Internet, phone service VOIP, cell phones and two-way talking televisions are fast taking over our culture. It is for this reason that we need to become educated about these aspects so that we can properly combat the aspects of these issues that are to come.
We must warn others, too, so that they will be ready when the time comes to actually learn how to use some of this great stuff. Take the VOIP services, for example. Who wouldn't want to make a phone call over the internet?
So what is influencing this grand influx in communications? Is it just the way people have always been or is the exciting medium of phone service VOIP entertaining the notion of people stepping outside of their comfort zones for a look at how the other half lives?
A quick gander around at some of the usual suspects of cell phone and VOIP phone services use will tell us that some answers are more confusing, in fact, than the questions.
Take the teenage girl demographic, for example. Without getting too stereotypical, many teenage girls spend upwards of thirteen hours a day on the telephone talking to their girl friends about boy friends and how those boy friends look in designer blue jeans or the latest hoodies from Hot Topic.
This demographic, according to VOIP vendor providers like Skype, are most likely to utilize VOIP services and are most likely to help put VOIP vendors and their families into much larger homes with much larger swimming pools. The cash flow in terms of the teen girl demographic is so huge in terms of Voice over Internet Protocol calls, in fact, that many people can retire after just one afternoon of calls taken from the Eastern seaboard.
Another demographic that is popular is the office worker. This asexual workaholic demographic often spends hours on the telephone as well, brokering some sort of deal from Botswana for hours with people that do not speak the same language. This miscommunication enables workers at VOIP providers to make a lot of money from the phone calls.
The customer, however, still saves a considerable amount of cash on the long distance because most VOIP vendor packages charge little to nothing in terms of long distance. So whether the deal crashes in Botswana or not, everybody wins.
A huge demographic that uses VOIP on a regular basis would be the chatroom types. These people, both male and female, tend to use VOIP services to create a bigger connection to their chatroom friends and create more realism to their experience.
Using phone service VOIP to converse adds an element of vocalized realism to the conversation that you just can't get from typing in what you're doing.
VOIP companies have a lot to gain from the variety of possibilities they can get in terms of customers from all over the world. The change in social climate, call it a "social warming", is bringing people closer together and creating such an influx in social necessity that people all over the world are turning to VOIP services.
The reality behind this is that companies such as Skype or Yahoo have a lot to gain from offering phone service VOIP packages on their websites. Without these phone service VOIP packages, we might all be up a creek without a prayer.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Switching To Phone Systems VOIP For The Long Term
Changing to phone systems VOIP from a conventional phone can seem like a daunting adventure that few would be willing to risk, but in reality it can be quite effortless. The changes involved with VOIP can be intricate and can greatly benefit the user, coming from VOIP vendor services like Vonage or Yahoo Messenger. VOIP services are changing the way the world is talking on the phone.
Purchasing a new VOIP phone system requires the user to know the answers to quite a few questions about the type of service they intend to utilize. It is important to consider all of the various facets of the service in order to choose the right phone systems VOIP service provider to work with the plan.
If the phone is being used for a variety of long distance calls more than any other call type, a plan such as Skype or Vonage may be beneficial because of their great long distance features. Many VOIP systems do not even charge a long distance rate, especially between two users of the same service, so establishing that type of network right away can be extremely helpful to long distance users.
Many Voice over Internet Protocol services charge a flat-rate monthly fee to their users that enable unlimited calls under a plan. Users should comparison shop the monthly fees of the various companies to find the least expensive and then examine the features that they will receive for that monthly fee.
If the features are minimal, it may be worth it to pay a little bit more per month for more benefits. Some companies offer a bare bones calling package of unlimited calls, but little features, for around ten dollars a month. Watch for "deals" like these because they can often leave you without a lot of the key benefits of using Voice over IP.
VOIP phones involve a whole lot of great features that many normal phones do not offer to their great customers. Features like caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, call blocking, fax redirect, last number redial, and exclusive voicemail are all typical of normal phones, but VOIP includes all of those features and more in most of their great plans.
