Why Choose Business VoIP Telephone Systems?

The latest telephone systems technology for businesses is the business Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. Not many years ago, the only options for businesses was to use their phone service and then you had some features you could choose such as voicemail. Then the VoIP came on the scene for home users, it was cheap, easy to install and you connected it to your existing broadband Internet connection.

Today, the VoIP Telephone Systems has made huge strides in the business world and in fact, the security the business VoIP offers is outstanding compared to just a few short years ago. In the early days of VoIP, the sound quality was horrendous and no one could have used it for business purposes but many home owners overlooked the clarity because the price was so much less than regular phone service.

One of the best aspects to business VoIP Telephone Systems is the mass range of features that are included free. Some of these features include:

• Conference calling capabilities
• Ability to queue calls
• Call forwarding
• Advanced voicemail features
• Faxing capabilities
• Battery backup in case of power outages

The features that are thrown in free are useful especially if your business is growing. For instance, you may not use call queuing right now, but as your business grows, you will find this feature invaluable. Therefore, with business VoIP Telephone Systems, it is highly expandable and you have the features all in place when you need them.

Of course, the greatest attractiveness to the business VoIP is the price, regardless if you are a small business or large, price matters. If you have offices in many locations, many of the business VoIP allow you to call others on the same plan free, which means you are cutting your phone bill every month by a huge amount.

The reliability of VoIP has come a long way from its early days. There was a time when businesses would never consider using VoIP, but technology has advanced and VoIP has become a very stable communication solution for many businesses. If you remembered the VoIP days of old when it was unstable, you might want to take another look at it to see how it can save your company money.

Finally, the VoIP for businesses also have the auto attendant so that calls can be easily routed to the correct extension. This is very useful because it saves you money in that you do not have to hire a secretary or pay the higher price the phone company charges.

Finally, today, more than ever, the phone company and VoIP for businesses are major competitors, and both will tell you their system is best, but when it comes down to features and price, VoIP wins every time.

If you're looking for telephone systems Northeast Mississippi then you need to visit ASI Telecom. Claim your free report "5 Things You Need to Know Before You Buy a Phone System" so that you can make the best decision when looking for telephone systems Northeast Mississippi.

Read more »

Business Phone Lines - Things to Keep in Mind While Installing a New Phone Line for Business

Whether yours is a small business or a big one a carefully selected line can do wonders for your business. It can not only help you control your phone expenses but also meet your business communication needs without compromising on the quality. Therefore, it becomes essential for you to find and opt for a business phoneline that is just right for your company. There are number of options available in the market today, which means you can easily find one that fits your requirements the best. One of the ways to do the same is to browse through the web. All you need to do is fill in your requirements and find a reliable source for your business phoneline. Convergia is a popular and reliable provider of lines. The company aims to provide highest quality services at the best value to its customers.

While opting for a business phone line you should keep in mind that the company and its services match all your requirements. The company that you choose to opt services of should be reliable and should offer quality service. The prices of the services should also be paid attention to. In addition you should also ensure that the company offers maintenance and customer services. As your business is dependent on the phone line it is important that the phone line is working on 24X7 and in case any fault occurs it should be looked into as quickly as possible. Check all the features that are required by your business before selecting a new business line. Also make sure that it has the capability to add more features that you may require in the future.

Installation of a new phone line involves 3 major steps:

1. Ordering for a specified line, that matches your business requirement n should be checked by an expert engineer.

2. Acceptance of the order by the company. In this step, the customer orders the reference number and a customer account number is assigned to the customer.

3. The third and the final step is installation.

Therefore, we can conclude that right choice of phone line installation is extremely important for businesses as it is the only way one can make a business more responsive to customer and clients by interacting with them more easily. Secondly, the phone line that you select should be able to meet the needs of the company and should be flexible enough to handle all types of calls accordingly.

Convergia offers a wide range of voice and data services, including local analog and digital phone lines, long distance, cellular services, hosted PBX, dedicated PRI and T1 voice circuits, prepaid and many more services. For more info visit: http://www.convergia.bz

Read more »

VoIP Security Issues - How Safe Is Your Line?

Voice over IP has become the indispensable face of communication in businesses of all sizes. But the mode of communication has certain security issues that need to be considered seriously. A number of security threats exists among which the denial of service, spit and fraud stand out as most dangerous. However there are ways to safeguard your business from the serious threats.

Distributed denial of service otherwise known as the DoS attack is the most serious threat to VoIP. Any internet connected device and works would be affected by flooding networks with spurious traffic or server requests. The attack is usually caused by machines that have been compromised by a virus or other malware. The whole system grinds to halt and the affected servers are unable to process any valid requests as a result of massive increase in traffic. Certain DoS attacks specifically target VoIP systems but the real time nature of voice traffic means they have a massive impact. Usually the users would detect drop off in service quality and eventually the IP handsets stop working.

Even though it is extremely difficult to defend the networks against DoS attacks, business can stop their machines from becoming part of the problem by updating antivirus software and also by installing firewall. The impact of these attacks can be mitigated by maintain good network practice like changing login defaults and using firewalls. Also businesses need to look carefully at their VoIP infrastructure and make sure that all unnecessary applications are removed.

Soon after considering the network vulnerabilities mentioned above, attention should be given to potential danger of spam over internet telephony or spit. There is a palpable fear that VoIP would suffer the same fate of the email spam. And one of the major downsides of VoIP spam is that email anti spam methods would not work for it. In this scenario, the potential threat posed by spit is making persuading vendors to develop alternate anti spam solutions. The solution would filter the calls that come in the network and check if it is a spam call by verifying the source.

There is a significant area where the malware can pose a serious problem for VoIP users. The biggest concern for business would be the premium rate fraud where hacker enters the telephony system and make calls to the premium rate number. This type of fraud is not a new thing as PBXs have already been vulnerable to these attacks. Such kind of fraud attacks are particularly a menace to the consumers than to businesses since the fraud methods used in email phishing would be honed in voice calls. There are more chances of massive fraud in voice phishing as people tend to simply trust the telephone messages than emails. There have already been some phishing attacks that use a combination of email and also voice for getting credibility to the scam. Even though the security threats faced by VoIP are real, the businesses can ensure the safety of the voice communication by taking proper precautions.

To get more information about VoIP Service as well as finding more information about Toll Free Number and 800 numbers.

Read more »

Mobile Broadband - The Backbone for Mobile VoIP

For a sales based business, the benefits of of VoIP go far beyond mere cost saving and fewer headaches. Though factors like that can be the primary driving force behind the adoption of VoIP, firms soon understand that they can leverage Internet based voice systems to more efficiently manage their sales force and better serve their customers. For this to happen, mobile VoIP is has to be a critical component of the infrastructure for the simple reason that sales people are almost always on the move.

Features such as single number integration for multiple devices are possible only when a mobile phone's service provider plays nicely with VoIP based services. Of course, there are systems like Google voice that enable a "call back" functionality, but that's only a stop gap solution. The real problem is that mobile broadband these days doesn't allow VoIP to reach its full potential.

For one thing, many customers complain about not being able to get the advertised speeds on their mobile network. In the US especially where broadband infrastructure development has been shackled by corporations who try not to upgrade, this is a serious problem. And yet it's only half the story. Sure speed is important, but by itself, VoIP only takes up a minuscule amount of Internet bandwidth. The real problem lies in the fact that many telcos don't play nice with VoIP data.

In Germany for example, T-Mobile has made no bones of the fact that VoIP cannibalizes their regular voice network and have therefore banned VoIP traffic from travelling over their network. Similar attempts were made by Apple and AT&T with the Skype applications. However, after much public outcry and threats from governmental regulatory bodies, the situation has been improved significantly. People are able to now use the full power of VoIP from their uncrippled mobile broadband phones.

In addition, the many studies that shed light on insufficient bandwidth compared to what is advertised have forced the telcos to improve their services - and all this is good for VoIP traffic. Whatever is good for the Internet is good for voice data too and the way things are going now, it can only get better.

New 3G and 4G networks are coming into play and you can be sure that businesses are not going to hold back from making use of these technologies to the fullest. In the long run, VoIP is unstoppable and your businesses needs to adapt as well.

Bhagwad is an expert consultant for a business needing phone service. He also specializes in Mobile VoIP for your business.

Read more »

The Right Internet Phone System Can Lower Overhead Cost

An internet phone system can help small businesses lower operating costs. While some costs are absolutely necessary to do business, others are superfluous. In today's economy, you must find ways to cut costs while not only maintaining but increasing your productivity. Communications is always a necessary expense, it does not have to be astronomical.

