One of the biggest industries in the world today currently is the phone industry. Money enters this industry through the sale of actual phone units being sold, people purchasing mobile phones, mobile contracts and telephone bills. Because it is such a large and successful industry it is no surprise that people are beginning to be contacted by different companies claiming that they have the latest technology on the telephone market. Here in this article we look at the impact VoIP phones have on this industry and what this technology can do.

In today’s fast paced and business-minded world new technologies only survive on their own merits than what sales people can ever claim, whilst trying to take their commission. One technology that has done that recently is VoIP. VoIP is an acronym that stands for voice over internet protocol; this technology allows customers to chat to others over their internet connection rather than the conventional telephone line. The quality of VoIP phones is just as good as other technology, providing that the internet connection is good. Also long distance calls will not suffer with bad quality as it is all done over the internet.

The only real difference between VoIP phones and traditional phones is the price; maintenance costs for VoIP are hugely cheaper than what is paid with landlines and mobile. The direct reason for this is due to the fact the internet is already being used to help consumers facilitate their needs. The consumers are also largely paying for the potential service just by paying for their broadband connection.

Setting up VoIP is really not that difficult either, obviously you will need a broadband connection in order for it work but the connection will have to be fast in terms of cable or DSL connection. Once you have this then all you need is a phone to be able to use the VoIP phones service. Once you have set up with a company that provides VoIP service they will send you details on how to arrange cables and your modem for the service to work. Once that is all set up you will simply be able to pick up your phone and make phone calls worldwide for free. This technology is quick, easy and extremely convenient to use. Many companies today are latching on to this idea and are taking conference calls for long distance with VoIP, eventually this technology will change how we use phones today.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the telephone industry.
Find out more about VoIP Phones and how the services available can help with providing you with VoIP technology.

[tags]VoIP Phones, Network Communication, VoIP technology[/tags]

Today there is a better alternative available to the traditional PBX phone. This alternative is hosted PBX systems. PBX stands for Private Branch eXchange. With traditional PBX, an incoming call can be routed through switchboard hardware to different extensions throughout the company. This hardware is usually kept somewhere on company premises.

When a call is placed to a company with a hosted PBX service, it goes to the carrier’s central office, gets processed through the hardware at their site and then it’s sent to your phone extensions. So, Hosted PBX is an IP-based PBX (Internet Protocol) service that is hosted by someone else and provides call routing for your company.

This means that hosted PBX customers don’t buy, install or maintain any PBX equipment at their site. This can save a lot of time and money. Companies want to concentrate on their business and not on their telephone and email systems. And the expense for upgrading and maintaining these systems are huge and come with many IT challenges. Many small to mid-size companies can’t spend the money for a call center, so a hosted PBX system might be the right choice for them.

Hosted PBX offers rich features, excellent quality and wide coverage. These features are more advanced than traditional PBX and they are easy to manage. This is because the hosted PBX services provide users with excellent web management. Most of the services provide a platform that makes it easy for users to create new accounts, make extensions and manage call queues with the web interface.

Other benefits of hosted PBX include managing incoming calls such as voicemail, faxes, automated messages, conferences, touchtone menus, call records and those phone calls that need to go to the next available person in a department.

It is relatively easy to manage voice mail with a hosted PBX system. With this service you can also utilize your current voice mail facility. If a call comes on your mobile phone and you don’t answer it, it will automatically roll onto voice mail. Generally, hosted PBX services have better control over simple call transfers and they can also manage a higher number of phone calls.

The various ways to handle calls include forwarding them to voice mail, granting permissions from the attending person on the other end and automated voice mail recording. With busy lines and unanswered calls, voice mail can be easily setup and it performs well.

Besides all the great call routing functions, other great advantages attached to the hosted PBX systems are lower entry costs, support costs, reliability, improved scalability and flexibility. Hosted PBX also allows greater ease of management and it is better when you need flexibility with your telephony. Let’s look at some of these advantages.

Lower Entry Costs

Since you are using the host’s infrastructure, your start-up costs for a hosted PBX service will be lower than if you purchased your own phone system.