These Voice over Internet Protocol features can be a lot of fun to check out. They include free area code selection that allows the user to select their own area code regardless of where they are in the world. If a VOIP user wants an area code to be located in South Africa, they are welcome to it.
VOIP features also include great tools such as multi-ring features for other calls that come in while the user is taking a call, global travel without long distance rates, instant connectivity to hot spots that enable VOIP users to connect internationally to any internet capable area, a personal computer to phone option that allows great back and forth connectivity, and full sets of contact lists stored on a removable hard drive.
If the user will be making a lot of calls, the features involved with phone systems VOIP create an awesome arsenal of items for the caller that can be overwhelming. Users of phone systems VOIP report nothing but happiness out of their services. It wouldn't be too much of a leap to say that phone systems VOIP is here to stay.
Purchasing a new VOIP phone system requires the user to know the answers to quite a few questions about the type of service they intend to utilize. It is important to consider all of the various facets of the service in order to choose the right phone systems VOIP service provider to work with the plan.
If the phone is being used for a variety of long distance calls more than any other call type, a plan such as Skype or Vonage may be beneficial because of their great long distance features. Many VOIP systems do not even charge a long distance rate, especially between two users of the same service, so establishing that type of network right away can be extremely helpful to long distance users.
Many Voice over Internet Protocol services charge a flat-rate monthly fee to their users that enable unlimited calls under a plan. Users should comparison shop the monthly fees of the various companies to find the least expensive and then examine the features that they will receive for that monthly fee.
If the features are minimal, it may be worth it to pay a little bit more per month for more benefits. Some companies offer a bare bones calling package of unlimited calls, but little features, for around ten dollars a month. Watch for "deals" like these because they can often leave you without a lot of the key benefits of using Voice over IP.
VOIP phones involve a whole lot of great features that many normal phones do not offer to their great customers. Features like caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, call blocking, fax redirect, last number redial, and exclusive voicemail are all typical of normal phones, but VOIP includes all of those features and more in most of their great plans.
These Voice over Internet Protocol features can be a lot of fun to check out. They include free area code selection that allows the user to select their own area code regardless of where they are in the world. If a VOIP user wants an area code to be located in South Africa, they are welcome to it.
VOIP features also include great tools such as multi-ring features for other calls that come in while the user is taking a call, global travel without long distance rates, instant connectivity to hot spots that enable VOIP users to connect internationally to any internet capable area, a personal computer to phone option that allows great back and forth connectivity, and full sets of contact lists stored on a removable hard drive.
If the user will be making a lot of calls, the features involved with phone systems VOIP create an awesome arsenal of items for the caller that can be overwhelming. Users of phone systems VOIP report nothing but happiness out of their services. It wouldn't be too much of a leap to say that phone systems VOIP is here to stay.
An Overview Of VOIP
VOIP refers to Voice over Internet Protocol and is the act of allowing voice conversations to turn to digital items so that they can be transmitted over a network such as the internet. There are many ways to look at the variety of issues around VOIP, most of which will not necessarily offer any clarity to consumers or readers that are not all that versed in technological issues or the internet. The truth is that VOIP can be very complicated and can represent a lot of terminology that many people will not even begin to understand.
Voice over IP services transmit your voice into a sound data packet and transmit that data packet across a network, like the internet, to your intended receiver. A broadband or high speed internet connection is required to participate because that is the protocol by which the communication travels.
This can be a cable modem or a certain package of wireless services, for instance. You also need a computer, a specialized phone, or an adaptor to participate.
Some services allow the user to utilize a normal phone with an adaptor over the computer 's network. Other services, however, require a specialized VOIP phone system that can take and receive phone VOIP calls due to special software located within.
In terms of using a normal phone, there is usually a software package that accompanies the adaptor or the program download that can change your normal phone into something that can accept and send voice over IP phone transmissions.
