Free Voip and Free International Call

Localphone reduces cheap international

2009-07-14T10:40:00.001+08:00

Localphone, winner of cheap international call provider of the year 2008 at VOIP guide has once again slashed calling rates for many destinations including India, Pakistan,Bangladesh.

As you might have noticed, Lot of large telecom/VOIP Providers are slowly moving towards a standard 1 cent per minute rates for India. Pakistan is still hovering around 6=9 cents per minute. Although betamax services like actionvoip, smartvoip and jumblo offers one the most cheapest calling rates to most asian countries, they are not reliable when it comes to your money.

VOIP Providers like Localphone are focused on providing quality service. If you still don't know yet, I personally use only localphone to make all my international calls. VOIP Guide was instrumental in making Localphone service better in some way or the other. All comments on this blog are read by localphone staff and localphone has always responded with new features and offers.

Not only they offer local access numbers in various countries, they offer a great VOIP service which you can use from anywhere in the world. You can simply download their Localphone VOIP softphone or configure localphone SIP settings on X-lite or your voip adapter. I will write a separate post detailing how to setup localphone using SIP.

Coming back to the news, localphone has slashes calling rates for the following countries effective from 12:00 GMT (noon) on Monday 13th July. The new calling rates are as follows:

Bangladesh- 3.5¢ /min
India- 2.5¢ /min
Malaysia- 1.4¢ /min
New Zealand - Mobile- 16.0¢ /min
Pakistan - 7.9¢ /min
South Africa - Mobile- 10.9¢ /min
Thailand- 1.0¢ /min

Source: voipguides.blogspot.com

Download PortSIP Pangolin VOIP Softphone for Windows Mobile

2009-07-14T10:37:00.000+08:00

I have found a better VOIP client for windows. It's free and supports both win5 and win6 for mobile. It also has an option to have the calls to be heard on earphone. Please tick this when you sign in to your sip login. The issue of sound coming through speaker in case of HTC TILT and other win phones is thus overcome.
When the call is being connected, you may want to click on the speaker icon and again click on it so that the sound would come through the earpiece.
Other features that the phone client has which I did not checkout are: 1. Call transfer. 2. Call recording.

Good part is that if you have multiple sip accounts it saves your sip login and config information for each sip userid as a dropdown list. You just have to select the relevant account and click on login.

The url to download the free client:
Win5 Client
Win6 Client

They also offer a PC based VOIP softphone if mobile voip is too geeky for you :-)

I observed that we need to manually type the phone number to call. The calls go through 3G in case of USA and the voice quality is very good.

Happy calling. I am very happy with PortSip and would recommend you to try it out too!

Source: voipguide.blogspot.com

Voipzoom-sip-settings-revealed

2009-07-14T10:34:00.001+08:00

Lots of people were eagerly waiting for VOIPZoom SIP Settings. For only monthly fee of € 2.50/month(Euro)/3.19 USD, you can make free international calls to over 41 destinations around the world. The only shortfall VOIP zoom service had was non comptability of the SIP based connectivity.

However, we finally found it. Its not officially out on their website yet but regular visitor Kulwinder Singh did DNS lookup on VOIPZoom and accidently found SIP settings on VOIPZoom. Thanks to Kulwinder for sharing this news with us. We them did some more test to confirm that SIP is indeed available on VOIPZoom.

We strongly suggest if you are using VOIPZoom service and have a VOIP Adapter/SIP Phone then try thes SIP settings.

----Kulwinder's Analysis---------

; <<>> DiG 9.3.4-P1 <<>> sip.voipzoom.com
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 10210 ;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 3, ADDITIONAL: 0 ;; QUESTION SECTION: ;sip.voipzoom.com. IN A ;; ANSWER SECTION: sip.voipzoom.com. 504 IN A 194.120.0.198 sip.voipzoom.com. 504 IN A 194.221.62.198 ;; AUTHORITY SECTION: voipzoom.com. 171413 IN NS ns3.betamax.com. voipzoom.com. 171413 IN NS ns1.betamax.com. voipzoom.com. 171413 IN NS ns2.betamax.com. ------- ----------My Analysis----------------- Pinging sip.voipzoom.com [194.221.62.198] with 32 bytes of data: Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=364ms TTL=231 Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=366ms TTL=231 Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=367ms TTL=231 Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=365ms TTL=231 Ping statistics for 194.221.62.198: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 364ms, Maximum = 367ms, Average = 365ms ------------------- Now try using the following VOIP Zoom SIP Settings: SIP port : 5060 Registrar : sip.voipzoom.com Proxy server : sip.voipzoom.com Outbound proxy server : leave empty Account name : your VoipZoom username Password : your VoipZoom password Let us know if these VOIP Zoom SIP settings working for you.
Source: voipguides.blogspot.com

Free Calls To India

2008-12-12T11:10:00.001+08:00

Did u bite your nails when i posted about VOIPcheap and you cant call India PSTN/Mobile lines with it?

Well..here is the solution for that problem and now be happy coz although you cant call them..They can surely call you.

It took me some time to figure out this voipcheap hack...So please read it carefully before you try your hands at it.

Lets see how this voipcheap hack will work

What happens When you register for VOIPcheap?

Voipcheap will track your IP address at the time of registration. for e.g you are registering from USA or UK, the Id will enable you to make FREE calls since these countries fall under the FREE calls Beta version promotion by Voipcheap.

What if I am registering from India?

Voipcheap will trace your IP to india and blocks all outgoing FREE calls. You can however make one call, i heard different reports from people. One of my brother was able to make 30 calls within India. You better check it on your own. It might be possible that they have restricted FREE calls to 30 for non-FREE destinations like India.

Whats the hack?

The hack is to register from a proxy which belongs to the FREE destinations country. Voipcheap will trace your IP to the foreign country and will let you call FREE to these destinations for unlimited time.

Video Conference Call Service

2008-12-12T11:06:00.001+08:00

Web Conferencing is a huge market and will continue to be one especially for business VOIP customers. Now the market is moving towards Video Conferencing. Video Conference Calls are going to take over the teleconference calls market.

Traditionally Web conferencing was limited to Teleconferencing but with broadband becoming cheaper day by day, People now moving towards Video Conferencing as a primary platform. Video Conference Calls are now being used more than ever. The challenge however is to allow Video Conference Call via SIP. It seems companies such as Flashphone have done it via Flash based SIP phones.

Flashphone's Zingaya Media Server is now able to make video calls from flash to SIP soft/hardphones which support H.263 video codec. The next step is to allow multiple participants to Video conference via FlashPhone.