Traditional phone companies are no longer the only source for your communications needs. There are many companies now offering voice over the internet protocal, or Voip. The quality of the calls on these service providers has increased dramatically in the last few years.

The innovations in this industry are staggering. One simple account can provide you with a toll free number, voice mail, call forwarding, which are basic services found with traditional phone companies. There are options like music while you wait, emailed voice mail and so much more. However, there are many more options you can add at little to no cost, such as coordinating all of your phone numbers into one main account.

Some of the internet phone systems even offer virtual offices. This is where it becomes interesting. A virtual office gives your small business a big business feel. Some companies even offer you the possibility to have a local number in a foreign country so your overseas clients or family can make a local call. This call is then forwarded to you cell or business at increadibly low costs. Your clients will feel as though they are calling a large corporation which will give you a competitive edge in your market place.

All of these features are often provided at very affordable prices which can, in some cases, substantially lower your overhead costs. There is no special equiment needed and set up is quickly done. You do need to have high speed internet access at your place of business, which in today's world is a necessity.

In order to not only survive in this economy, you must find ways to strive. One way to do this is to outcommunicate your competitors. Another way is to set up systems and procedures to improve your and your entire staff's productivity.

Small business owners should take a serious look at internet phone systems as an alternative to traditional phone services. Your clients perception of your company will increase especially when you combine a VoIP service with a virtual office.

Learn more about an Intenet Phone System. Stop by Laurence Brette's site where you can find out all about VoIP and what it can do for you.

Read more »

Digital Voice Recorders Provide Convenience and Efficiency in Business and Personal Life

Digital voice recorders have played an essential role in businesses for a number of years, providing great convenience and efficiency in a range of environments.

Having voice recording ability is undervalued by most people. Perhaps one of the most valuable benefits of having one is the ability to record your thoughts on the run. For example, if you are in the car and some powerful thoughts pop into your head, it's easy to push the record button.

Whether they're thoughts and ideas about work or social life, having a voice recorder is far more effective than writing them down on paper. To make things even easier, most voice recording equipment comes with voice activation, which means you don't even have to push any buttons.

It's incredible just how often someone thinks of something at a time when the thinking juices are flowing but by the time they go to recall their thoughts most of them have escaped through the cracks.

Lawyers, doctors, detectives and politicians are a just few examples of people who benefit greatly from these great telecommunications tools. They're available in a variety of sizes and offer various features. A compact recorder is perfect for recording notes and reminders or even small group sessions.

With each unit comes a certain memory storage capacity. With a lot of models, you have the option to record in Long Play, which can give you over 444 hours (18 days) of recording time. You can even choose your record quality and this can also affect just how much recording space you get.

Digital voice recorders are the ultimate way to record notes, meetings and ideas without the fuss associated with tapes. Most of the models available on today's market enable you to transfer the information to your computer. The first digital recorders came out in the mid 1990s. Prior to that, the only way to transfer your recorded information was to play back the tape and write it down.

Dave Manville is a telecommunications product reviewer and focuses largely on the digital technology consumer market. He has had recent dealings with Lascom Acoustics, a professional supplier of voice recording equipment. They offer a range of voice recorders that come in various shapes and sizes and offer highly beneficial features.

Read more »

Negatives of Hosted Phone System

Many companies are taking advantage of the features available with a hosted phone system which is often referred as virtual phone system. This is because they can still enjoy the flexibility and savings of VoIP system along with using the on-site offerings of hosted phone system. It can be roughly concluded that a hosted PBX system is a hybrid of standard voip and PBX systems. The benefits of hosted system are that the company would get automatic maintenance and system upgrades from online. There would be no need for physical equipment. The system ensures portability and mobility.

By using this system, there would not be any need for separate voice and data networks, conference calling, more call per single connection, location independence, multi modal access and single number to be presented for the entire company. However every system has its own pros and cons and it is not practical to have a flawless system. When you are enjoying the benefits of technological advancements, you must be ready to face the other side of the coin too. The negatives of the system are that it is less reliable and there would not be any guarantee for quality of service, time delay in its system and it may also suffer from jitter. There may be confusions during calls as a single number is used for the entire company regardless of the geographical differences.

The virtual phone system relies completely on internet and hence a single failure over the internet can isolate the communication and also have redundancy problem. If there is any disturbance in broadband connection, the voice quality would suffer. Local number portability and mobile number portability would have an impact on the system. There would also be problems related to impedance mismatch and echo. Since it is an internet connected device, it is prone to problems related to hacking and there are chances that the password would be lost and hackers may also seize your computer data packets and conceal your computer security. Furthermore, some of the systems don't support encryption and face security problems too.

The main attractive feature of virtual phone system is that it is automated phone system and does not require any receptionist and provides other services like inward calling, call forwarding, call transfer, call screening and fax to email. Since everything is done automatically, there is no need for a receptionist or any human labor to handle the calls. The system however is not free from flaws. The features provided are good enough but not as efficient as manual one. The automatic call system has chances of call delay. There are chances that a customer calling to the number may get irritated when he needs to contact only one department and this automatic system will not provide immediate response to the callers.

Internet is a complex network and if there is a loss in signal the caller may not be able to contact soon and the connectivity may get lost. It is not scalable and a complete redo of infrastructure is needed for upgrades. Emergency calls cannot be routed to a nearby call center and it is not easy to locate the network users geographically.

To get more information about VoIP Service as well as finding more information about Toll Free Number and 800 numbers. To learn more visit: http://www.ringcentral.com/

Read more »

How To Search For People On Skype

Once you have logged in with your Skype ID and password, you will see various tabs at the top of the website. You can use the "Skype" tab to make certain changes to your account.

These are the options that you will have access too when you click on the "Skype" tab: On-line status, Profile settings, Privacy, Account, Buy Skype Credit, Sign Out and Close.

This is the options under each option.

1. On-line status

On line - This setting is to show your contacts whether you are available to be contacted with Skype.

Away - This will show that your computer is connected to the Internet but that you are not at your computer at the moment.

Do not disturb - This will show that you are busy and do not want to be interrupted.

Invisible - This setting is for when you do not want to be visible to people on the Internet via Skype.

Off-line - This is self explanatory.

Set up call forwarding - This is self explanatory

2. Profile settings

- Change your picture
- Add video to your mood
- Change sounds edit your profile
- Link your MySpace profile

3. Privacy

4. Account

5. Buy Skype Credit - This is for non Skype to Skype calls.

6. Sign Out

7. Close

Skype is more than just a way to make a phone call, you can even use text messages with your Skype account.

This is how you would search for people on Skype.

You would go to the tab "Contacts" and then click on it. After doing this, you have several ways of locating the person that you are looking for. You can search for their Skype Name, Full Name or email address. Apart from making use of this information, you will also have certain fields that you can fill in that will enhance your search results.

The fields that you can enter are:

Country/Region, State, City, Language, Gender, Age range

You can also enter contacts from your email address book if you wish too.

A feature that I like about Skype is the smart way to invite people to connect with you on Skype with a preset message that has your Skype ID already entered with in the message.

This great feature is located on the page where you would search for your contacts below the title: "More things you can do".

If you need more help, there is always the help tab that you can access for support. I would recommend you to check if your speakers and camera is working properly with Skype. You can do this by doing the following:

1. Select the contact that you wish to contact by clicking on their name in the contact list on the left hand panel. A window will become visible to the right of your contact panel with the contact details displayed at the top of the Skype site.

2. Decide what call you are going to make by selecting Skype, mobile or office. Remember that Skype to Skype calls is free. Charges will apply to other calls. Now decide if you are going to call with or with out video.

3. You will see a setting to the far right hand side of the Skype site called: "Check Settings". Click on it and a drop down will appear with a few options for you to use that will enable you to check that your computer, camera and sound function is working correctly.

4. The first test that you will be able to do, is to test that your microphone settings are correct.

5. The second test is to test your speaker functionality in Skype.

6. The third test is to detect your webcam or build-in camera of your computer.

7. The fourth test, is to check that your computer speed is adequate to make the call or video call.

These tests could be done in random order, it depends on you to decide which test you choose to do first.

Once you have completed these easy steps, you are ready to make your call or video call.

You will see a box where you can enter text if you choose to rather chat with your contact as opposed to making a call at the bottom of this page where you would make your calls from.

Have fun with your Skype. Look around under the other tabs by clicking on them, you will find that there are a number of games that you can play.

If you are like me, I am more focused on using Skype to connect with people than to play games.