Lower Supporting Costs

You can manage some support yourself, like adding users or lines by either going online or making a phone call. For some of these operations, you don’t have to wait for the phone guy to show up.

Reliability

With hosted PBX, there is usually round-the-clock support. Also, for disaster recovery, there is full data access and redundancy.

Improved Scalability

You can get the exact number of lines that you need for your company. It’s easy to add and remove lines as your company grows or contracts.

Flexibility and Productivity

Hosted PBX system has an advantage over the traditional PBX systems in many ways. It provides features that traditional PBX doesn’t have and there is more flexibility with it.

Routing calls to phones actually allow you to ring on any phone by calling the extension. Such calls can be made on the mobile phones of your employees who are traveling and cannot access their company phone. This keeps all the traveling employees in constant touch with the office and they can transfer calls as usual. If you have employees who travel a lot, then hosted PBX might be the best system for you.

The biggest considerations in company expenses are capital expenses and operating expenses. Employing a hosted PBX service eliminates most of the capital expenses and reduces operating expenses. Keeping your communication capabilities up to date without hampering your ability to focus on your business is vital. Hosted PBX will provide all of the technology, features and benefits found in expensive PBX systems at a much lower cost and might be a viable option for your business.

Nermine Shaker is a Partner at The Sygnal Group, a telecom consulting firm that offers telecom expense management, telecom auditing and VoIP management to businesses of all sizes. Find out how to lower your telecom expenses at http://www.SygnalGroup.com or visit our blog at http://www.TelecomExpertise.com

[tags]Hosted PBX, Hosted VoIP, Telecom Management, IP based PBX[/tags]

As with anything new, Voice Over Internet Protocol has gotten a lot of attention. It has been touted as being the wave of the future. It can save money and simplify your business operations. But VoIP isn’t for every company. And does it deliver on its promises?

First, what is VoIP? Simply, it’s Voice Over Internet Protocol. That is, using the Internet as a voice phone line and more. Second, why is it becoming so popular, and could your company use it? This answer is much less simple, because there are in fact a great many things that could influence your decision. Ask a business why they use the service and they will cite its features packages, and low costs, and very possibly its reliability. Let’s take a look at just some of the reasons this service is used and a few pros and cons.

One reason it’s popular has to do with the ease of installation. So long as a business has an Internet connection and computers - and they almost always will - the set up and use of this advanced technology shouldn’t be at all difficult. Having regular phone service would mean a company would have to pay for phone lines and all the other lines connected to and within the business. With this new service, this is no longer a requirement. Most companies already have a broadband connection, and when using Voice over Internet Protocol, they will use their broadband connection without paying the fees for another installed system. This is not always the case, though. When you put voice and data on the same network, it can be a complex situation.

Before you do anything, you have to make sure your infrastructure is up to the task of supporting IP based voice and data. If it isn’t, going with VoIP will be a nightmare. If you are seriously thinking about switching, your company should do a pre-deployment assessment. If you have older or inadequate infrastructure, you may have to upgrade your network, which might cancel out any savings you might receive.

Another factor to take into consideration is the fact that with switching to this service, your telecom personnel will need to become IT proficient and/or your IT personnel will need to become more familiar with the intricacies of telecom.

Probably the biggest single reason that providers promote for any company to switch over from their typical phone service to Voice over IP is the lower overall costs. They pitch that while small businesses might have to pay more for their scale than large ones comparatively, business VoIP leaves its predecessors in the dust.

However, these huge cost savings were more common in the initial days of broadband solutions. Then, the service wasn’t as reliable but the cost was much cheaper than traditional phone service. Today, the service offered is nearly as good as basic phone service, but the price difference is not nearly as wide. If your company is looking at VoIP as a primary way to cut costs, you should take a hard look at all the costs involved to make sure it’s right for you.

One last item that providers publicize about their service is the customization that was not previously available to them. No matter how big or small a business might be, VoIP providers are almost always willing to work with them on an individual basis, finding them the plan that works best for their size and all of their employees.

Service providers are also big fans of the perks companies can get, the number of which has grown hugely in recent years. Providers offer all sorts of things that might cost extra with traditional phone lines, including multi-line services, call waiting, caller ID, call return, call block and more - and with Voice over IP you can have them all.