We did a test run with Alexey of Flashphone and it worked great. The Video Quality was good (if not great). I am sure there is more to do to improve the quality of Video conference calls. Unfortunately, at this stage Mobile VOIP is not fully supported by Video conference Calls. I am confident companies like Fring are working to build that in their next version.

A few other Interesting online video conferencing solutions:

1) We discussed about EkkoTV a cool web based video conferencing solution. It can support upto 3 people in a Video conference call. You don't need to download any special video conferencing software to use this.

2) TokBox: a great new way to make video conference calls via Web. Tokbox is very similar to EkkoTV and doesn't need any special Video conference softwares to work. Pure Web based Video conferencing service.

3) OoVoo: Unlike other web based conference solutions, OoVoo is application based. You can do multi-people video conference. Offers free calls to USA. Works very similar to Paltalk.

4) DimDim: Open Source Web Based Video Conference service. You need to download their Web Conferencing plug-in the very first time you use their service. Flawless and excellent Video Conferencing solution. On top of it, it does what other web conferencing solution do. Sharing Documents, Presentation works great with DimDim. Its open source and Free.

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

Low Cost Conference Call

2008-12-12T11:04:00.001+08:00

We recently reviewed Video Conference Calls services available in the market. This is the next series in Conference Calling. This whole series should help you make the right choice while choosing a best conference call service based on your needs.

Today, we look at Low Cost Conference Call solutions which will enable small or medium businesses to communicate. Everyone can't afford a Tandberg Conference system or Large conference system bridges. We hope our post should help you choose the right conferencing system.

1) BigFoot Conference Call: BigFoot is mainly into operator assisted conference calls. If you need a conference calling service managed by an FREE operator assistance, this could do just good enough.

Currently offering 125 minutes FREE conference calls.

Price: US$0.15 per min/participant. For International Calls, USD$0.15+ Participants pay their own local carrier for the long distance call.

2)Lypp: Lypp primarily offers a conference call bridge based service. Every conference call user has his own PIN and Toll-Free Number to setup their very own conference call bridge. Primarily a Toll Free Conference Call service.

Price: Pay as you go. 9 cents per minute. Looks like per participant but not sure.

3)Vello: Vello is primarily automated Conference Call system. Allows you to use conference call at the go. Recognition of Caller ID and directly putting you into a conference call without asking for PIN numbers. Web based Interface to see Conference Call Attendees and their contact details.

Offering 7 day Free Unlimited Conference Calls when you signup for their Conference Call Trial.

Price: Vello costs 12¢ per minute per person for US/Canada Calls.

4) Budget Conferencing: Claims to be the low cost conference call provider in USA. However they offer conference calls at 12c which is average rate. Works primarily via 1-800 Toll-free number. No Scheduling required.

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

Reliance India Call Promotion Coupons

2008-12-12T11:02:00.000+08:00

Who doesn't know about Reliance India Call? It's one of the fastest growing Calling service for Indians abroad. Today, we closely do Reliance India Call Review.

For newbies, Reliance India Call is a service operated by Reliance Communications Limited. Reliance India Call recently changed their brand name to Reliance Global Call and they operate in over 8 countries (USA,Canada,UK,Australia,NZ,Singapore,Hong Kong & Malaysia).

We tested Reliance India Call this week to see how good is the voice quality compared to some of the other cheap international calls to India Providers such as MediaRingTalk , LocalPhone etc. I must say Voice Quality is excellent as good as your landline phone, however when it comes to cost Reliance India Call is definately not the cheapest call service for India.

The normal calling rate for India on Reliance India Call is 7.9 cents/min which is extremely high compared to other VOIP Providers. However, they are currently running a promotion during Diwali season which lets you make calls at 5.1 cents/min. WAIT, don't fall for this yet. We did a bit more investigation and found that 5.1 cents per mins only applied for recharge or new accounts and secondly, its only available if you call a Reliance phone line in India. Whoa, Reliance India Call is basically ripping you off when they say Reliance to Reliance is 5.1 cents lol, they route via their own private SIP network which cost them nothing. They could have easily lower this down to 1-2 cents per minute.

Let me share a insider story that most of you guys wouldn't know. I met up with CEO of one of the large VOIP provider, he told me that they buy minutes from Reliance at 1.50 cents per minute (wholesale rate). Now you know what happens behind the scene and who charges you want. These E1 rates never go mainstrem, I know everyone wants to make profit but Reliance India Call can always offer at around 2 cents per minute using their own reliance international calling network.

Reliance India Call also has promotion Coupons and Codes which come up once in a while. If anyone has information regarding Reliance India Call Promotion Coupons please share with everyone.

Overall, we feel Reliance India Call is probably not worth your money unless they start offering calls to India at 2 cents per minute or close to that.

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

Ooma VOIP Package

2008-12-12T11:00:00.000+08:00

With Holiday shopping going wild in USA, there are some great deals to be found for VOIP Phone systems such as Ooma or MagicJack.

Ooma is stand alone VOIP Phone system which works on the fly. No monthly contracts, no signup amounts. Just buy the Ooma VOIP Phone box and you are done. Ooma offers totally unlimited calls to USA Phones (PSTN lines included). At first, you would compare this to a Linksys PAP2 VOIP Adapter, however its different.

Linksys PAP2 is a VOIP adapter which you can connect to a PSTN phone and configure the VOIP Adapter to run SIP based VOIP Service. Ooma on the other hands comes pre-configured and connects to a Ooma network.

Ooma has a extremely different concept and uses a possible loophole in the american telecommunication systems, which lets you make free local calls within a certain distance. What Ooma does is, they pass Ooma call over Ooma network across USA. For the time being consider this as in-network calling, like one SIP address making a call to another SIP address and then convert that to a PSTN line very near to the termination call location. This way the call becomes a free long distance USA call.

ooma gives you all the calling features including caller-ID, call-waiting, and voicemail.The ooma Lounge is your online destination for the ooma service. You can listen to messages, control your account preferences, prepay for international minutes, and even set up voicemail notifications, 24 hours a day.

ooma of course has in-network calling, you can call any other Ooma anywhere in the world. Currently Ooma is only sold in USA however once they start selling outside USA, imagine the cost benefit.

Ooma also allows you to connect your regular landline along with Ooma Phone line. That means you can still access 911 calls and have the flexibility of ooma phone at your hand.

Ooma comes with Ooma Scout,a nice little add-on Product which gives you the ability to have use of a second phone line, all integrated into the same phone number you use with the hub.