You know what people say about curiosity and the cat? Curiosity killed the cat, right?

If you are an entrepreneur, you have to be curious and explore new ways of doing things, this will bring new opportunities your way and expand your potential.

To your massive success.

Bernardus Diedericks
MLM Assist

Discover proven mlm solutions that work!

By going to http://www.mybernardus.com and subscribing to my website, you will gain access to free training in blogging, social media marketing, article marketing, pay per click, blogging, solo ads and much more as well as how to set up your own website. What is more is that I have a Exclusive Training category where you can pick up some useful tips for your on-line marketing.

Read more »

The Money Saving Ooma Phone Service - What Is Ooma?

Ooma completely replaces your existing telephone services and supplies a crystal clear landline quality phone service, over the internet, that will completely delete phone bills and save you hundreds of dollars per year. Just imagine no more monthly telephone bills, ever again.

The system can be purchased for $250 and from then on no bills and amazon even offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Some More Info About Ooma Voip Phone Service

What is Ooma Voip Phone Service?

Ooma Voip Phone Service, once you purchase the initial equipment, you then receive a completely free home phone service.

All you need to do is plug in your existing high speed internet and phone to the Ooma device and from then on you will be able to ring anywhere in the us for absolutley nothing.

The service is of an extremely high quality and includes call waiting, caller id recognition and voice mail.

Exactly What Do I Need For Ooma To Work?

In a nutshell, all you require for Ooma to work is an existing high speed internet connection and a telephone.

Does Ooma Require A headset?

No, Ooma can be used perfectly well with your existing home phone, cordless or normal corded.

Where Can I call With Ooma?

With Ooma you are able to call local and long distance to 50 american states for free, some exceptions do however apply, Ooma, at present, does not allow 900 telephone numbers and also phone chat services, also directory service calls to 411 will be charged at $.99 for each call. Any extra charges for your own area can be found on the Ooma web site.

The People I Choose To Call, Do They Also Need A Ooma Device?

Absolutely not, unlike lots of other voip services Ooma customers can call anyone regardless of their phone equipment or service.

How Do Others Reach Me With Ooma?

When your Ooma device is registered on-line, you will be given the chance to choose a telephone number to use. Or alternatively you are also able to keep your existing telephone number, however there is normally a one off processing fee of $39.99 for this service.

Can I use 911 Calls With Ooma?

Yes of course, Ooma can provide support for 911 calls, when you register your address is collected and then if 911 is dialled your address will be sent to them. Ooma has even been designed with a land line backup if your internet connection is down for any reason.

Does My PC Need To Be On For Ooma To Work?

No, because Ooma is a completely stand alone application with it's own power source it is always live and does not require that your computer be on to power it. This alone could prove a massive power saving each month.

How Easy Is It To Install Ooma?

The Ooma system is completely self configuring and therefore is very easy to set up and install, most of our customers are up and running in only 15 minutes.

How Much Does The Ooma System Cost?

The complete price for the Ooma system is $249.99 this will include the Ooma Hub and Ooma Scout. A 60 day free trial of Ooma Premier is also included in this price.

Other VoIP Services, Exactly How Does Ooma Compare?

Unlike most of the other voip services out there, Ooma does not require a pc or any software to be installed, there is absolutely no need for a headset as your existing phone can be used.

Does The Ooma Voip Phone service have a Maximum Call Limit?

Yes Ooma does have a limit of 5000 minutes per month for outbound calls, that we only enforce if a user is abusing the system for commercial purposes. Ooma has never had to enforce this with normal domestic users.

Is The Ooma Voip Phone Service able to be Used For International Calls?

Yes the system can be used anywhere there is a high speed internet connection.

If you would like to save yourself hundreds of dollars per year then the Ooma Voip sytem is definitely for you.

Saving money is very important especially nowadays. This is one product that will definitely save you hundreds or not thousands, in its lifetime. To read more about this amazing product check out - Ooma Voip Home Service

Read more »

VoIP & Internet Telephony - Not the Same Thing

If you have a business with a private telephone system (known as a PBX), VoIP technology removes the need for separate phone and computer cabling. The voice calls and data traffic share the office computer network, which has a single architecture. VoIP therefore saves money on cabling and installation, and allows additional features such as hot-desking, plus is paves the way for video conferencing, Wi-Fi mobility and multi-media telephones, expensive now but no doubt will be affordable and the norm in the future.

This "Localized" VoIP has the advantage that businesses don't need separate voice and data cabling systems - the entire data and telecommunications systems can operate with one cabling infrastructure, and the telecoms can be managed and configured within IT policy, no longer being that black art.

Importantly, the office computer network is a hermetically sealed and secure zone, controlled and nurtured by those IT manager wizard guys who put in place network protocols to allow voice calls and data transfer to co-exist in harmony.

And then there's this internet thing, now a spotty teenager with a jumbled "free-for-all" attitude without management or control. And like most teenagers, the internet still has a few years before it calms down and sorts itself out, from the telephony point of view anyway.

With internet telephony, those quality-controlled voice calls must leave the relative safety of their local network and travel across the choppy sea of data known as the world-wide-web, hopefully arriving at another IP phone or system that will convert the data back to voice. And it can be a stormy trip. Many an important call has been sunk whilst crossing the internet.

Our young internet hasn't yet learned to prioritise voice over data, and whereas emails and files will happily dismantle themselves at leisure, with the bits finding their own way to a rendez-voux point at the other end, voice calls can't be interrupted or influenced by other traffic. This is why so many internet calls take two or more attempts to complete, or sound like they're underwater, especially when the kids get home from school and start using Facebook and YouTube.

The same applies for video communications, in fact any live media transmission doesn't stand much of a chance with the internet at the moment.

What about all these free calls? Yes, if the person you're calling is also connected to the internet with a VoIP phone or phone system. But that isn't the case for a lot of the time. Most people across the world are still hooked on mobiles, and many of the older generation use a normal landline (a what?) so your clever high-tech phone calls that have braved the internet find themselves back on the traditional telecoms network, often with extortionate call rates. So make your internet calls short, as they could be expensive before being cut off.

And here's another thought: businesses who decide to use the internet for their internal office-to-office calls need a high-end broadband connection at each end dedicated for the voice traffic, and these come with rental costs, and that's not exactly free either.

So what have we learned? VoIP is certainly the future for telecoms. So is the internet. But unlike telecoms, an old soldier that's been around the block more than a few times, the web still has some growing up to do.

Southern Communications were established in 1965 and offer a complete top-to-bottom business telecoms service for cheaper business calls & lines, phone systems, business mobiles, VoIP solutions and business broadband. We use Tier-1 carriers for phone calls with flexible contract options, no minimum call charges and per-second 3-digit billing for all calls.

Read more »

How to Stop Packet Loss and Latency on Your Internet Connection From Killing VoIP

Most people have access to broadband Internet at home and at work. Broadband speeds continue to improve as well giving ample bandwidth for applications using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Video. However, many Internet connections will not support these applications as their quality is not sufficient. Insufficient quality means they are experiencing packet loss and latency or delays in transmitting packets.

Symptoms of Packet Loss and Latency

Problems with packet loss and latency can manifest intermittent symptoms including outages. Unstable Internet circuits can work fine for hours or days at a time before they will have periods of trouble. In addition, they may have occasional or sustained latency where it takes packets too long to travel to and from your business or home network.

Frequent and intermittent outages are only one symptom of a poor quality Internet circuit. Packet loss and latency will cause trouble with any application that requires packets to arrive to their destination in a timely fashion with little or no retransmissions. Lost packets and latency will cause dropped or garbled VoIP calls, slow and choppy video and slow Internet. They may also cause VPNs between office networks to break halting work flow until the VPN is reinitiated.

Do not give up on these applications working properly

Today's broadband Internet circuits should be able to handle VoIP, video, VPNs and other time critical applications. Wiring within your home or office, software in use or equipment at your site can be the cause lost packets, latency and drops. The problem can also be your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Intermittent problems can be frustrating to solve as issues can be brief and difficult to diagnose at the precise moment of trouble. If you are convinced that it is your ISP and have gotten them involved, they may never be on site while you are experiencing intermittent problems. ISP technicians can be aggravating when they tell you there is nothing they can do since the circuit is working fine now.

Use an IP Packet Loss and Delay Test Tool to Find the Problem

An IP Packet Loss and Delay Test Tool (Test Tool) is designed to help VoIP providers find and eliminate the source of Internet packet loss, latency and outages causing problems with Hosted PBX and Hosted VoIP solutions. You do not need to be a service provider to use these tools and take advantage of the results. Some are free to use and will take less than a minute of your time to start monitoring on any public IP address of your choosing.

