VoIP and Packet Switching Technology

One of the reasons VoIP is so successful and advantageous is it uses packet switching technology rather than circuit switching technology to provide phone services. Most phone companies use circuit switching technology. Packet switching technology is different in that it allows multiple phone calls to occur within the same space a single phone call would occupy using a circuit network. This means...

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Traveling with VoIP

Whichvoip.com

The vast array of features that VoIP has to offer allows the technology to be used in a myriad of ways. One advantage VoIP telephony has over traditional phone service is its ability to travel with you. By this, we mean that with VoIP you can travel locally or internationally and keep the same number, move house and have no break in service or simply go on vacation and have your same number and features. Cell phones can potentially fill this niche, however it is expensive to have a service that will work internationally and when moving house or going on vacation there is no guarantee that there will be coverage at your new location.

VoIP offers a number of features that not only allow you to travel but will make it an advantage to take your VoIP phone with you rather than say a cell phone or pay those expensive hotel rates. Below we will introduce a few of these features.

First, you must find a plan that that has the travel global feature. Use our advanced search to see all the Service Providers that support this feature. This feature, allows you to take your IP ready phone or ATA and plug it into any broadband connection around the world and you will have the same service and features you are accustomed to at home. This can be extremely useful to you when visiting family abroad as I do. I take my VoIP phone with me and stay in touch for free. Having the same phone number also means that you can easily be reached and there are no surprise phone charges for the people who call you. Not something you are likely to see with a cell phone plan.

For business users Call transfer is an extremely beneficial feature. This allows you to transfer a call you have already answered to another number. Effectively you are taking your office network with you. Again this feature is not available with your standard Cell phone but does came as standard with most VoIP plans.

PC to Phone or sometimes referred to as softphone can be a cheaper alternative or more convenient than traveling with an ATA or an IP ready phone. A simple software download and you can turn your PC into your telephone. You will still have all the features of VoIP but you will use your laptop to make and receive calls. For business travelers you are almost guaranteed a phone service from anywhere in the world, excellent value for money at $10 a month.

The above features are network features in that they depend upon the Service Provider you choose. However, the introduction in recent years of the IP ready phone, which has the ATA built in, offers consumers a whole host of new features and applications. The Video Phone is one such application that is becoming more and more common place. Video over cellular networks such as TDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE or even 3G networks have proved problematic. Only when using 3G networks is it realistically possible and that then depends on the number of people sharing your wireless bandwidth. If you take into account the size of 3G cell phones, video becomes impractical. With VoIP, as you are using a broadband internet connection, you are guaranteed the bandwidth to have good resolution video.

VoIP is expanding at an exponential rate and with its protocol well defined, it promises the integration that has been promised but has never been realized with the cell phone industry. New standards like WI-MAX are well suited to VoIP and several service providers have been testing their service using this new standard. The future of VoIP is well assured, and perhaps it won't be long before you are carrying your IP ready phone rather than a cell phone and battery charger.

This article highlights some of the many benefits of having a VoIP broadband phone service. Use our free VoIP plan search engine to select the best VoIP phone plan for your families needs, and start saving today.

About the author:
WhichVoip.com is based in Seattle, WA. The company is run by experts in the VoIP and telecommunications field, who utilize their knowledge to ensure consumers understand VoIP and, choose the best VoIP solution available to them.


A new twist on VoIP? - A new Jajah killer and serious Skype competition

Since early 2006 movement has come into the VoIP industry. New VoIP providers are now launching all over the world with each one of them hoping and expecting a share of the ever growing popularity and income stream. At the last count the research company http: www. myvoipprovider. com had almost 650 VoIP phone providers listed. This has had one distinct advantage for the consumer - VoIP costs internationally are dropping at an alarming rate. A few VoIP providers in Europe have taken their marketing activities to the extreme by offering free calls to a wide range of up to 50 international destinations....

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The latest information and news on VoIP:

Google
VoIP Unlimited SIP trunks approved for PBXnSIP (Channel Business)
PBXnSIP , a specialist in SIP based IPPBX software has granted official interoperability with VoIP Unlimitedā??s business grade SIP trunk services.
Raketu Releases RakOut Dialout VoIP WebPhone Service for Mac and Linux Users ...
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 08/21/08 -- Raketu, a leading global Internet communications , information, entertainment , and social networking company, today released its beta RakOut WebPhone . The new service allows Mac, Linux , and Windows users to make computer-to-phone Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls from any web browser, on any computer, without a download.
CallCopy Introduces New VoIP Call Recording Solution for Businesses (Marketwi...
CallCopy, Inc., a leading provider of call recording and quality monitoring software, today announced the availability of CallCopy Essential, the company's new VoIP call recording solution that will help small businesses to quickly and easily capture and archive inbound and outbound calls. CallCopy Essential was developed specifically for the small office to help companies improve customer ...
Grandstream Networks, Bandwidth.com and VoIP Supply Align to Provide Full Sol...
Grandstream Networks, Bandwidth.com and VoIP Supply aim to capture the SMB market with a full solution package.
Indian Regulator Approves VOIP (CommunicationsDirect)
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is moving to relax restrictions on telcos and ISPs offering VOIP services in a bid to encourage the adoption of broadband services and push down the cost of rural telephony. In a letter to the Department of Telecom, the regulator notes that "policy and regulatory...
Fluke Networks acquires Viola VoIP management assets (Network World)
Fluke Networks' acquisition will enable the vendor to broaden its VoIP analysis capabilities and provide customers with pre-assessment, active network-performance and call-manager monitoring and visibility features.
Sony Gaming On Cellular Market (Forbes)
New version of PlayStation Portable comes with microphone to make VoIP calls.
Indian Regulator Approves VOIP (Light Reading)
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is moving to relax restrictions on telcos and ISPs offering VOIP services in a bid to encourage the adoption of broadband services and push down the cost of rural telephony.
Raketu Releases RakOut Dialout VoIP WebPhone Service for Mac and Linux Users ...
Raketu, a leading global Internet communications, information, entertainment, and social networking company, today released its beta RakOut WebPhone. The new service allows Mac, Linux, and Windows users to make computer-to-phone Voice over Internet Protocol calls from any web browser, on any computer, without a download. This is in addition to the existing RakWeb, browser-based communications, ...
Nortel goes 3D with web.alive (VNU Net via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News)
Enterprise communications vendor Nortel has acquired 3D audio technology firm DiamondWare in a $10m move designed to enhance its VoIP, multimedia and voice conferencing capabilities.

Does Voice Over IP Telephony Spell the End for Traditional Telephones?

Just What is Voice Over IP Telephony? Voice over Internet Telephony is technology that means you can hold telephone calls over the Internet or an IP network. It eliminates the need for having separate lines for your Internet connection and dedicated voice transfer lines. There are many advantages to VoIP but because it is still an advancing technology you need to shop around to find the best deal. No cumbersome circuit switching is required and there is no depletion in the bandwidth associated with normal dual line systems. VoIP protocol means that voice data is only sent over the network when...

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