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

VOIPZoom SIP

2008-12-12T10:52:00.002+08:00

VOIP Zoom SIP

Lots of people were eagerly waiting for VOIPZoom SIP Settings. For only monthly fee of € 2.50/month(Euro)/3.19 USD, you can make free international calls to over 41 destinations around the world. The only shortfall VOIP zoom service had was non comptability of the SIP based connectivity.

However, we finally found it. Its not officially out on their website yet but regular visitor Kulwinder Singh did DNS lookup on VOIPZoom and accidently found SIP settings on VOIPZoom. Thanks to Kulwinder for sharing this news with us. We them did some more test to confirm that SIP is indeed available on VOIPZoom.

We strongly suggest if you are using VOIPZoom service and have a VOIP Adapter/SIP Phone then try thes SIP settings.

----Kulwinder's Analysis---------

; <<>> DiG 9.3.4-P1 <<>> sip.voipzoom.com
;; global options: printcmd
;; Got answer:
;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: NOERROR, id: 10210
;; flags: qr rd ra; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 2, AUTHORITY: 3, ADDITIONAL: 0

;; QUESTION SECTION:
;sip.voipzoom.com. IN A

;; ANSWER SECTION:
sip.voipzoom.com. 504 IN A 194.120.0.198
sip.voipzoom.com. 504 IN A 194.221.62.198

;; AUTHORITY SECTION:
voipzoom.com. 171413 IN NS ns3.betamax.com.
voipzoom.com. 171413 IN NS ns1.betamax.com.
voipzoom.com. 171413 IN NS ns2.betamax.com.
-------

----------My Analysis-----------------
Pinging sip.voipzoom.com [194.221.62.198] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=364ms TTL=231
Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=366ms TTL=231
Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=367ms TTL=231
Reply from 194.221.62.198: bytes=32 time=365ms TTL=231

Ping statistics for 194.221.62.198:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 364ms, Maximum = 367ms, Average = 365ms
-------------------

Now try using the following VOIP Zoom SIP Settings:

SIP port : 5060

Registrar : sip.voipzoom.com

Proxy server : sip.voipzoom.com

Outbound proxy server : leave empty

Account name : your VoipZoom username

Password : your VoipZoom password

Let us know if these VOIP Zoom SIP settings working for you.

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

Linksys New WIP330 Wi-Fi VoIP Phone

2008-12-11T10:16:00.000+08:00

Linksys has launched its WIP330 802.11b/g Wi-Fi-connected VoIP phone in Europe - the company's first wireless handset to made available to buyers over here - after announcing the device at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin last week.

The New WIP330 Wi-Fi VoIP Phone connects to 802.11b and 802.11g wireless hotspots and incorporates IPv4's Type of Service extension to allow access points to give priority to voice data if they too support this quality-of-service system. It'll work with the WEP and WPA Wi-Fi security standards.

The WIP330 supports the SIP 2 VoIP standard - so it's not Skype friendly - and provides a range of customary phone features, including caller ID, call forwarding, speed dial, last number redial, a vibration alert, call waiting and so on. The handset can initiate three-way conference calls.
Linksys WIP330 Wi-Fi VoIP Phone Key Features:

* Possess a 2.2 inch, 65,536 color display
* Connects 802.11b and 802.11g wireless hotpots
* Provides SIP based VoIP services
* Caller ID
* Call Forwarding and Speed dialing facility
* Call Waiting and Conference calling services
* High quality battery with 3 hours talk time and 50 hours standby
* 32MB of Flash memory on board and 64MB of RAM

Linksys WIP330 Wi-Fi VoIP Phone is available now from Linksys distributors. The price to pay around €399.

Skype Mouse Phone on Your Desk

2008-12-11T10:14:00.000+08:00

Sysgration a Taiwan company has introduced its ASG 142 Skype mouse phone. It looks, works and feels like a smaller laptop mouse. It uses a 800 DPI optical sensor and you connect it to your USB port. It works perfectly as a mouse but this is not the only thing you get.

Key Features of ASG 142 Skype Mouse phone:

* A green color 1.3 inch LCD display screen
* Displays Skype Contact lists and their status
* Build-in microphone and speaker
* Separate sound chip to enhance Softphone VoIP call quality
* Single USB Cable to handle both mouse and phone
* Supports hands-free speaker phone
* Dot matrix caller-ID and Volume Control IM
* Auto detection between Mouse and Phone
* Uses USB 1.1 interface without extra power or sound card
* Light weight - 100 g

Source:
http://govoip.blogspot.com/

Google Talk is Ready to Go Mobile

2008-12-11T10:13:00.000+08:00

Google is gearing up their voice, IM and open communications platform - Google Talk. Now we can see developers to try enhance Google Talk or get hands on Google’s open platform and the open-source project such like MGTalk is a Java midlet that lets you connect to any Jabber server, supports SSL connection, has a basic chat history and a Gmail notifier. Then if that client doesn’t work for your mobile phone, you may try this modified version - HTTP Binding for Mobile Google Talk that works on any HTTP enabled network.

It is quite interested develop with Google Talk recently, it efforts to enable presence in more places like the web and mobile devices like the Sony mylo, Nokia 770, and RIM BlackBerry…

Source:
http://www.voipsoho.com/blog/

Mobile VoIP - Voice On The Go

2008-12-11T10:10:00.001+08:00

Mobile VoIP - (Mobile Voice over Internet Protocol) is the application of voice over IP technology to mobile devices (PDA, Pocket PC or Smartphone).

Mobile VoIP requires a mobile handset that supports, at minimum, high speed IP communications. Most commonly this is using Voice over Wi-Fi or VoWiFi, but the same protocols typically SIP or Jabber can be used over any broadband IP-capable wireless network connection such as the various 3G standards, EVDO rev A. (which is synchronously high speed - both high speed up and down), HSDPA or potentially WiMax.

Mobile VoIP will require a compromise between economy and mobility. For example, Voice over Wi-Fi offers free service but is only available within the coverage area of the Wi-Fi Access Point. High speed services from mobile operators using EVDO rev A. or HSPDA with probably have better audio quality and capabilities for metropolitan-wide coverage including fast handoffs from mobile base station to another, yet it will cost more than the typical Wi-Fi based VoIP service.

Mobile VoIP will become an important service in the coming years as device manufacturers exploit more powerful processors and less costly memory to meet the users' needs for ever-more power in your pocket. Smartphone in mid-2006 are capable of sending and receiving email, browse the web and in some cases watch TV.

The challenge for the mobile operator industry is to deliver the benefits and innovations of IP without losing control of the network service. Users like the Internet to be free and high speed without extra charges for visiting specific sites versus other sites. Delivering mobile VoIP is a service that challenges the most valuable service in the telecommunications industry – Voice. The opportunities, threatens and pace of innovation in the global communications industry.

