be digital data that travels through the telephone, optical fiber or even satellite lines. To transmit the voice signal VoIP software must convert human (analog) voice to the set of 1s and 0s (digital data). It is done with the help of ADC (analog-to-digital converters) and codecs which compress and decompress (on receive) data to make it more compact during transfer.

Compressed data is divided into packets. Without going into details i can say that these packets consist of the header and the body. Headers contain source and destination addresses and other system data. And the body is the spitted and compressed audio file.

All data transmitted over internet follows the set of rules gathered in the models (OSI, TCP/IP). Models consist of layers that represent particular network function.

Video and audio transmission use the set of protocols originally developed or changed for faster work over the internet. Transport layer in VoIP is usually represented with User Datagram Protocol (UDP). And the application layer is Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).

Drop of delayed packets is the main advantage of RTP. By doing so the VoIP software skips the delayed packets that must be reassembled and decoded. It is quite preferable because it prevents undesirable pauses in the conversation. Even if the amount of dropped packets is big enough the conversation is still legible. Of course, the better internet connection you possess- the better conversation you'll be having after the remote software will receive, reassemble and decode data into the analog signal (human voice).

About the Author
Copyright 2006 Dave Markel
Dave Markel is the owner of a Voip Services Blog.
Visit it at http://voip--services.blogspot.com

Mobile VoIP not here until 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 05:19:00 +0000

An article from Techworld.com - "Internet telephony over mobile phones is on the way - but don't hold your breath. There weren't be many commercial offerings until operators have made a major enhancement to their infrastructures, said John Giere, chief marketing officer with Lucent, and that won't be until 2007 at the earliest. He said that most operators have uplink speeds that are too slow for quality VoIP calls and that they should be looking to upgrade their networks with HSUPA (high speed uplink packet address). The technology's downlink equivalent (HSDPA) is being slowly introduced".

[Read full article here]

News, Coffee & VoIP

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 04:56:00 +0000

How coffee shops and information workers can drive the future of VoIP? How blogs can help increase the awareness of VoIP technology among people? Somebody might had thought about this because currently we can search a lot of blogs and website that talk about VoIP. Everyone try their best to provide valuable inputs or information to the users. Internet not only become information resource but also one of communication medias. China also gradually open the strictly-controlled Internet phone market to non-telecom firms. Before this China bans services like SkypeOut to prevent them jeopardizing the less competitive fixed-line business and to protect the revenue of state-owned telcos, including China Telecom and China Netcom. Only six state-owned carriers can launch the "PC to Phone" service under the current policy.

Then how about Malaysia? Do people really care about VoIP technology? There are no specific statistics regarding this matter but from my observation, I think Malaysian still not really expose to this new scenario. Maybe because of digital gap between people in rural and urban area. Current trend in Malaysia is communication companies always try to keep their their customer loyalty and find new potential customers. "Managing profitable customer relationship". That is why now Malaysian can enjoy a quite low rates for SMS and also phone call. Maybe also because of Akademi Fantasia Fever.

Gradual deregulation of VoIP

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 04:43:00 +0000

CHINA is studying a new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) policy and plans to gradually open the strictly-controlled Internet phone market to non-telecom firms from the second half, industry insiders said. At present, China bans the "PC to Phone" VoIP service, which allows users to make calls through a Web-linked computer to a normal phone at a much lower rate. China will issue the first VoIP license to a South China-based firm, which is not a telecom operator. China will open the VoIP sector to all companies in 2007, China Business News reported yesterday, citing unidentified sources.

"It's a sooner or later thing to open the (VoIP) market," said Chen Jinqiao, a senior official at the Ministry of Information Industry but he declined to reveal more details as "it's not the right time (to talk)."

Two weeks ago, Lu Yang, another MII senior official, said in Beijing the ministry was drafting a VoIP policy and it will organize a nationwide "PC to Phone" trial service, other media reported. VoIP is a technology that makes telephone calls through a broadband Internet connection instead of an analog phone line, which costs users one-twentieth or less compared with traditional communications, especially for international calls.

[Read full article here]

AT&T and Avaya Form VoIP Partnership

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 18:12:00 +0000

VoIPNews.com : T&T and Avaya recently formed a partnership to provide VoIP transition assistance to companies who are ready to migrate from PSTN. The companies aim to provide a set of services including design, implementation, operation, ongoing management and maintenance. The idea is that many businesses and governments will be adopting VoIP solutions, but may have trouble making the transition. This alliance aims to assist with that transition and provide solutions that will make it at smooth as possible.

The partnership seeks to provide a single source for the seamless integration of IP-based voice and data networks worldwide, reduced cost, flexibility to deploy VoIP at the businesses convenience, 24 hour customer support, AT&T Global Client Support Center and Avaya help center integration, and web management capabilities using AT&T BusinessDirect Web portal.

A Yankee Group report cited in an AT&T press release states, “VoIP has shifted from an emerging technology to a critical busines ssolution," according to Paris Burstyn, Director at Yankee Group. "We estimate the business VoIP market will grow at a CAGR of 31.4 percent to reach almost $3.3 billion in 2010. VoIP and IP telephony solutions appeal to businesses as they provide an excellent converged platform for voice and data, and improve the manageability of communications. In working with AT&T, customers can leverage the reliability and scalability of its global IP-MPLS network in support of their solution.”

Both companies have been working on interoperability in the past two years, in order to lay the groundwork for such a convergence. Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), AT&T and Avaya have built their architecture around a common standard with the goal of providing secure and efficient networks.

The advantage of this alliance is that it would offer people who are not in the emerging technology market the advantage of staying ahead of the curve. As VoIP becomes more mainstream and emerges as the new standard for business and residential telephony, having solutions to migration will become more integral for adoption. This alliance has intervened in the process to help fill the void and are transitioning businesses from legacy telephones to VoIP with the least amount of productivity loss possible.