Test Tools enumerate and continuously ping each router between the Test Tool host and your IP address. They keep track of latency and packet loss within the network and specific to each router or hop along the way. If present, you can locate specific periods of packet loss and latency. From the reports, you will be able to determine whether the problem is happening only at your location or within the network of the ISP. If the ISP has a congested router causing latency or packet loss, you will know which router it is. This gives you power and knowledge for your next conversation with them.

Whether you are: 1) having trouble with your Internet applications, 2) about to deploy new Internet applications or 3) want to see if your ISP, wiring and equipment are delivering a quality Internet connection, spend less than a minute to follow the link below and start a report.

You are invited to use the HostMyCalls IP Packet Loss and Latency Test Tool for free. It is the same tool VoIP Providers use to find Internet problems. Once started, you will receive an e-mail explaining how to check the progress of your report. Use the Auto Refresh and get instants results while watching the latest data from your IP Address. You are also invited to check out our Hosted PBX - Hosted VoIP business communications service.

Read more »

How to Order Toll Free Number for Your Business

The most important technological equipment needed in business is telephone and also it is very essential for a business. Communication is very important in business and that too communication without any interpretation is needed. So for an effective communication the phone service is important. Business is a very vast field and just having one number will not satisfy our requirements so more than one number is needed. To attract the customers and business clients the company should have toll-free number. What is toll-free number? A toll-free number is a special number where the called party is charged instead of the calling party.

Before going into the topic, let us have an overview about toll-free numbers. The called party has the following advantage when using toll-free numbers. With the help of this number they can make a sale with improved customer satisfaction. A toll-free number gives your business instant credibility and provides your customers easy access to your company. Many business phone system companies provide these facilities to its customers in an effective way and you can order your numbers for your business from these companies. While ordering for a toll-free number we need to know its features and some steps on selecting it.

Once you have decided to order for toll-free numbers, search for a levy free number from the companies. It is also called as 800 numbers and it is used as a local area code for your regional presence. 800 numbers are easy to remember and phone words, which is called as vanity numbers is widely used and along with 800 numbers it spells something that is easier to remember. You can also add as many numbers that you need for your company so that your employees can be reached from any one of your team and also employees of different regions can be connected as if they are in the same office. It has the feature to enter any combination of letters, numbers or wild cards.

A wildcard can help you find an available number that contains specific words and numbers, but is not necessarily 7-digits in length. For example, if you would like the word "bill" in your number, you could search for "***bill". The results would be any available number with the last 4-digits of "bill". Your products or business reach the people very soon with toll-free number and the customers know that your company will take calls from anywhere in the country. Also, your customer gets impressed and can know that your company commands a nationwide presence.

Most of the companies provide you the features such as virtual PBX, advanced call forwarding, answering rules, voice mail, internet fax, auto attendant and real time call control with 800 numbers. To order for it, you can go for a monthly subscription basis and this feature of a business tax free number enables the calls to be received on a mobile phone, a home phone, or a business phone. It is up to the company to decide how calls to the business toll-free number are routed.

To get more information about Fax Service as well as finding more information about Toll Free Number and 800 numbers. To learn more visit: http://www.ringcentral.com/

Read more »

Internet Phone Service Provider - Shopping for the Best

Demand for VoIP services is increasing rapidly. The market and the number of VoIP service providers are also increasing simultaneously. There are numerous VoIP service providers in the market today, some are good and some are bad. Regardless of the size more or less they all offer the same service, however, the quality varies from service provider to service provider. Due to the current socio-economic situations, millions of telephone users around the world are going on an economic diet. Households and large organizations are trying to cut down on their expenses. Majority of the consumers in the telecom sector believe that there conventional telephone service providers are charging them a lot and hence majority of them already have or are considering internet phone service as alternative.

These days, ordering a VoIP service via the internet is the most preferred way of placing an order for internet phone service. Due to numerous VoIP forums, articles and customer feedback of various VoIP companies help consumers to make their decision over the internet. The first step that is involved in deciding which VoIP service to go for, it is imperative that you first identify your needs and requirements. For instance, determine as to whether you make more local calls or international calls. Once such requirements are identified, you will exactly know what to look for in a service. Though if not all most of them offer more or less the same services. For instance, most of the services provider offer value added services like Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Voice to email free, but still it is advised that you make sure that all these services are being provided by your preferred service provider in order to maximize on your investment.

Some service providers that offer Virtual Numbers. With this useful feature, you can have two virtual numbers. You can keep a number of same area code to a different location simultaneously. Like if you have area code of New York and your virtual number is in Houston, calling to Houston would be charged as a local call. Though local or long distance calling is not an issue with internet phone service because most of them offer unlimited local and long distance dialing for a flat monthly rate but surely if a person from Houston wants to call you back then surely that he will incur local call charges.

Furthermore, all VoIP service providers are supposed to offer the e911 emergency service as per the new FCC regulations but some of them is still in the process of implementing the new rules and regulations.

All the aforementioned information concerning an internet phone service provider is easily available via internet. Therefore, you can visit numerous forums or service provider websites and check for customer feedback and can conveniently place an order for your desired VoIP internet phone service on the internet.

Michael - Media Spokesperson of Axvoice USA. Axvoice are leading VoIP Service providers for home & small business users. Axvoice is offering internet phone calls to landlines and mobiles via an internet phone service for a low monthly fee.

Read more »

VoIP - A Business Idea That Makes a Whole Lot of Sense Right Now

Telecommunications is big business. I have always believed that it is a strong business to invest into. It is an industry that will continue to be a leading player for years yet to come because communication is a crucial commodity in modern life in the same way as food and shelter are basic requirements. The need to exchange information is vital to human society whether it's done by means of phone call, video calls, e-mail, letter, SMS, I-chats or even sign language or body language. We will never be able to do away with communication. It is a way of life to individuals who need to connect and for the growth of small and large businesses that cannot afford to go incommunicado. The tools by which we use to communicate will rapidly change over the years, but communication by itself as an act of the exchange of information between people is necessary and indispensable. It is needed for life and critical to the continuing effectiveness of human civilization. If our society should develop into the next higher level of culture then improvements in technology need to happen at the same time.

The advent of VoIP is plainly a major advancement in communication technology. Like all positive development, the VoIP innovation is only going to make people's lives better and easier as the years go by. All VoIP works the same way. In an uncomplicated way, it allows you to make voice calls using an internet phone service provider instead of the regular old phone lines to wherever destination you place a call to. VoIP is definitely better than traditional phone service because:

1. With the arrival of new devices and applications, a wider range of VoIP solutions now includes local and long-distance phone communications, internet calling, mobile communication, faxing, voicemail, video conferencing instant messaging, chat services and web 2.0 interconnectivity.

2. It takes away almost half the costs of a regular landline service depending on your carrier

3. Your number has no limitations as to location because VoIP uses the Internet. You can transfer your VoIP modem anyplace in the world that has internet access and continue to use the same old telephone number with it..

4. You can call as a local call if you apply for a number in that particular city. If you have family and friends you need to keep in constant touch with within a particular city, you can call locally using that number and it will be treated as a local call with no extra charges or fees.

VoIP first came into the scene in the arena of personal computers. Now, it has entered the mobile telecommunications scene through Wifi connections. The technology will continue to improve as VoIP providers continue to make innovations to existing products and services in order to provide better VoIP solutions to consumers.

The VoIP market is booming and the explosive growth is predicted to continue on for the next ten years. In a recent article included in the famed business magazine INC500, the research firm IBISWorld has reported its analysis of the Top Best and Worst Industries of the Next Decade. The Top Best translates to the Top Strongest industries. The Top Worst converts to the Top Weakest industries. It's a fearless forecast that spans the next 10 years and is based on consumer demand and revenue growth. Topping the list for Best/Strongest Industries for the next decade is the VoIP industry. This growth is largely due to the fact that VoIP services are low-priced but offer good value compared to traditional telephone services. The consumer demand has created a lot of competitive businesses with each provider vying for the latest and most advanced innovation to offer discriminating buyers. As a result, the consumer now has more choices for brand with better prices that are easy on the pocket. A great number of companies are already marketing VoIP hardware products, software products and services. The market will continue to saturate because there is increasing demand for VoIP products and services especially among residential consumers. If your business is one that deals with VoIP products and services then this only means that you are at the forefront of success.