There are three main technologies used for mobile VoIP:

* UMA - The Unlicensed Mobile Access Generic Access Network, designed to allow VoIP to run over the GSM cellular backbone

* SIP - The standard used by most VoIP services, and now being implemented on mobile handsets

* Skype Protocol - a proprietary modified version of Jabber

Mobile VoIP took a significant step forward in the summer of 2006 when Nokia included not only a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) stack but a VoIP client in their new E-series dual-mode WiFi handsets (E60, E61, E70). Theses E-series handsets are intended for business users, but Nokia have announced they will release a consumer handset, the N80 Internet edition, in November 2006.

Motorola Mobile Devices and Sony Ericsson have also announced their intention to support VoIP in the future.

Skype are offering their service as a beta trial on certain Windows Mobile devices, and are developing for the Symbian platform.

Source:
http://mobivoip.googlepages.com/mobilevoip

Belkin Wi-Fi Phone For Skype Wireless VoIP phone

2008-12-11T10:07:00.000+08:00

The Belkin Wi-Fi Phone for Skype doesn't require a PC and will work anywhere in the world where you have secured or open access to a WiFi network.

Any home, office, cafe, or municipal wireless access point that does not require browser-based authentication will do.

Pre-loaded with Skype software and featuring the same Skype interface, the Belkin Wi-Fi Phone is ready to use with any wireless network.

To make a call, simply use the intuitive on-screen color menu to locate your contact and view their online availability-exactly like you use Skype today.

The Wi-Fi Phone is Skype-certified, which means that it adheres to all Skype's requirements to ensure that your Wi-Fi Phone experience is just like it is on your PC.

Source:
http://www.google.com/products/

Free international Call - How to FAQ

2008-12-09T22:23:00.001+08:00

Question1: I want to make free international calls to Bangladesh. I live in Malaysia. Can you help?

Answer: Currently Bangladesh is tightening their rules and trying to keep VOIP under a tight regulation. However there is a service which can help you till the market is isolated by the government. The solution is to use Low rate voip

Question2: I am a small businessman in India and have some clients in USA & Canada. I am currently using IDD or Calling cards and sometimes messengers to communicate. But my business requires regular interaction. Can you give me any solution to make free international call to USA & Canada?

Answer: You can make free calls to USA & Canada from India. This is not limited to India but available to all other countries. The solution is to use iCall

Question 3: I am in singapore but my parents live in Argentina, Can i make free calls to argentina? Additionally, is it possible to call Brazil?

Answer: If you live in singapore, you have a added advantage. Singapore is known to a totally FREE VOIP country with minimal regulations for VOIP and telecommunications. One of the most advanced telecom countries in the world to say the least. That means you can make and receive calls in Singapore on landline and mobile both for free. Now coming back to your question, You can call argentina using Voipcheap, voip discount, voipstunt etc.

Question 4: Is it possible to make free calls to India? This was asked by almost 100 odd people over email :-) & Why India is never listed under Free calling destinations?

Let me first answer the second interesting question. India is a traditional telecom country with one of the most stringent regulations. On top of it, it's dominated by the local telcos such as BSNL, MTNL and in private sector, Bharati, Essar & Reliance. There are billions of dollars at stake in the telcom industry which these big punters dont want to give away for FREE. Afterall, they want to cash on your pockets as much as they can till free voip becomes evident and a household name. At the same time, Government makes every attempt not to promote VOIP and benefit the telcos. You know why dont you :-)

Now, what about making free international calls to India? I would say YES and No both. Why no? Because its not possible to make free calls to india, since indian telecom companies charge the VOIP companies for terminating a call on landline or mobile in india. That sucks but it's true. Then you must be wondering how come there are providers who still offer free calls to India. Yes, there are some providers such as Gizmocall who offer free international calls to india. They basically operate in deep pockets and pay off for the termination charge from other paid service. Trust me this model falls off once the difference is huge. But till its there, you can use Gizmocall to make free calls to India

Question 5: I want to make free international call to russia & Czech Republic. Do you know any voip providers offering free calls to russia and czech republic?

Yes, Voipcheap & VoipDiscount offers free calls to Russia Landline. Similarly, they offer free international calls to Czech Republic landline only.

Question 6: I am in India and have aunt in UK, England. Since we have IDD at home, My parents always call her. However the charges are heavy for a IDD call. It seems you have some solution for free international call to UK. Can you share?

UK is another country, owned by local telcos. I mean literally, 02 (BT), orange and T-mobile owns the mobile market and have always charged hefty termination charge for international calls. However, Voipcheap, Mediaring allows free international calls to UK landline only.

I hope the above Question Answer FAQ session has answered most of the queries directed to me on emails/comments on this blog.

You can drop comments if you want any specific answers or if you are looking for free international in your country. I will try to find a solution for you as i always do.

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

VOIPHit Betamax SIP based VOIP Service

2008-12-09T22:21:00.000+08:00

Betamax is a powerhouse when it comes to VOIP Services. They setup new VOIP Services almost every 3 months. Start with extremely low VOIP Calling rates and get you on the board easily.

However one of the most important feature is still missing on many of the existing Betamax VOIP Services such as recently launched VOIPZoom, that's SIP. I hope many of you are already awaere of what's SIP. If not read our Idiot's Guide to SIP.

SIP is now a standard in VOIP telephony but not many VOIP providers reveal SIP details. However, it seems betamax has launched a VOIP Service called VOIPHit which is purely a SIP based VOIP service. They also have VOIPHit softphone which you can download, or just use it via X-lite or setup on our VOIP adapter or SIP Phone.

VOIPHit does not offer any free calling destination. Its only a cheap international call service.

VOIPHit SIP Settings:

SIP port : 5060

Registrar : sip.voiphit.com

Proxy server : sip.voiphit.com

Outbound proxy server : leave empty

Account name : your VoipHit username

Password : your VoipHit password

Display name/number : your sipusername or sipnumber

Stunserver (option) : stun.voiphit.com

Codecs :

G.711 (64 kbps)

G.726 (32 kbps)

G.729 (8 kbps)

G.723 (5.3 & 6.3 kbps)

GSMFR (13.2 kbps)

Source:
http://voipguides.blogspot.com

H.323 Protocol

2008-12-09T22:19:00.000+08:00

H.323 is an umbrella Recommendation from the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) that defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network.