It all comes down to figuring out why your company wants VoIP. Switching can be an expensive proposition. Not only in buying or upgrading equipment, but also with re-educating employees and time spent making the system work correctly. It has great potential and will provide some advantages to nearly any company, but not everyone should make the switch.

To truly take advantage of VoIP and the multimedia applications that come with it, your workforce should be distributed with branch offices or satellite offices, telecommuters and personnel out in the field.

As you can see, there are reasons for a company to consider getting rid of landlines in favor of VoIP phones. There are also reasons not to. With an economy where companies are looking to cut corners, it’s not surprising that they are looking at switching. VoIP can be a great thing, but it might not be a great thing for your company.

The reality is that if your organization is thinking about making the switch, you should do your homework. You should know why you are switching and make sure to get a detailed costs/benefits analysis before making your decision.

Nermine Shaker is a Partner at The Sygnal Group, a telecom consulting firm that offers telecom expense management, telecom auditing and VoIP management to businesses of all sizes. Find out how to lower your telecom expenses at http://www.SygnalGroup.com or visit our blog at http://www.TelecomExpertise.com

[tags]VoIP, Voice over Internet Protocol, Telecom Management, Telecom Expense Management, TEM[/tags]

It was during my days working for an up and coming telecommunications company 10 years ago that I first heard of digital phone service and VOIP. Being a person who grew up with a standard issue rotary home phone I was fascinated by the capability to place a call through the Internet without being required to carry phone service. At the time I felt convinced that telephone providers would become a novelty of the past, and that someday all telephone service would be conducted online.

After leaving the telecomm industry though, my intrigue of digital phone service did not breached the novelty of my new cell phone, which never left my side, and which I cherished above all other possessions. To me a home phone was the relic of an age gone by, and telephone providers now meant one thing only, cellular phone service. Although I did not realize it until years later, the cell phone I was carrying back then was analog. Had I understood that at the time I may have had a different outlook on the future of how phone providers would advance with digital technology.

It was not until many years later while traveling overseas that I again came to appreciate the significance of digital phone service, and how convenient and affordable it had become. It cost pennies per minute to reach family and friends on their home phones back in the States, and although the connections I had were sometimes poor due to Internet connectivity, I would never think of phone service the same again.

With the advances in digital phone service, VOIP, and the ability to couple the technology with a home phone, telephone service providers did not fall from existence like I once anticipated they would. In fact, the digital phone revolution has only enhanced the features and affordability of home phone service. New players who enter this competitive market have helped keep service costs low, and State and Federal tax regulations have not yet over inflated the cost to consumers. In addition, digital telephone service providers offer service plans that have all the same features as cellular providers, along with unlimited local and long distance calls and the superior quality one can expect with any digital service.

In the end, I was wrong to believe that the iconic home phone would disappear entirely. Not only has it endured through the last decade, it has been able to adapt to the digital technology that I thought would cause its demise.

Taylor Jensen writes about Comcast, Charter, Cox, and Time Warner cable TV ,is considered an expert in the field of cable TV, high speed Internet, phone service ,HD TV, DVR technology, and has published hundreds of articles informing consumers about what to look for when considering cable TV service for your home.

[tags]phone service, home phone, telephone service, phone providers, telephone providers[/tags]

VoIP stands for ‘Voice Over Internet Protocol’, this technology allows users to make phone calls using your internet connection instead of your phone service. It is also known as Voice over IP, broadband phone service and Digital Voice, although it is given different names all of the technology is the same.
Here in this article we shall look briefly at the advantages of using this technology, some of the disadvantages and what equipment you need to use voice over internet protocol.

There are many benefits of using a VoIP phones over regular ones, with most providers of the service one low monthly fee covers all of your phone calls. Online you can easily compare the offers being presented by VoIP service providers and find what will suit you best. There are no unexplained taxes or regulatory fees, with your phone bill you will not come across any hidden charges. This is why the service is cheap as there are no tax charges with internet phone calls. Long distance and international calls are the biggest benefit of voice over internet protocol phones as using the internet to call means calling your friend in Australia or a friend from down the road makes no difference.