Depending on the limitations of your service, you may only be able to contact other people with a VOIP service program on their network. There are some programs and providers, however, which allow calls to all people on all phones regardless of the network.
If you are calling a person with a basic telephone (analog), that person does not need any special equipment to receive your call or carry on a conversation with you regardless of the type of phone you call on.
There are a number of issues involved that may cause you to think twice about the service, however. For one, some services will not function at all during a power outage. The service provider may not offer backup power for these situations. Second, VOIP servers may not offer white page or directory assistance programs.
This can be curbed rather simply, however, as the internet is literally at your fingertips. Third, not all VOIP servers link directly to 911 or other emergency numbers. You may have to ask your provider specifically about this issue for an answer.
In June of 2005, the Federal Communications Commission of the United States of America enacted a regulation that insisted that all VOIP providers include 911 emergency services or that they include a sticker or form of notification that signalled that the phone did not offer that service.
There was also an active regulation that made VOIP phone systems subject to the same law enforcement capabilities to wiretap. This was also enacted by the FCC and applies to all servers.
Basically, VOIP allows the user to work from a personal phone or computer to connect through the internet or an adapter through a network to another phone or personal computer.
This technology is changing the way calls are monitored, made, and billed around the world. The United States is fast becoming a leader in VOIP technology regulation and is enacting a variety of regulations on the process to ensure the public 's safety.
Voice over IP services transmit your voice into a sound data packet and transmit that data packet across a network, like the internet, to your intended receiver. A broadband or high speed internet connection is required to participate because that is the protocol by which the communication travels.
This can be a cable modem or a certain package of wireless services, for instance. You also need a computer, a specialized phone, or an adaptor to participate.
Some services allow the user to utilize a normal phone with an adaptor over the computer 's network. Other services, however, require a specialized VOIP phone system that can take and receive phone VOIP calls due to special software located within.
In terms of using a normal phone, there is usually a software package that accompanies the adaptor or the program download that can change your normal phone into something that can accept and send voice over IP phone transmissions.
Depending on the limitations of your service, you may only be able to contact other people with a VOIP service program on their network. There are some programs and providers, however, which allow calls to all people on all phones regardless of the network.
If you are calling a person with a basic telephone (analog), that person does not need any special equipment to receive your call or carry on a conversation with you regardless of the type of phone you call on.
There are a number of issues involved that may cause you to think twice about the service, however. For one, some services will not function at all during a power outage. The service provider may not offer backup power for these situations. Second, VOIP servers may not offer white page or directory assistance programs.
This can be curbed rather simply, however, as the internet is literally at your fingertips. Third, not all VOIP servers link directly to 911 or other emergency numbers. You may have to ask your provider specifically about this issue for an answer.
In June of 2005, the Federal Communications Commission of the United States of America enacted a regulation that insisted that all VOIP providers include 911 emergency services or that they include a sticker or form of notification that signalled that the phone did not offer that service.
There was also an active regulation that made VOIP phone systems subject to the same law enforcement capabilities to wiretap. This was also enacted by the FCC and applies to all servers.
Basically, VOIP allows the user to work from a personal phone or computer to connect through the internet or an adapter through a network to another phone or personal computer.
This technology is changing the way calls are monitored, made, and billed around the world. The United States is fast becoming a leader in VOIP technology regulation and is enacting a variety of regulations on the process to ensure the public 's safety.
Looking For The Right VOIP Phone
The magical VOIP phone can be a novel and stimulating skill for many people, but for others it can be a menacing and baffling undertaking. A VOIP phone might present an arrangement of challenges and issues that you may not be ready to face without learning a whole lot more about what is involved with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).
There are easy ways to learn about this VOIP phone system technology, however. You can check out some information on the internet, for example, or talk to a local phone company customer service representative and ask them all of your questions.
Finding a VOIP vendor in your area can be easy, especially now that VOIP phone system technology has an overwhelming amount of influence in the markets. People are getting tired of their conventional phone services and wish to switch to something that makes calling more inexpensive and more convenient.