It is widely implemented by voice and videoconferencing equipment manufacturers, is used within various Internet real-time applications such as GnuGK, NetMeeting and X-Meeting, and is widely deployed worldwide by service providers and enterprises for both voice and video services over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.

It is a part of the ITU-T H.32x series of protocols, which also address multimedia communications over Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or Signaling System 7 (SS7), and 3G mobile networks.

H.323 Call Signaling is based on the ITU-T Recommendation Q.931 protocol and is suited for transmitting calls across networks using a mixture of IP, PSTN, ISDN, and QSIG over ISDN. A call model, similar to the ISDN call model, eases the introduction of IP telephony into existing networks of ISDN-based PBX systems, including transitions to IP-based Private Branch eXchanges (PBXs).

Within the context of H.323, an IP-based PBX might be an H.323 Gatekeeper or other call control element that provides service to telephones or videophones. Such a device may provide or facilitate both basic services and supplementary services, such as call transfer, park, pick-up, and hold.

While H.323 excels at providing basic telephony functionality and interoperability, H.323’s strength lies in multimedia communication functionality designed specifically for IP networks.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

2008-12-09T22:18:00.000+08:00

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signalling protocol, widely used for setting up and tearing down multimedia communication sessions such as voice and video calls over the Internet. Other feasible application examples include video conferencing, streaming multimedia distribution, instant messaging, presence information and online games. The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party (unicast) or multiparty (multicast) sessions consisting of one or several media streams. The modification can involve changing addresses or ports, inviting more participants, adding or deleting media streams, etc.

SIP was originally designed by Henning Schulzrinne (Columbia University) and Mark Handley (UCL) starting in 1996. The latest version of the specification is RFC 3261[1] from the IETF SIP Working Group.[2] In November 2000, SIP was accepted as a 3GPP signaling protocol and permanent element of the IMS architecture for IP-based streaming multimedia services in cellular systems.

The SIP protocol is situated at the session layer in the OSI model, and at the application layer in the TCP/IP model. SIP is designed to be independent of the underlying transport layer; it can run on TCP, UDP, or SCTP. SIP has the following characteristics:

* Transport-independent, because SIP can be used with UDP, TCP, SCTP, etc.
* Text-based, allowing for humans to read and analyze SIP messages.

Asteriks

2008-12-09T22:16:00.000+08:00

An asterisk (*) (Latin asteriscum "little star", from Greek ἀστερίσκος) is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often pronounce it as star (as, for example, in the A* search algorithm or C* algebra).

The asterisk is derived from the need of the printers of family trees in feudal times as a symbol to indicate date of birth. The original shape was six-armed, each arm like a teardrop shooting from the center. For this reason, in some computer circles it is called a splat, perhaps due to the "squashed-bug" appearance of the asterisk on many early line printers.

Many cultures have their own unique version of the asterisk. In Japan a character with a similar use (※) looks like an X with dots surrounding it. This mark looks like the Chinese character for rice: 米. The Arabic asterisk is six-pointed. In some fonts the asterisk is five-pointed and the Arabic star is eight-pointed.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterisk

10 Ways to Get Better VoIP Deals During the Downturn

2008-12-09T12:44:00.001+08:00

The natural reaction of businesses to economic downturns is to focus on the challenges, such as how to keep revenue coming in at a reasonable rate. But recessions can also present opportunities, including the ability to get more of what one needs while spending less. That applies to VoIP systems and services as well as other products. The crucial point to remember is that vendors are dealing with the same revenue challenges as everyone else. Their natural tendency may be to offer better bargains to keep the cash flowing. You can take advantage of such tendencies with these tips.

1. Be sure to do competitive bids or RFPs (Request for Proposals). In an environment where sales are scarce, it's almost cruel, not to mention foolish, not to let vendors battle one another for your business. Instead of simply talking to the vendor with the most attractive product or sales pitch, put out an RFP and let the cutthroat environment do the rest. However little you manage to pay the winning bidder, it will still represent money they wouldn't otherwise have had. "Since all vendors will be hungry for the incremental revenue, there should be some aggressive pricing," said Marty Parker, principal at UniComm Consulting LLC. And don't think RFPs are only for huge purchases. They're useful even when buying phone systems for few as 100 seats, claimed Robert Harris, president of consulting firm Communications Advantage Inc.

2. Don't put out just any old RFP, though. The wrong RFP can be worse than none at all. Allen Sulkin, president of TEQConsult Group and well-known RFP guru, provided a detailed look at what makes a good RFP at the recent VoiceCon conference in San Francisco. His recommendations included practices that should be common sense, but too often are not. For example, he noted that performance specifications should be specific, defining all terms that are not in general use and avoiding misleading and ambiguous statements, while shunning generalizations as a whole.

Sulkin also warned that vendors who cannot satisfy requirements will attempt to obfuscate their responses, giving positive answers but with convoluted explanations or referring to attachments many pages long. Sulkin's ultimate recommendation is simple: try to hire a consultant who can help guide you through the thicket of vendor verbiage.

3. Sign a multiyear contract for software or maintenance. If you're expecting to grow after the downturn ends, think long-term in your purchasing. Parker of UniComm Consulting recommended going for a volume discount for purchasing software or maintenance services over three, four or five years, but only paying for the licenses as they are deployed. The advantage of this strategy is that you'll be paying the most later, when (presumably) your business is doing best. But try to make sure that your optimism about growth is at least partially justified, as Parker warned that you'll still have to purchase a minimum number of licenses in the contract time frame.

4. Try to get extra features and functions bundled in your purchase. If you're buying an IP PBX, there are several extra capabilities that cost the vendor little or nothing to provide, if it means the difference between making or losing a sale. UniComm Consulting's Parker thinks you should try to get UC (unified communications) functionality bundled with the basic package if it doesn't come bundled on its own. Overall, the most likely candidates for free bundling are applications and features that run on your own servers, he added. That means they don't use of any of the vendor's resources the way a hosted application, for example, might.

5. Come to think of it, why not try to get other things free as well? You might think that when vendors are under pressure to boost sales you could get a lot of other products or services free or at a discount. How about all those services that would cost your vendor little except the time of its employees, such as pre-installation testing, installation, maintenance contracts, tech support and training? Though it sounds logical, it's not something you should count on, said Harris of Communications Advantage.

For one thing, Harris noted, vendors have probably already laid off as many workers as they can, and the ones that are left are stretched thin. In addition, services are such a crucial source of revenue that suppliers often discount hardware and software just to sell the services that go with them. The only thing it makes sense for vendors to give away is software, according to Harris, because making an additional copy costs them nothing.