However there are a few disadvantages of using VoIP phones and that is there are a few service providers that do not offer emergency services calls. When choosing your provider then find out whether or not they offer this. This is not the biggest disadvantage of using this technology; the main issue with this service is that if you lose your broadband connection then you are unable to make calls. Yet in a day and age where most people use mobile phones this solves this problem immediately. It is also a good idea to have back up ways of communication should the internet go down.

To use voice over internet protocol phones the only additional piece of equipment that you need to purchase is an Analogue Telephone Adaptor (ATA) which is usually provided by the service supplier once you have signed up to the service. This then allows you to make phone calls as usual, using your own standard phone. The ATA technology adapts the analogue voice to a digital signal that the internet can understand; it then sends the signal to your broadband modem, which passes it over the internet. You can still browse on the internet whilst using voice over internet protocol phones. This technology is both an economical and efficient way of making phone calls, especially long distance.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in phone technology.
Find out more about VoIP Phones and how the services available can help with purchasing and finding out about VoIP technology.

[tags]VoIP Phones, Network Communication, VoIP technology[/tags]

You will need to be prepared to invest quite a bit of money on getting the right equipment for establishing yourself as a work-at-home call centre assistant. It is also important to be wary about buying the right sort of equipment and high quality gear at that. The equipment needs to be built to a high standard and expected to last a decent amount of time, so automatically going with the cheapest options can often turn out to be a false economy.

The most expensive and also most important requirement is to have a computer. If you want to be on the move and have a little more flexibility with regards to where you work, then a laptop can be a great option. However, price-wise, desktops are still cheaper and are generally capable of more as well as being more upgradable. With computers as cheap as they are nowadays, this is not likely to be a particularly daunting investment considering all of the other things that you can use a computer for too. Since most people will already have an adequate computer system, this is unlikely to even be an issue.

The Internet connection required can be a slightly demanding requirement in some cases. For a call centre, you will need to have an adequate amount of bandwidth so you can use the Internet telephony / VoIP programs that you will need. This basically rules out any older 56k modem connections. Cable modem and DSL are generally adequate but bear in mind, any employers you might have might not permit certain types of connections.

You will also need to be able to use the Internet as well as the telephone line at the same time. This is typically not an issue if you have a broadband connection which is already a requirement anyway. There will likely be various requirements for the type of telephony hardware that you need for the job, depending on your employer.

All of the above are probably things you have already. Since so many people these days have at least one computer in their household and broadband Internet access, these are unlikely to become extra expenditures. However, you may well find it preferable to have a dedicated computer which only you have access to. Using the primary family computer as your primary work station is generally not a good idea for security and reliability reasons.

You will also need to spend a bit of money on a decent headset. Something that has a high quality noise cancelling microphone is a must. However, these are not too hard to find and do not cost a great deal of money. In fact, there is unlikely to be any reason why you would need to spend more than about $25 on this.

Your working environment should also be taken into account. Your employer will most likely require that you have a separate room to work in and no interruptions such as noisy air conditioning units etc. Simply put, there must be minimal background noises in your work place.

Asterisk phone systems provider offers cost effective telecommunications solutions including open source call centre,Asterisk Phone Systems and software, VoIP PBX Vancouver, VoIP PBX Toronto, IP phone systems and other telephony hardware. When looking for Asterisk consulting consider these services.

[tags]technology,computers,communication,phone,systems,internet,call center,call centre,voip,ip phone[/tags]

We’ve all been there, right? Make an international call for whatever reason, and don’t think about it again until you get the phone bill. When the bill does arrive, the call doesn’t seem nearly as important as it did at the time. Well, pick up the brick, and put down the phone company until you read these alternatives for international calling.

The first, and probably best, choice for international calling is to use a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service. These services allow telephone usage over an existing high-speed internet line. Their benefits are very high voice quality with free long distance and cheap international calls. These companies do charge a fee for access, but it’s usually less than what a phone company charges. If you already have high-speed internet then this is definitely the way to go.