VoIP is unquestionably part of modern life. It is a technology advancement that will continue to be a part of regular life over the years as residential consumers and small and large companies have come to appreciate the value of its huge cost-savings, its simplicity in function and its ease of use over traditional telephone systems. That's why a VoIP business is a solid business investment to venture into at this point in time. You simply can't go wrong if you're selling people what they need.

There is much to learn about me and my website. When I'm not enjoying my life as a father, husband or son, I am a member of the fraternity known as "Major League Baseball" (MLB). Over the years I've been viewed around the circuit as an intelligent and committed businessman. So I often pride myself for being the multi-dimensional athlete that I am. Extremely grateful for the gift that God has given me, yet being keenly aware that I will not pitch forever. I choose to use my platform as a professional athlete to foster my growth, as well as the growth of others in the world of business. Jasongrilli.com serves as the connection of my business to yours.

Jason Grilli
Perfect Pitch Marketing Group
http://JasonGrilli.com
http://wildpitchmarketing.com

Read more »

How to Choose the Best VoIP Carrier for Your Needs

VoIP has been creating a stir among the telephony users and has been a growing trend recently. This is due to the special features being offered by the system which is absent in the traditional phone service. In addition, people also receives all the attributes been enjoyed in the normal phone services. The best part is that PC to PC calls are absolutely free and PC to phone calls is comparatively less.

As the popularity of VoIP has grown over the time, there has been simultaneous increase in the number of VoIP carriers that are catering to this spurt in demand. Every person has different telephone needs and many times choosing the best carrier becomes a formidable task. Many carriers are catering to the needs of the people with their cost effective services. However there are certain guidelines that need to be followed in choosing the best VoIP carriers which satisfy user needs.

The basic thing that determines the quality of the carrier pertains to the level it matches the specific needs of customers. As a potential subscriber, you need to gauge the individual requirement in order of priority. Some of you want to make long distance calls while other would be interested in acquiring local numbers in distant lands. Still others would prefer some specialized services like three way conference calling, call blocking, among other things. Quality of the services provided is an appealing factor and hence look for better services offered by the provider. The quality would be determined by factors like broadband connection speed so as to utilize some standalone VoIP providers. Hence it becomes necessary to check for some high quality broadband connection.

Since VoIP is an emerging technology, innovation plays a major part in it. Subscribers should keep this in mind while picking the service provider. Go for carriers that offer attractive and sophisticated services and are also scalable. The customer support of the company should be excellent as they should be open to support round the clock. There would be certain service plans offered by the company from which you need to pick the best one that suits your requirements. Some plans would offer unlimited local and long distance calls while other would offer unlimited international calls.

Cost is a major factor that would be considered by most of the subscribers. Basically the main attraction of VoIP is that it ensures lower telephony costs as compared to traditional phone networks. There are some carriers that would minimize the charges that are passed on to the customers. Identify such providers and take their services. Cost is obviously a deciding factor and it makes sense to go with lower costs even for innovative solutions like internet telephony. Last not the least, you need to give proper attention to the fine print while choosing the carriers which would help you to know more about the terms and conditions. For getting some valuable advice from experience users, you can check online for user reviews. It would be better to select a carrier that would offer satisfaction guarantee or free trial.

To get more information about VoIP Service Providers as well as finding more information about Toll Free Number and 800 numbers.

Read more »

VoIP and the Many Advantages It May Have on Your Business

Understanding VoIP

In order to understand the advantages of VoIP, it's important to know what it is. A quick look is sufficient without going into too much detail. The first thing to understand is that VoIP is a way to transfer your voice over the Internet. Something like Google video chat for example is a form of VoIP. Most people access the Internet through a computer, and so as of now when private individuals use VoIP services, they almost always do it sitting in front of a PC.

However, it's possible for the VoIP service provider to route Internet traffic over a gateway that connects to the regular PSTN systems too. This acts as a bridge between the two networks and allows you to call regular phones from your computer. Of course, if the other person is also using VoIP then we can skip the gateway altogether and talk entirely over the Internet.

Using VoIP in your business

Now of course you can't be sitting in front of your computer whenever you want to make a call. So your VoIP provider can transform every phone in your businesses into a VoIP phone that connects to the Internet instead of the PSTN system. This is called an ATA adapter and is a small device that seamlessly re routes your call. This means you no longer have to rely on your regular phone jack at all, and consequently it implies that you have no bills to pay!

Internet connections are usually a fixed monthly cost - you can transfer as much data as possible for a standard fee. So VoIP is almost free and the only charges you need to pay are the management costs which we'll look at in another article.

Main Benefits of VoIP

Apart from the drastic reduction in cost, VoIP comes with other benefits as a consequence of its integration with the Internet. It's highly scalable for one and can work off any kind of Internet connection - including Wifi. In addition, it's flexibility allows you to implement complicated business rules that would be almost impossible with PSTN lines. For example, calls at certain times of the day or on holidays can be rerouted to another place depending on the situation, and reprogramming it is easy with a graphical frontend.

Cost, Flexibility and Scalability. These three pillars of VoIP make it special and unlike any other communications system you 've ever seen.

Bhagwad is an expert consultant for a Business VoIP Phone Systems. He also specializes in Hosted PBX in a Business Environment.

Read more »

It Is Time To Make The Switch From Traditional Phone Service

So many people are looking for ways to reduce their spending and keep more of their money in their pocket. Nowadays it is not just cutting back on extras, for many families, it also means reducing household expenses. In an attempt to reduce bills, individuals could find themselves switching companies to get a better deal. If you notice that your home phone bill is going up and are reluctant to give up entirely to live with any cell phone service, VoIP may be the answer for you.

VOIP is also known as Voice over IP, if you currently have an Internet connection with broadband, then making the switch to this type of phone service is very simple. All you really need is the investigation of VOIP services online for your area and then decide which company you want to try, most people choose the cheapest one. It is important that when you are considering a VOIP service to shop around and make sure you go with a company that includes all additional services free of charge, as this really takes the hassle of having to pay your phone bill each month out of the equation.

VOIP is a low cost phone service that includes everything you are looking for like voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, and three way calling as well. One of the best features of this service is that you can get all your local and long distance calls for one low price.

Now anyone who has not passed on VOIP is really just wasting time because the service is one that will put the traditional telephone companies into bankruptcy. Call quality and reliability are excellent and for much less than, you hardly feel like you are paying for this service. Traditional telephone service is no more reliable than a VoIP.

If you are someone looking to save money and wants a home service reliable phone that does not cost an arm and a leg, and voice over IP is something to consider. It is a reasonable alternative and a good rest to pay more for telephone service at the price you are hardly using.

If your searching for a satellite internet connection click onto actice8me.net.au. They are Australia's largest supplier of satellite broadband and can provide you will many internet services that you may be shopping for.

Read more »

What Are the Advantages of Using VoIP Mobile Application?

Smart phones are evolving with new and capable technologies being integrated with them. Internet telephony or Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a cutting-edge technology and its use in smart mobile has helped people to gain a number of advantages. A VoIP mobile application is installed in a mobile to facilitate user-to-user calling through internet protocol. So, in what ways is mobile VoIP concept beneficial for the users? Learn about its advantages from the following discussion.

Considerable Cost Saving

People using mobile often complain of huge bills that they need to pay. Mobile VoIP software can help you lower down the monthly mobile bills by a considerable amount. For VoIP calling through mobile phones, you simply need to invest in a good internet connection. Mobile VoIP calling routes the calls through internet, thereby saving the money spent on traditional mobile calling.

Calling while Traveling

Using VoIP on mobile helps people to call even when they are roaming around the world. Traditional mobile calling adds a huge amount to mobile phone bills when calls are made while on roaming. However, you can call using VoIP software installed in your mobile phones to save money while traveling.

Business Telephony

Mobile VoIP software finds a beneficial application in business calling. Most of the organizations provide cell phones to their employees to establish effective communication. However, this adds a significantly high cost to the business expenses of these organizations. Using VoIP technology on mobile phones helps the businesses to amazingly reduce this cost.

Going further, VoIP mobile technology allows the employees to use a number of other features, like participation in teleconference from any part of the world. Call switching and call transfer are other useful facilities established through VoIP mobile application in the mobile phones. The recently launched smart phones are even using the application for instant messaging and setting up multiple chat rooms.

Support for Multiple Platforms

The developers of mobile VoIP applications make the VoIP technology compatible with different platforms. For example, some VoIP software tools for mobile phones support popular operating systems like Windows Mobile and Symbian. Wireless technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can be used to provide internet connectivity for VoIP calling. So, it is a wonderful amalgamation of technologies to make telecommunication easier and convenient.