6. If you're upgrading or adding to an existing system, refinance the entire system. If you're leasing equipment, you may have some period left to pay on the original lease even while you're adding new equipment. If so, Parker recommended adding the remaining payments to the lease of the new equipment and financing the whole package together. You'll stretch what's left of the original balance over a longer period, thus lowering your monthly payments. "In more extreme cases, you could imagine the company buying a minimal amount of new UC solutions and getting even a 50 percent reduction in annual expense," he stated. "So in the right cases it would pay to buy UC.'" Leasing companies only make such concessions if they're selling a "new" lease, Parker added. He also noted that although this option is always available, customers tend not to use it in good times.

7. Be ready to buy now. When business is slumping, vendors need sales now, not in six months or a year. They're willing to make concessions to get those sales on their books, according to Harris. They're giving concessions, too. Harris said that Cisco System Inc.'s discounts, for example, were greater overall in 2008 than in 2007, reflecting more such concessions. The important thing to remember, Harris warned, is that when a special offer has a deadline, it's not just sales hype. The offer will end when the vendor says it will, so buy in time to take advantage of it. The deadlines are often result of pressures to produce good numbers for quarterly or semiannual financial reports, Harris explained.

8. Consider a hosted or managed version of the technology. Hosted VoIP is of course the main alternative to buying an IP phone system. Parker noted that the big advantage of going hosted is that there are no up-front fees. You can even amortize installation costs in the ongoing monthly payments, he added. The main drawback is that phone calls typically have to travel at least part of the way from the hosted provider to the company's premises over the public Internet, which means there are no quality guarantees. Still, leading hosted VoIP providers have spent considerable time and effort developing the infrastructure and technology to minimize such problems.

9. Be ready to change providers, especially for services. Communication service providers are more interested in gaining new customers than in keeping existing ones, according to Harris. As a result, if you're merely trying to renew a contract, good deals are scarce. "They're not in a hurry to make any less money off of you," he explained. On the other hand, they offer great deals to win new customers or to win back ones that have left. And therein lies a clue as to how to get the best deals from them.

The main problem is that providers know switching vendors can be a pain. According to Harris, the most direct way to deal with that issue is to buy at least one service, preferably your most expensive, from a different provider. Alternatively, do an analysis of how much changing providers will cost, mainly in terms of employee time required to reconfigure your systems. Then show your analysis to your current provider. That'll let them know that you've thought the matter through and are ready to make the change. Either way, you'll get their attention.

10. Be a showcase for an emerging technology. This was a lot easier in the early days of VoIP, Harris noted. Vendors wanted to get the word out about the relatively unknown new kind of phone system. As a result, they often provided it at a steep discount in return for the right to publicize the deployment. This approach works best if you have a corporate name people widely recognize and respect, since it makes your endorsement all the more valuable.

Although VoIP is now familiar, Parker noted that many vendors are still trying to get in the door with UC applications. As such, he recommended asking about trial pricing for prototype products from UC vendors.

How To Buy a VoIP System

2008-12-09T12:14:00.000+08:00

Does your business make long-distance phone calls on a regular basis? Do you have employees at multisite offices or in remote locations? If so, you might want to consider getting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for your business calls. With VoIP, your calls are routed through your computer, allowing them to be conducted without long distance charges no matter where in the world you are calling. This is particularly beneficial to businesses working with international employees and contacts but it can also be useful for businesses that operate at multiple locations.

VoIP can be an excellent tool for communication and a great way of reducing phone costs for your business. But it's not right for every business, so you'll want to look carefully at whether it's something that you want to invest in now. Things you'll want to consider include the amount of money currently being spent on calls, the cost of setting up and maintaining your VoIP system, and the possible drawbacks of using VoIP. A closer look at these topics can assist you in making your decisions.

Here are some things to think about before you get invested in VoIP:

* Does your company regularly make internal long distance phone calls? If so, what is your current system for doing so and what is the approximate monthly cost of that system?
* Does your current ISP have a VoIP option? VoIP is relatively new and not all ISPs offer it yet. Those that are may or may not provide bundled service packages that make the change worth its cost.
* What is the cost of VoIP offered by your ISP, including any hidden costs such as equipment, networking, training and tech support?
* What kind of equipment will be necessary for VoIP set-up?
* Is your small or midsize business already on a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), which facilitates setting up VoIP and reduces initial set-up fees?

Does Your Business Need VoIP?

Your business might benefit from VoIP services if:

* Your business has locations at multiple sites, or remote employees who are already connected through a LAN or WAN. Companies that are already networked find that making the transition to VoIP is relatively low-cost (whereas those that aren't networked should factor in the setup fees).
* Calls to multiple numbers are often made simultaneously by your business.
* It would benefit your business to be able to receive voice mail as e-mail messages, as well as to be able to forward business phone calls to employee mobile and home phones.
* Multiple employees are located in remote locations.
* On-site employees are located in a region where it is common for personal cell phones to have different area code numbers. For example, businesses located in the San Francisco Bay Area often have employees who live in any of a number of different area codes. If regular communications occur with the far-flung employees' home or cell phones, long distance charges can be high.
* Your business already engages in many forms of remote collaboration, including conference calls, and costs may be reduced by going through a VoIP system.
* Your business deals with clients and customers in a variety of different locations, especially internationally, or your business growth plan includes marketing to such areas. While you won't get the reduced cost on calls to non-VoIP clients, you can plan to communicate through VoIP with the employees who are hired in the new locations. VoIP can facilitate those calls.

Types of VoIP

There are two different types of VoIP service. The first is often used by individual consumers. Also known as Internet Telephony, this type of VoIP uses a standard landline and broadband service with an adapter and a VoIP subscription to connect all calls. While some businesses are small enough to consider use of this kind of VoIP system, most businesses will be looking at the second kind of VoIP system. This type of system, designed to link multisite locations to a single line, uses equipment installed at the location to route phone calls through the Internet.

Additionally, you should know that there are two VoIP phone options: hosted and premise-based. Hosted VoIP uses no phone lines and has a single broadband connection for both data and voice. Calls are generally charged per use. In contrast, premise-based VoIP uses standard phone lines connected through the Internet and requires a second broadband connection (one for data and one for voice). Calls are generally charged per line. This is the route many businesses take.

