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HOMEVoIP Faq
What is VoIP?
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) refers to voice calls being made over a high-speed internet connection as opposed to a traditional landline. VoIP calls can be made from either a computer or a regular VoIP enabled phone (the regular phone also connects to the internet).
Why is VoIP relatively inexpensive?
VoIP is just another computer application running on existing systems. This makes it no different to email, Instant Messaging (IM) and any other internet-based communication medium.
If VoIP is similar to email and IM, why isn’t it free?
Connecting via VoIP to another user with VoIP is free because this is just two users connecting to each other via the internet. However, using VoIP to call someone on a normal landline or cell phone requires a connection outside of the Internet and for this reason costs money—although it’s still very cheap.
What are the advantages of VoIP?
Primarily, home and business users switch to VoIP due to the significant cost reduction in using the service. However, there are also many other benefits of using VoIP. For instance, because VoIP is an internet based service—it means that you can take your number with you wherever you go. VoIP also allows for more flexibility with phone numbers whereby an individual may be based in the UK but have a local NYC phone number (this is a powerful feature for many businesses).
What are the disadvantages of VoIP?
The majority of VoIP services don’t work during power outages. Although it’s possible to purchase backup systems, and many large companies do so, the majority of VoIP services don’t have this feature. Also, some providers don’t offer phonebook listings in the white pages with their services.
Skype™ Overview & Review
Skype is a software program which allows users to make voice calls over the internet: in short, it’s a form of VoIP which uses a computer (with a headset or microphone) rather than an actual phone. With Skype, calls to other Skype-users come at no cost, although there is a fee for calling landlines and cell phones. 
The cheap calling rates for calling landlines abroad is the main advantage of Skype (see SkypeOut below) with costs as low as US$0.020 a minute.
Today, Skype is available in 28 languages and is used in almost every country in the world - it has become the world's biggest software based VoIP service, with 309 million users worldwide as of Q1 2008. Downloading Skype onto your computer is free, and using it to chat and call other users (video included) with Skype is also free (the software can be downloaded at the official Skype website)
Main Features
SkyeOut: Apart from free Skype-user to Skype-user calls, Skype also offers SkypeOut. SkyeOut is the service which allows Skype-users to call landlines located anywhere in the world. The call rates are a lot cheaper than using a conventional landline to call abroad. The calling rates for most developed countries are around US$0.021 per minute.
SkypeIn: Allows Skype users to receive calls on their computers from regular landlines. It permits users to subscribe to numbers in Australia, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and the United States. In short, a user in New York could create a local telephone number in Sydney, Australia—callers from Sydney would only pay local rates to call that number.
Video Calling: Skype video calling works on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, making it one of the only cross-platform video conferencing solutions available. At the moment, it only allows for one-to-one video calling. However, in the future we can expect upgrades to the service with the ability to accommodate more simultaneous video callers.
Instant Messaging: Skype can also be used for Instant Messaging (IM) in a similar fashion to Windows Messenger Live.
Skype SMS: A new feature in Skype 2.5 and above is the ability to send SMS messages to cell phone numbers from your computer. The cost of this service is generally cheaper than a standard SMS charge, with international SMS costs being significantly cheaper.
Skype Voicemail: Released in 2005, this service allows callers to leave voice-mail messages for Skype users. Currently, users have to pay for this service.
Conclusion
Skype is by far the largest and most trusted software VoIP Company in the world, with over 309 million users running the software on their computers. Skype also boasts safe, encrypted calling with a very good quality of service and sound quality.
However, it must be noted that Skype is not a complete VoIP solution such as Lingo or Vonage. Many people choose to use Skype for cost saving on international and long-distance calls. However, Skype does not offer an emergency calling service such as E911, nor does it offer many other features which are often included in complete VoIP solutions. For this reason, Skype should not be considered as a complete replacement for your landline.
Thursday, February 21. 2008