Amazing Call Quality
Call quality and voice clarity offered by the VoIP mobile applications are appreciably higher than traditional calling. You can call using mobile phone VoIP even if there is weak or no network signal available.

So, it is a wonderful amalgamation of technologies to make telecommunication easier and convenient. iTel Mobile Dialer is a leading name that provides mobile VoIP software for numerous mobile phone models. The company also offers call back and call through software along with VoIP mobile application.

Naveen Kadian is a self employed Internet entrepreneur and product reviewer. We are providing the best VoIP Cellular, IP Telephony and Mobile VoIP Solutions Provider company whose applications and mobile client software's enables you to use your cell phone to make Cheap International Calls over Internet.

Read more »

Why VoIP Phones Are Better Than Plain Old Telephone

VoIP, or voice over IP, is the process and technology of transmitting voice communications or multimedia over Internet protocol (IP) networks. Basically it is making a telephone call over the Internet, and such services require the use of VoIP phones. This is unlike the good old telephone lines still in wide use today.

VoIP phones use the 'voice over Internet protocol' technologies instead of the ordinary PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) or POTS (Plain Old Telephone Services). Calls made through this phone travel in the Internet and/or the private IP network serviced by the company. It isn't like the plain old telephone that has to traverse the publice telephone lines.

Aside from that, VoIP phones have many features that the analog phone doesn't have. It looks like a normal phone but with an LCD on it, to display the user input, caller-ID and messages. Its keypad/touch-pad can enter alphanumeric characters for emailing. Being an Internet phone, it has a built-in Ethernet or wireless network hardware for sending and receiving messages via the Internet and/or the private IP network. There are also wireless/cordless IP phones.

The VoIP phone, because of its features, has technically greater advantage than the plain old phone. It can do a call transfer, where the caller can transfer an active call to another number at the click of a button. It also has a call forward feature, where an incoming call is forwarded to another phone if the number is busy. The call waiting and call flashing is also supported, where a caller will know if the called party is busy. Some IP phones can also support a 3-way (or more) conference call, which is perfect for doing business. Lastly, these phones have a call history feature; where they keep track of incoming and outgoing caller IDs.

VoIP phones have made it possible, unlike the costly long-distance phone calls, to make calls anywhere on the globe at a very low cost (or sometimes free). Though this technology is still gaining fame, there is no doubt that in the near future its going to replace the plain old telephone.

Are you looking for the best VoIP phones? Visit http://www.skysignals.com today for more information!

Read more »

What Are the Different Types of Callback Service?

Callback refers to the process in which the caller's number is recorded and the caller is called back some time later. The process finds application in the sales departments of the business organizations when the sales executives are not able to handle the calls from different callers at the same time. Call center operations also use the callback service to communicate with callers that are missed during peak hours. The advantage of using this service is that it offers low cost calling to the individual who wishes to call back one or more contacts in a day.

From starting till date, three ways of using callback facilities have been developed. Learn about them from the following discussion.

Traditional Callback Service

This is the original callback service in which an individual is required to register his phone number and open an account with a callback service provider. A call back number is assigned to the person on registration. Whenever the person needs to callback, he dials the assigned number and hangs up after one ring. The computer at the service provider's office recognizes the number and calls back the person. In this way, the person is switched to the phone system of the service provider to call any of his contacts.

The advantage of traditional Callback is low cost calling, as the service provider is located in a country with low call rates. However, the process is time consuming and complex for the subscriber. Moreover, some countries ban the use of traditional callback as it affects the revenue generated through high cost calling.

SMS Callback Service

In this, the subscriber to a callback service provider sends a message through SMS service from their mobile phones to the service provider's number. The message contains the number of the subscriber as well as the number of the destination he wishes to call. The service provider then connects the subscriber with his intended destination. It is again a cost-effective solution but it is not applicable to each and every country.

Callback Software Service

The third type makes use of callback software that a person needs to install in his mobile phone. This software makes use of a callback dialer that follows an automated procedure to initiate Callback Service. You can easily integrate the callback software with the existing callback system used by the subscriber. It is not only a cost-effective but a fast solution for calling back.

Callback facilities have helped the businesses to entertain each and every caller so that the businesses don't miss any of their valuable clients.

iTel Mobile Dialer offers callback software that supports a huge array of existing mobile phones. The software is available for the service providers to offer cost-effective and fast callback facility to their subscribers.

Naveen Kadian is a self employed Internet entrepreneur and product reviewer.We are providing the best callback service, IP Telephony and Mobile VoIP Software Solutions Provider company whose applications and mobile client software's enables you to use your cell phone to make Cheap International Calls over Internet.

Read more »

Cheap Solutions to Make Phone Calls For a Flat Rate on Your Computer

We all have the same problem; we're paying too much for our phone service! I mean everyone is telling us we should be using Voice over IP (VoIP) and an internet phone line to save money. So the big question is how? Who to use? How does internet phone service really save money?

Kinda' hard to save money if you don't know how it does this - right?

So here we go, hold on and let's take a dive into the deep end of the VoIP pool for money savings shall we?

OK, so VoIP phone service is simply turning your phone calls (voice) into a stream of data (computer language) that can then be squirted over your internet connection - presto we have an internet phone line!

Problem is not all internet phone service is created equally. You might have even heard of people that had quality problems when talking over a VoIP connection. So to dispel these issues here ('cause it works really well when you have the correct components) let's review what we'll need.

The three requirements for good VoIP phone service

The three things we need here to have a good voice conversation over our internet phone line are:

1. A good clean internet connection 2. A quality Internet Telephony Service Provider (ITSP) 3. A quality handset or business PBX

Let's take a look at some of these quickly, shall we?

Clean internet connection

OK, so a quality internet connection is required because not all internet is created equally. Internet phone lines require a robust, clean connection that is not going to allow for breaks in the conversation, echo on the line or worse yet completely unintelligible conversations.

The way we assure we have a good connection for residential or small business usage is using a cable modem internet connection. We'll need a T1 type connection for larger business applications. Stay away from ADSL and satellite connections to the internet, they simply don't work well. Oh, and stay away from Magic Jack if you are in need of business service. Do the research, you don't need these headaches.

We will also be testing our internet connection FIRST using a VoIP broadband speed test. There are a lot around, look for one that actually simulates a VoIP phone call and gives you a Mean Opinion Score (MOS) that predicts how your VoIP will sound on the circuit.

Quality (ITSP)

When it comes to the ITSP, well, they are not all created equally either, surprised? Don't be. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry (I just had to say that, my mom said that ALL the time) can be a phone company. Yep, they just buy a computer, put some VoIP switching software on it and put it in their garage, then become your phone company. They don't do it very well maybe, but then again, you get what you pay for - right?

So for residential and SOHO office use, you should be able to try a few out without signing a long term contract. In this case, don't buy their IP handsets (use your old handsets or equipment if you can, they should be able to provide analog telephone adapters AKA an "ATA")

Once you've tried the features and quality of the service, then you can make a permanent move to a contract if it saves you more money.

Quality handset or business PBX

Here we have many issues; they become more complex for businesses with more and more users and locations.

For residential or SOHO offices, the cheapest way to get into VoIP is one of the big boys like 8X8, Ring Central or others. Make sure you have a good cable connection (not DSL) and tell them you want ATAs so you can use your old handsets and fax machine.

PS VoIP doesn't like faxing and visa versa. If you do a lot of faxing, do yourself a favor, get a scanner and use an e-fax solution.

For larger businesses, you have numerous options. The best thing is to get with a telecom broker to help you choose the best way to go based on your current equipment and needs.

In general however, we will be able to choose between having the service provider (phone company, or maybe an ITSP) let us use our old PBX and do the VoIP conversions for us.

Our other options will involve what I call "true VoIP" whereby we are either buying an IP ready PBX, or better yet using a hosted PBX if it makes sense for us.

The way we really save money in this application is using our good internet connection (we may have to upgrade somewhat to have a good one) and then putting the voice on the internet phone lines if you will that come thru this connection.

Then we can fire the phone company and their expensive phone service, and start saving money!

By the way, the MORE phone lines we have and the MORE offices or branches we have, in general the MORE we are going to save by a quality VoIP internet phone line implementation.

what more must be learned?

Well, if you're residential customers do some internet research and pick a good ITSP, make sure you have a good cable modem (not DSL) and then have at it. Talk with the ITSP you pick to make sure you understand how their service will work with your existing phones.