Equipment for Premise-based VoIP

VoIP is relatively easy to set up, particularly for businesses that are already connected to a single network. However, some new equipment will be necessary. This equipment includes:

* A Private Branch Exchange (PBX), which is the hardware that manages the phone calls through the Internet. You may be able to use your existing phone system and upgrade it with IP-enablement software.
* Landline phones. VoIP calls are routed through the Internet but go through a standard phone. The phones used by your business, especially if digital, may work; double-check their compatibility. Be aware, however, that VoIP-specific phones (such as those made by Polycom and Cisco) are generally a better bet for businesses and are usually considered worth the initial output cost because they offer far more call-handling and management functions than standard office phones.
* Accommodations for landline phone needs. If you have other office equipment that uses your existing landline (such as a fax system), you may need to purchase software to upgrade the systems and make them VoIP-compatible.
* Laptop add-ons for employees to use VoIP away from the office.

The Drawbacks of VoIP

Before determining that VoIP is right for your small business, you should take into consideration two major VoIP drawbacks. First, there are problems with maintaining an Internet-based system that don't occur with a standard landline. Inevitably, you'll have software difficulties and Internet outages that will prevent VoIP calls. Because cell phone communication is so prevalent today, this may not be a large problem for most businesses but it should be considered.

The bigger issue is that VoIP increases your network demands. Your broadband connection needs to have enough bandwidth to maintain call quality. If this is a concern, your business should look into Ethernet networks and frame relay networks to improve quality of service. Your company may also require an additional Quality of Service (QoS) application which upgrades the VoIP system to improve communication.

Cost

The bottom line is that the bottom line matters. Costs to consider include:

* Initial set-up, including extra equipment that might need to be purchased to make VoIP work with your existing system.
* Training costs. Will your staff need to be trained on the system? What will this cost if an IT person is needed for the training? What will this cost in terms of time lost to training?
* Maintenance costs (monthly lease fees). Know the details of your plan including per minute, per use or per line VoIP charges.
* Troubleshooting and IT assistance costs. Many companies assist with initial setup at no charge but expect fees for later troubleshooting.
* Bundle options. In the past, VoIP bundles have been for individual consumers (combining home phone, cell phone, broadband, and digital cable) but companies are starting to roll out VoIP bundles for businesses.
* Expected savings. Consider the amount that your business currently spends on long distance calls as well as the projected amount that will be spent in the upcoming year based on your business growth plans. Compare this with the cost of VoIP. Also consider other expenses saved, including the enhanced productivity allowed by remote collaboration via VoIP. And think about areas where your business can cut back because of VoIP; for example, if you have secretaries at every site answering phones, you can streamline that work to one secretary. Additionally, network administrators will be maintaining only one network, saving time and money.

Additional Considerations

After weighing the pros and cons, you have to make the final decision about whether VoIP is right for your business at this time. If you decide that a VoIP purchase is a good idea, consider these final tips for the purchasing process:

* Shop around. This sounds obvious but many business buyers go straight to their own ISP and don't go any further. Explore all of your options before making a VoIP purchase. Consider using a licensed reseller for the purchase.
* Get and understand manufacturer support. Your VoIP system will eventually have problems; at the very least, it will require upgrades. Be sure that you know the details of how to obtain help and services.
* Ask in advance if you will have all of the admin passwords to make simple changes. You want a VoIP system that you can access yourself for things like changing users; you don't want your business to have to foot the bill for an IT person to do that.
* Be sure that your bandwidth capacity will be sufficient. The keywords to look for here are "low jitter," "low latency" and "low packet loss."
* Find out whether add-on services are available (for example, an 800 number for your business) that you may need or want to consider in the future and what the options are for adding-on after the start-up date.

VoIP is increasingly popular among businesses, especially as the potential for remote collaboration is being employed by more businesses. However, it comes with initial and ongoing costs. If the costs outweigh the benefits, don't be afraid to wait until VoIP is a little less of a newcomer technology before making the call for your business.

IPhone, Fring and Skype - a great combo for free calls

2008-12-09T01:11:00.002+08:00

Since the launch of IPhone 3G, developers have been racing to come up with new applications for their big break. I found this is a rather interesting phenomenom, where developers from all over the world give IPhone 3G a lot of attention as never before. It was always been the case where in-house developers came up with application under companies' guideline.

Steve Jobs firmly announced that VoIP application is allowed on IPhone, but ONLY on WiFi network. Came along Fring, a free mobile internet service community,who developed Fring an application to let IPhone users get connected to popular instant messenger network like Gtalk, MSN Messenger, Skype, Twitter , AIM and Yahoo!.

At first,IPhone users would say: "oh, sweet, we can chat, text message, using WiFi network with our buddy list." With a closer look, Skype is the keyword we should pay more attention to. Skype has not come up with native application for IPhone. May be it's under development, or may be they just don't care about IPhone users, no one knows.

Anyway, now, we have IPhone, we have Fring, and we have Skype. If you start connecting the dots, IPhone users can have free VoIP calls or relatively inexpensive international calls. How so? In the nutshell, use IPhone on a free WiFi network, download Fring application from Apple Apps Store, sign up an account with Skype, and voila! You get yourself free calls to others skype users. This would be a good way around for those who want to save money on long distance or international calls, but would not want to invest on actual VoIP service.

If you are an IPhone user and a regular long distance and international caller, this setup would actually work for you perfectly.Give it a try and let us know what your experience.

Source Article:
http://www.voipreview.org/blog

A New Domain Suffix .tel Hopes to Unify Contact Information

2008-12-09T01:01:00.001+08:00

An additional domain naming system becomes available later this week. People and organizations can register URL’s now ending in .tel which is said to store and encrypt information directly into the domain name system. This naming system and available contact information could be the next yellow pages.

.Tel domain names will link the contact information and may include telephone numbers, links to websites, email addresses and other web nick names like your instant message handle or video game screen names. The data will be stored in the DNS so when someone updates their phone number or address using a .tel account it automatically gets updated in the address book of your contact list. What does that mean for address updating websites and associated software like Plaxo and Friendster or Linked In?
The main purpose of .tel is a single management and place for internet communication. Isn’t that what we all want…?

A .tel domain will provide worldwide publicity with,

* An online directory
* Integrated communication which the owner controls
* Contact and Keywords incorporated for unified updating
* Get access to a global online directory
* Integrate all your means of communication in one place

.Tel could have a great impact on mobile markets where people have bypassed the pc for mobile devices like an iPhone or Blackberry. Initially the registration period will only be open to businesses with trademarked names for approximately $400 per year. Early next year domains will be available for less at about $150 a year and after March 24th domains will cost about $20 a year.

Source Article:
http://www.voipreview.org/blog

VoIP Revolution at Internet Telephony Conference

2008-12-09T00:59:00.000+08:00

VoIP is revolutionizing the way the world communicates and gathered right now at the Internet Telephony Conference in Los Angeles, California VoIP leaders are discussing how to transform the way we think about our existing communication devices and what we pay to use them. Remember when cellular phones first came onto the scene?