Some people only make international calls occasionally, or don’t have high-speed internet. For these people, a phone card is the next best choice. There are a number of phone cards out there from many different companies. It shouldn’t be too hard to find one that fits your needs, but to save the most money it helps to have a little knowledge.

The most important thing when looking for a phone card is to make sure that it’s usable in your country. Not all phone cards can be used in all countries, though there are some that are usable from anywhere. Don’t spend your money on one unless you’re sure that it can be used in the country you will be calling from.

Something that is a relatively new option for phone card companies is the use of local access numbers to make the call. These are telephone numbers in your area code that allow the cheapest use of the phone card possible. Otherwise, by calling the toll-free number you’ll be charged an additional cost per minute that will be taken from your available minutes. Be sure that there’s a local access number nearby when you pick your phone card to get the best deal.

Another feature of phone cards that helps save money is finding a card with no connection fee. The connection fee is a charge that is applied every time you use the card to call a number. This charge also takes away from your available minutes, possibly putting making the phone card more of a hassle than a help. To save the most money with phone cards, find one with no connection fee. They usually cost a little bit more per minute, but at least you’ll be able to use the minutes that you buy to talk, and not just connect.

For someone that needs to make international calls there are other options out there than just the phone company. These other options make sense whether you’re making an international call once, or have to call Spain from the US on a daily basis. With just a little hard work and research you could be saving money with your very next international call.

Alex Russel likes sharing info about making international calls with phone cards. Check out the rest of his articles, for more tips and useful information on the subject.

For more on phone cards: http://www.nobelcom.com/

[tags]phone cards, calling cards, prepaid calling cards, prepaid phone cards, international calls[/tags]

In this age of mobile and smart phones, many of us hardly even remember what it is like to have a landline. In fact, a 2008 survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that 20% of American households no longer have a landline.

Despite the trend, there are actually some very compelling reasons to continue the use of home phone service.

*Reliability
While cell phones offer convenience and portability, they are far from 100% reliable. Coverage areas are limited, calls are dropped, and reception can be fuzzy. The simple question “What?” is never as prominent as during a cell phone conversation. A home phone line, on the other hand, is as reliable as phone service gets. You will have clear reception, no worries about dropped calls (except maybe on the other end) and no battery loss.

*Fax Machines
While you make calls on your cell phone, you do not send faxes. Sure, much paperwork can be handled online, but certain contracts, legal information and other paperwork simply requires the helping hand of a fax machine.

*Emergencies
There is no need to go into unlikely, dire situations to stress the importance of a landline in an emergency. Simply ask a question: If I were at home, in a life-threatening situation, do I want to use a cell phone or landline to call 911? The answer should be clear. Making the call from a home phone will ensure that you are able to clearly and effectively communicate with 911 personnel. If you are in a situation where you cannot speak, simply dialing 911 from your home phone will ensure that emergency personnel know exactly where to go. You do not get that with a cell phone.

*Price
Depending upon how many minutes you have, how much you pay and the type of calls you make, purchasing a landline can save money over using a cell phone alone. Look into discounts that include bundling unlimited long distance phone calls with local service, and save money by maintaining home phone service.

In the future, we are likely to encounter the day when home phone service like that offered is obsolete. When cell phone and peripheral technology effectively make cell phones more reliable, clearer, capable of performing other functions like providing a quick, accurate location and sending faxes, and cheaper than all alternatives, the land line will officially be unnecessary. However, as it stands now, we are a long way from that day. Whether you choose a phone plan, or service of another provider, consider the advantages of keeping (or adding) home phone service very carefully.

Taylor Jensen writes about home phone service from AT&T, QWEST, Verizon and many others, and is considered an expert in the field of home phone service. Taylor Jensen is always keeping you updated on home phone service deals.

[tags]home phone service, Qwest phone plan, Qwest deals, Qwest home phone, Qwest[/tags]

Today, we have so many types of phone service available that making a choice about your phone service provider can be challenging to say the least. Traditionally, people simply had a home phone for which they paid a steep fee; sometimes even local phone service charged each phone call you made. With extra features such as call waiting and expensive answering machines, phone service was both an expensive and cumbersome utility.