If you're a business, then get a hold of someone to help you through the maze. In general, if you have an "end of life" PBX or are a new business and haven't yet purchased a PBX, you have some great options to save even more over the long run by going with a hosted PBX.

If you have a highly mobile business environment, lots of sales or service type people in the filed (think real estate or construction services, etc) then a VIRTUAL PBX might be a wise choice.

All in all, lot's of choices here, but all of them use your good, quality internet connection to do internet phone service and place calls much less expensively because you've fired the phone company!

Got VoIP questions?

Meet E-Dude! Visit http://www.Business-VoIP-Phone-Service.com with simple answers to Voice Over IP questions and choosing VoIP phone service wisely.

More information about internet phone line can also be found at http://www.Business-VoIP-Phone-Service.com/internet-phone-line.html

Copyright: you may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links and this copyright notice remain intact.

Read more »

Which Popular VoIP Service Suits You?

With the newest addition to the VoIP lineup for consumers, FringOut, there are more options than ever for reliable, cheap calls to international numbers. One of the three I've chosen is exclusive to the US, but it's Google Voice and they do plan to roll out internationally at some stage, so it's worth throwing them in so you can either cross your fingers and hope or be content with the service that is actually available to you. The three services I'm comparing today include Skype, Google Voice, and FringOut.

1. Skype has been around the longest and is still in many ways the best at what it does. To use Skype, you'll need to install the desktop program, which functions both as a calling system and an instant messenger. Calling another person on Skype on their PC is completely free and always will be; so is video chatting with a single person. Video chatting with multiple people was recently introduced and has received rave reviews; unfortunately, Skype does plan to charge for this eventually. Skype has excellent voice quality and shares much of its data via open source. Its business offering, however, is somewhat weak, and Skype does not make a huge amount of money from charging people to call others. Their rates are still very low and they offer subscriptions which provide an easy way to make sure you have enough minutes over the course of each month. Skype is also available on virtually all smartphones, and you can also use a Skype To Go number which you call from your mobile to connect you with Skype rates.
2. Google Voice is a US-only service that formerly was not actually VoIP. It's changed quite a lot, however, and is now available through Gmail, on your smartphone, and on your PC. It acts virtually the same way as Skype but does not require any desktop software; it will also ring any or all of your normal phones if your Google Voice number is called, which is very handy for those who would like to switch over completely and enjoy the cost savings. Now that Google Voice apps have finally been accepted for the iPhone, it certainly looks like a winner from here, but it can't quite match Skype's voice or video quality yet. Its touted email transcription feature is also amazingly unreliable; you'll still have to listen to your voicemails unfortunately.
3. Fring formerly was an application for smartphones that combined a number of popular communications services into one. It used these services to offer free calls, video chats, and instant messages to a variety of networks, like MSN, Yahoo, and AIM. Now, however, FringOut brings the service into the wider world of VoIP applications. By using Fring Out, you're calling people who aren't on Fring from one US cent per minute. In this way, it's ridiculously similar to Skype; you can use their computer services for nothing, but if you like it that much, you can keep using it for more. As such, I question whether or not it will be heavily profitable, but it's undoubtedly a good idea, especially since Skype no longer offers their service through Fring. FringOut is not available for desktops, which they tout as an advantage, and can only be used over your Nokia mobile phone, but they are working on availability for more devices in the near future.

Each of these services look very similar, and for the consumer, it can be difficult to choose. At present, it looks like Google Voice is the best option. It's more easily available on every type of phone, still has very low prices, and most people have a Google account that already links in with the service easily. It's just a shame that the winner isn't available internationally; those who wish to use a VoIP service over their mobile phone in the UK are probably best off with Skype, which works on every phone to a high quality standard.

Meghan Burton is a professional copywriter. She recommends Octavia IT Services for IT support London and VoIP phone systems.

Read more »

International Calling Cards Help People Save Money

Cheaper airfares has meant millions of people leave their home country in search of better prospects overseas. Back in the 1960's when workers came to London in droves from the West Indies and the Indian Subcontinent people used to take a long ship ride to the shores of Southampton. Now people simply book a cheap flight online and are able to get on the plane within a few hours.

This has also meant companies in the West moving to India and Philippines in an attempt to be competitive. What the mean is they want cheap labour costs. Associated with cheaper labour costs large multinational businesses will need ensure that communication links between the global offices are capable of handling the throughput of data that will have to be shared between them.

Companies having business global operations result in the need to be efficient in keeping abreast of local issues. Senior management executives will have to travel abroad to retain and win new client business.

One aspect which large companies forgot is to think about how the travelling employee is going to stay in touch with family back home. The most common method of calling abroad is to look for cheap international calling cards. Go into any shop you will see a multitude of calling cards for sale. Choosing the right one for your international country can be tricky as different cards are targeted to different ethnic minorities. Calling cards have helped families to stay in touch without having to spend a lot of money making international calls. The prepaid method of calling cards help people budget their calling expense. Along with telephone booth or calling shops are they are more commonly know you can one purchase international calling cards online at the click on a few mouse buttons.

All the cards operate in a similar way. They will come with a PIN number associated with the card. One has to dial an access number and then one can input the PIN number. Subsequently you will have the dial the full international country code following by your friend number.

Calling cards have helped millions of people stay in touch with family and friends throughout the last 40 years. They have been a real god send for people looking to save money on international calls.

Rob Sheep is a Liverpool football fan and a telecommuncations guru with over 10 years experience in the telecoms business. His latest post on international calling cards reviews the cheapest way to call Africa. He also advises on sim only contract deals.

Read more »

Opting for VoIP Greatly Benefits Small Businesses

Internet telephony or VoIP has been around for quite sometime, but its usage has been limited. Very few businesses embraced the technology in its early form, despite the tempting possibility of paying unimaginably low prices for long-distance calls. The wariness shown then by skeptics was for good reason: the available Internet connections during those days were slow and far from what is ideal for VoIP.

Six years later, small and large businesses are migrating to VoIP technology in droves. Innovations in the technology have made it possible for service providers to offer high quality VoIP service, with the standard features for multiple simultaneous connections, Web conferencing, fax handling, email and voice, as well as non-standard amenities that increase the productivity and flexibility of companies. In short, VoIP has become a convergence tool that simplifies business operations.

Benefits for small businesses

There are many VoIP solutions available that suit the budgets of small companies and start-ups. Some solutions require the purchase and installation of dedicated equipment on the premises, while others offer hosting services wherein VoIP hardware are located offsite and only the interface equipment (PCs, phone extensions, VoIP-enabled handsets) are in the business location. Whatever one chooses, the company will derive the following benefits for going VoIP.

Cheaper local and international calls

This is the most compelling reason for switching to Internet telephony, especially for companies with personnel and clients from all parts of the globe. This includes sales personnel in the field and staff working remotely from homes or branches in other states or countries. Typically, service providers offer free calls between VoIP phones, and fixed rate for local, mobile and international calls that are just a fraction of the prices for wired telephones, giving multi-state or multinational businesses a distinct advantage.

Better customer service and streamlined operations

Among the innovations in VoIP are advanced call distribution (ACD) and integration of customer relationship management (CRM) systems into the network. ACD streamlines call handling by call queuing, call parking (routing an incoming call to a special extension the number of which the receiver will dial to answer the call) and direct inward dialing (bypassing the switchboard and instead connecting directly to the specific office or person, based on the number dialed).

VoIP-CRM integration, on the other hand, leverages the present network infrastructure to add functionalities to increase business capabilities. Tasks like outbound marketing campaigns become easier with CRM features like list management, status reporting, caller ID with instantaneous data retrieval to know at once important customer data, and tracking of calling activities.

The savings on monthly telephone costs and improved productivity are solid reasons for small and medium businesses to take a hard look and consider migrating to VoIP. Leveraging this technology will definitely make small companies with limited resources more competitive during uncertain times. More importantly, adopting VoIP makes a company ready for expansion when the economy picks up.

Saiju is a hosted VoIP PBX and hosted IP PBX expert.

Read more »

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using VoIP for Business

As Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) becomes a mainstream technology, more and more companies adopt it as a cost-effective and flexible means for voice and data transmission. It has come a long way since it first came to mass consciousness back in 2004; it was primarily designed before as an alternative way for consumers to place and receive cheaper telephone calls using existing broadband connections instead of a public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Migrating to VoIP for business

It is always good business sense, whether in good or bad economic times, to make use of technologies that are proven and economical. VoIP certainly offers this advantage, as it has been in used in business settings for quite a while and so far has a good track record in serving the communication requirements of companies without major interruptions or breakdowns.