Technically, I don’t think most mobile phones qualify as cellular anymore but the point is that so much has changed in such a short period of time that even our language can’t necessarily keep up with the technology. When cell phones 1st came onto the scene I remember hearing people talk about how phone companies were probably shaking in their boots because of the competition but people spend more time on the phone than we ever have.

At the Internet Telephony Conference in Los Angeles the discussions are focused on how best to leverage the tools on the market, remote-communications, software application development and voice recognition.

In fact the keynote address by Microsoft General manager, Xeudong Huang talked about how regular objects like a wall could possibly become an interactive tool. He also talked about how Microsoft is planning to expand their Response Point telephone system into a full blown digital voice solution that will link into the SIP-based VoIP service from such partners as Cbeyond and New Global Telecom.

The Response Point system includes a “magic blue button” which uses speech recognition technology in the IP-PBX system to enable speech recognition call transfers, directory lookups, and even free411.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled to hear more about the awesome developments as a result of the mega conference.

Source Article:
http://www.voipreview.org/blog/20080918/voip_revolution_at_internet_telephony_conference

Frequently Asked Questions About Voip

2008-12-09T00:51:00.001+08:00

How VoIP / Internet Voice Works
VoIP services convert your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter. In addition, wireless "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly.

What Kind of Equipment Do I Need?
A broadband (high speed Internet) connection is required. This can be through a cable modem, or high speed services such as DSL or a local area network. A computer, adaptor, or specialized phone is required. Some VoIP services only work over your computer or a special VoIP phone, while other services allow you to use a traditional phone connected to a VoIP adapter. If you use your computer, you will need some software and an inexpensive microphone. Special VoIP phones plug directly into your broadband connection and operate largely like a traditional telephone. If you use a telephone with a VoIP adapter, you'll be able to dial just as you always have, and the service provider may also provide a dial tone.

Is there a difference between making a Local Call and a Long Distance Call?

Some VoIP providers offer their services for free, normally only for calls to other subscribers to the service. Your VoIP provider may permit you to select an area code different from the area in which you live. It also means that people who call you may incur long distance charges depending on their area code and service.

Some VoIP providers charge for a long distance call to a number outside your calling area, similar to existing, traditional wireline telephone service. Other VoIP providers permit you to call anywhere at a flat rate for a fixed number of minutes.

If I have VoIP service, who can I call?
Depending upon your service, you might be limited only to other subscribers to the service, or you may be able to call anyone who has a telephone number - including local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers. If you are calling someone who has a regular analog phone, that person does not need any special equipment to talk to you. Some VoIP services may allow you to speak with more than one person at a time.

What Are Some Advantages of VoIP?
Some VoIP services offer features and services that are not available with a traditional phone, or are available but only for an additional fee. You may also be able to avoid paying for both a broadband connection and a traditional telephone line.

What Are Some disadvantages of VoIP?
If you're considering replacing your traditional telephone service with VoIP, there are some possible differences:

* Some VoIP services don't work during power outages and the service provider may not offer backup power.
* Not all VoIP services connect directly to emergency services through 9-1-1. For additional information, see www.voip911.gov.
* VoIP providers may or may not offer directory assistance/white page listings.

Can I use my Computer While I talk on the Phone?
In most cases, yes.

Can I Take My Phone Adapter with me When I Travel?
Some VoIP service providers offer services that can be used wherever a high speed Internet connection available. Using a VoIP service from a new location may impact your ability to connect directly to emergency services through 9-1-1. For additional information, see www.voip911.gov.

Does my Computer Have to be Turned on?
Only if your service requires you to make calls using your computer. All VoIP services require your broadband Internet connection to be active.

How Do I Know If I have a VoIP phone Call?
If you have a special VoIP phone or a regular telephone connected to a VoIP adapter, the phone will ring like a traditional telephone. If your VoIP service requires you to make calls using your computer, the software supplied by your service provider will alert you when you have an incoming call.

Does the FCC Regulate VoIP?
In June 2005 the FCC imposed 911 obligations on providers of “interconnected” VoIP services – VoIP services that allow users generally to make calls to and receive calls from the regular telephone network. You should know, however, that 911 calls using VoIP are handled differently than 911 calls using your regular telephone service. Please see our consumer fact sheet on VoIP and 911 services at www.voip911.gov for complete information on these differences.

In addition, the FCC requires interconnected VoIP providers to comply with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA) and to contribute to the Universal Service Fund, which supports communications services in high-cost areas and for income-eligible telephone subscribers.

Aspects of these considerations may change with new developments in internet technology. You should always check with the VoIP service provider you choose to confirm any advantages and limitations to their service.

Source Article:
http://www.fcc.gov/voip/

VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

2008-12-09T00:38:00.000+08:00

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP, IPA: /vɔɪp/) is a general term for a family of transmission technologies for delivery of voice communications over the Internet or other packet-switched networks. Other terms frequently encountered and synonymous with VoIP are IP telephony and Internet telephony, as well as voice over broadband, broadband telephony, and broadband phone, when the network connectivity is available over broadband Internet access.

VoIP systems usually interface with the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) to allow for transparent phone communications worldwide.

VoIP can be a benefit for reducing communication and infrastructure costs by routing phone calls over existing data networks and avoiding duplicate network systems. Skype and Vonage are notable service provider examples that have achieved widespread user and customer acceptance and market penetration.

Voice-over-IP systems carry telephony speech as digital audio, typically reduced in data rate using speech data compression techniques, packetized in small units of typically tens of milliseconds of speech, and encapsulated in a packet stream over IP.
Voice-over-Internet Protocol has been a subject of interest almost since the first computer network. By 1973, voice was being transmitted over the early Internet. The technology for transmitting voice conversations over the Internet has been available to end-users since at least the early 1980s. In 1996, a shrink-wrapped software product called VocalTec Internet Phone (release 4) provided VoIP along with extra features such as voice mail and caller ID. However, it did not offer a gateway to the PSTN, so it was only possible to speak to other Vocaltec Internet Phone users. In 1997, Level 3 began development of its first softswitch (a term they invented in 1998); softswitches were designed to replace traditional hardware telephone switches by serving as gateways between telephone networks.

Revenue in the total VoIP industry in the US is set to grow by 24.3% in 2008 to $3.19 billion. Subscriber growth will drive revenue in the VoIP sector, with numbers expected to rise by 21.2% in 2008 to 16.6 million.

Source Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_over_Internet_Protocol