Modern options provide solutions to these problems. For starters our age of lightning-fast and convenient communication is well represented by modern cell phone technology. With cell phones that can be hooked to the ear, browse the Internet, and film live action, it seems like there is nothing technology cannot do. Cell phone service providers add value by offering great phone plans for both local phone service as well as long distance, along with deals on fancy phones.

With that being said, there are plenty of other options for home phones. In fact, it is advisable to look into these various options, particularly if you are looking to cut costs.

First off is the option of using a regular phone for your home phone. You could use a regular phone service provider and just plug your telephone right into a wall jack. This is simple, easy to use, and can sometimes be more reliable than a cell phone whose battery dies. Children can often be more easily trained on a traditional phone than on a cell. Furthermore, you can use a traditional phone along with digital phone service. The phone service providers who offer this are usually cable companies. They call this digital voice, and the phone plans they offer are customarily cheap. In fact, your local phone service usually provides unlimited use and your long distance will be a low, flat rate.

Another modern innovation is called VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. This phone service is what it sounds like: Internet-based phone. So say you have fiber-optic cable Internet, or in other words, screaming fast Internet. You can install VoIP software onto your computer in minutes. Then, with a simple headset, you can make and receive calls, using your computer as your home phone. Most cable, particularly fiber-optic, has plenty of bandwidth to handle VoIP. VoIP phone service providers usually charge a miniscule, flat rate for your phone calls.

Considering that we used to pay through the nose on the adjustable long distance fees and that we could never fully understand the myriad fees and taxes attached to our old phone bills, we should be pretty happy with all of the modern options available for phone service. Whether you opt for Internet-based phone service, a family cell phone plan, or even digital voice, you can find plenty of ways to save more than mere pennies. So take your time and do your research. And remember that many phone service providers have become TV and Internet providers as well, so they might have discounted phone plans for new or existing clients.

Taylor Jensen writes aboutAT&T high speed Internet and home phone service and is considered an expert in the field of high speed Internet. Taylor Jensen is always keeping you updated on AT&T high speed Internet deals.

[tags]phone service, long distance, home phone, phone plans, local phone service, phone service provider[/tags]

In this age of ever changing technology, communication has evolved and the way we choose to keep in touch with one another has multiplied. Letters have been replaced by texting and instant messaging and conversations tied to a telephone have become integrated with computer technology. We take a look at VoIP phones and their impact on a communications revolution.

A VoIP phone uses an IP network to create a voice connection. IP networks will be familiar to most as the way we access the internet. The benefits of using this type of connection for communication are in the low cost and ease of application. For many families that live apart, especially overseas, this type of communication offers an alternative to often costly methods using landline communications technologies.

Before these phones were available, landline telecommunications companies often cashed in on the demand for audio communication. This was before internet connections bought people together allowing live correspondence via instant messaging services, and of course the convenience of email applications. As a species though, we like to communicate in person and as the new type of phone came on the market it was quickly taken up.

The services offered via VoIP phones also outdo standard landline based phones on many levels. Because the phone is connected to a computer network and can access computer technology, there are a variety of applications that can be utilised for greater communication. Menu systems, complex address books and data bases combine with sophisticated conference calling options.

The unified systems are also a preferable option for many businesses, allowing cost effective in house communications. The difference between communicating over an internet protocol and making calls via a telephone network is in the way the customer is charged for usage. A VoIP call is billed according to the amount of data transmitted, whereas a standard telephone call is billed for the duration of the call.

As voice data is relatively small compared to other types of data that are sent via network connection, the cost is incredibly low, especially compared to the costs incurred via a telephone line that charges per minute. But with mobile phones becoming more prolific, will VoIP phones remain a part of modern day communications devices?

In all probability, this type of communication will grow and remain within the commercial sector rather than in the domestic arena. This is because the low cost combined with range of applications makes it a convenient way to make business to business calls, whereas the average domestic customer prefers to be able to communicate on the move via a mobile network.

Dom Donaldson is a communications expert.
Find out more about VoIP phones and how they can be used to improve communication in the commercial sector at Voice and Data.

[tags]VoIP phones, telecommunications, phones, PI phone systems[/tags]