Known primarily for bringing down the cost of local and international long distance voice calls, VoIP has since enabled business features such as advanced call distribution and integration with customer relationship management (CRM) systems that streamline operations. Using IP PBX (private branch exchange) system for business offers savings in

• Infrastructure. The same network used for data communications is used for VoIP, removing the need for separate subscriptions to telephone and Internet service providers.

• Hardware. VoIP phone extensions are cheaper and the system can use standard desktop PCs and dual-mode cell phones as interfaces, removing the need to buy separate equipment.

• Call costs. Local calls are usually charged a flat rate while cost for long distance calls are just a fraction of the international toll rates for wired lines. This is fantastic for businesses with out-of-state or international branches or clientele, as the telephone costs are lowered significantly in VoIP.

• Maintenance cost. Data networks are less expensive to maintain compared to wired telephone systems. Adding new extensions, moving existing units and changing configurations are a lot easier and there is no need to employ separate personnel to maintain the data network and telephone system.

In addition to savings, broadband telephony offers scalability and flexibility to adapt to future needs and developments. VoIP can be configured easily to what the business presently requires, and the system can be ramped up or scaled down whenever necessary.

Disadvantages of VoIP

In the early days, adoption of VoIP was hampered by unreliable Internet connections that result in lost data packets or non-sequential arrival of packets. The missing or jumbled packets make voice calls liable for momentary audio interruptions and less than ideal call quality.

Current broadband implementations have Quality of Service protocols that aim to ensure more reliable VoIP connections, through tagging and prioritizing time-critical packets, although there is still no 100% guarantee that dropouts won't happen. Moreover, web problems such as DoS attacks and hacking can hamper VoIP calls.

Power failures, calamities and other regional conditions may restrict availability of Internet connection, and consequently, VoIP calling. Most service providers rely on mains electrical supply to power routers and modems, and VoIP systems without backup power supply can become useless during power outages.

Today's VoIP systems have indeed come along way. The rising VoIP migration of companies fuels further research and development, and we can look forward to more interesting features as service providers try to outdo each other in offering innovations.

Saiju is a hosted business VoIP and hosted PBX provider expert.

Read more »

Using The Ooma Telo Handset For Home Phone Calls

Ooma is a leading voice over IP solution that claims a nearly-free telephone system. The Ooma Telo is the newest model, with the Ooma Telo handset being the accompanying mobile device for the system. Users don't have to purchase this model, but it does have its benefits for buyers.

Compared to other headsets, you will pay about the same price for the Ooma Telo handset. You may find coupons in some retailers that will get you below the $50 that the piece usually sells for. Sometimes Ooma has promotions where existing customers may give out coupons to others who do not already have the Ooma voice over IP system.

Synchronizing your headset with the Ooma contacts database in your Ooma panel is possible with the headset. You won't get this type of functionality with other headsets, so it's definitely a major selling point. Otherwise you may have to spend a good hour putting in numbers and names. Instead, Ooma headset users push a button when they add all their contacts from their online panel.

Ooma users get much more than just a phone. The Ooma headset also doubles over as an intercom system. So long as you have enough headsets and the required base station, you can contact other phones in the house much like you would a walkie talkie system. It can also act as a baby monitor, which can go for $50 by itself. The Ooma headset is quite versatile in what it can do, and for the price, it's astounding.

Not all is great for the Ooma Telo headset. It does have its share of pitfalls, such as the response of the phone. You can enter a number as quickly as you like on the keypad, but seeing the numbers on the LCD screen will appear as if the phone is lagging. Perhaps the phone doesn't have the best hardware, or it was something overlooked. Either way, the phone could be a lot faster than what it currently is- but this isn't a huge problem.

Last but not least, we have the design of the phone. There are no complaints in the design department. It's a futuristic looking phone with large numbers, buttons, and easy to read symbols. It doesn't take much time at all to learn what the different buttons do, and the menu system can easily be figured out without having to look at the manual. The only bad thing to say is that the phone has an LED that is always on when its charging- and a bright one at that.

In Conclusion

You won't have many complaints about the Ooma Telo headset. The excitement will come from seeing what Ooma puts out next- hopefully something to take advantage of picture messaging, video messaging, and better response times.

Learn more through Ooma reviews published at computer networking blogs.

Read more »

How to Find a Reliable VoIP Service Provider

It's not easy to find a VoIP provider that's reliable. Part of the reason why firms face so many problems is because the VoIP industry isn't standardized and so there's no basis on which to compare a VoIP service to another. Meaning you can't tell if one service is better than the other simply because of a difference in the way they charge you for new users or the price of say, adding new conference rooms.

But there are some things you must realize a VoIP provider is not, and that's what we look at in this article.

Telephone Number Portability

Most businesses using VoIP start out with a regular PSTN phone system. Over the years, businesses build a client base which relies on the telephone number that the PSTN service provides them with. More importantly, that number belongs to you. Meaning that when you switch telephone providers, you can move your number around and thus maintain your clients without any disruption in service.

However, when you shift to a VoIP service you must keep in mind that if you get a new number from the provider you can't change VoIP services without also changing your number. This looks as if it's a setback for VoIP, but in reality there's an easy workaround. VoIP providers aren't authorized to sell you PSTN numbers so they buy the numbers from the telcos and simply lease them out to you. That is the reason why you can't take you VoIP number with you.

You can however, transfer your PSTN number to your VoIP service provider and this can be done very easily. You maintain your portability for a small fee. One of the tests of whether a provider is reliable or not is whether they mention this potential lock in well in advance for you to make an informed decision.

Partial VoIP and Complete VoIP

You must also take care that your service provider doesn't use VoIP partially. Some providers will require you to make a regular PSTN call to their service centers which will then connect you to your destination over VoIP. This isn't true VoIP and will require you to maintain your ordinary phone service as well. If you're paying for a VoIP service, stay free of this.

There are other ways you can tell a reliable VoIP service provider from one who is not, and we'll be covering them in future articles. Stay tuned!

Bhagwad is an expert consultant for Hosted VoIP PBX. He also specializes in Business VoIP phone reviews.

Read more »

VoIP Fax Software - How To Choose The Right One For Your Business Or Home

In the traditional method of faxing, data transmission occurs using a fax machine connected to a PSTN phone line. In consequence, the communications costs can skyrocket especially for heavy users of the faxing technology. Fortunately, the communications industry has developed the VoIP fax software that can bypass these costs for good.

The Good and Bad

Before you sing hallelujahs to the VoIP faxing, we suggest knowing its good and bad sides. At the very least, you will have a realistic view of what the software can and cannot do for you and your business.

On the good side, fax software using VoIP technology is typically less expensive than the hardware phones also available for Internet faxing. Plus, it is also provides for better and wider options in computer telephony integration, which simply means that you can combine the old with the new technology seamlessly with just a few reconfigurations.

On the bad side, you may find that Internet faxing is not as successful as calling with VoIP technology has been in recent years. It is mainly attributed to the lack of a standalone technology for IP faxing since the VoIP technology is used as the foundation. With the advances in VoIP fax software, we can expect significant improvements in the technology and, thus, better services.

Choice of Software VoIP Service and Phone

You have two considerations to think of when using the VoIP-based fax software. First, the software-based VoIP service works with an application that mimics the traditional phone, known as the softphone.

You can then use the application on a computer to send and receive calls with an input and output device used to facilitate the transfer. Depending on the software, you can choose either an application for installation or an application based on the web.

Second, the VoIP fax software must be suitable to the present and future needs in it. You may ask the following issues as criteria for choosing:

• Software ought to support the existing operating system of the computer network. Changing the operating system just to suit the fax software may not be cost-effective, not to mention that it will take time.
• Software should be easy to use. It makes no sense to use technology that will complicate the process of communication especially as Internet faxing is designed to facilitate faster, easier and cheaper exchange of information and, thus, better decision-making.
• Software can support videoconferencing. Indeed, it is not just fax that the software can support, which makes for greater benefits from the purchase of the application.

Of course, you must also consider the total costs of installation, operation and maintenance of the VoIP-based fax software. These costs will include the purchase price of the software itself along with the accessories, the cost of the equipment and devices necessary to operate the system, and the expenses for its operation, maintenance and repair.

Just as in any business decisions, the action to purchase, install and use the VoIP fax software must be done in carefully planned manner. Money is involved from the time of purchase to the time of usage and we are well aware of just how much money it takes to make more money nowadays.

Still looking for the best voip fax solution?

To learn more start here --> voip fax machine.

Read more »