Whether or not VOIP phone system technology is the right answer to this question is still a little up in the air, but more and more people are willing to try VOIP systems now more than ever.
VOIP has a variety of names. The most commonly referenced name for VOIP is Voice Over Internet Protocol. It is also known by IP Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband phone, and the popular Voice-over-Broadband.
Essentially, all of those names refer to the same basis element of VOIP; it involves the routing of voice conversations over the internet or through any other possible IP-based network capability.
Companies that supply VOIP to customers are called providers. A provider uses a protocol, which is a term that refers to the set of standards that govern communications, to grant their customers the ability to get through on their network. VOIP systems, thus, enable customers the ability to work through networks like the internet to place all of their phone calls.
The cash savings come by way of utilizing a single network to make all of the calls. Many providers have the networks previously in place due to their ordinary telephone services, so hooking up VOIP costs them little to no extra capital.
VOIP phone systems, for many providers, are almost like free money in the bank. They create the possibility of free calling from one VOIP services user to another, enabling long distance calling to become a lot less of a hassle for the average consumer.
VOIP will change the way we talk to one another, once again, if it hasn't already. The emphasis on VOIP that will really drive a path through the market of telephony will be the cost to the consumer and to the companies involved.
Companies like Vonage VOIP, CISCO VOIP and others hook up VOIP telephony through their existing technology and are enabled an entirely new brand of customer base for little to no cost to them. The customers experience the savings, too, often paying little for a phone plan that enables them to essentially make endless amounts of calls over the VOIP systems.
Voice over IP phone will be the way of the future for many households, especially those that would benefit from having greater long distance telephone possibilities at their fingertips. The world is changing and VOIP phone technology is fast becoming a leader in bringing people closer together without the cost of traditional long-distance telephone systems.
There are easy ways to learn about this VOIP phone system technology, however. You can check out some information on the internet, for example, or talk to a local phone company customer service representative and ask them all of your questions.
Finding a VOIP vendor in your area can be easy, especially now that VOIP phone system technology has an overwhelming amount of influence in the markets. People are getting tired of their conventional phone services and wish to switch to something that makes calling more inexpensive and more convenient.
Whether or not VOIP phone system technology is the right answer to this question is still a little up in the air, but more and more people are willing to try VOIP systems now more than ever.
VOIP has a variety of names. The most commonly referenced name for VOIP is Voice Over Internet Protocol. It is also known by IP Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband phone, and the popular Voice-over-Broadband.
Essentially, all of those names refer to the same basis element of VOIP; it involves the routing of voice conversations over the internet or through any other possible IP-based network capability.
Companies that supply VOIP to customers are called providers. A provider uses a protocol, which is a term that refers to the set of standards that govern communications, to grant their customers the ability to get through on their network. VOIP systems, thus, enable customers the ability to work through networks like the internet to place all of their phone calls.
The cash savings come by way of utilizing a single network to make all of the calls. Many providers have the networks previously in place due to their ordinary telephone services, so hooking up VOIP costs them little to no extra capital.
VOIP phone systems, for many providers, are almost like free money in the bank. They create the possibility of free calling from one VOIP services user to another, enabling long distance calling to become a lot less of a hassle for the average consumer.
VOIP will change the way we talk to one another, once again, if it hasn't already. The emphasis on VOIP that will really drive a path through the market of telephony will be the cost to the consumer and to the companies involved.
Companies like Vonage VOIP, CISCO VOIP and others hook up VOIP telephony through their existing technology and are enabled an entirely new brand of customer base for little to no cost to them. The customers experience the savings, too, often paying little for a phone plan that enables them to essentially make endless amounts of calls over the VOIP systems.
Voice over IP phone will be the way of the future for many households, especially those that would benefit from having greater long distance telephone possibilities at their fingertips. The world is changing and VOIP phone technology is fast becoming a leader in bringing people closer together without the cost of traditional long-distance telephone systems.
Your VOIP Common Questions Answered
Technology is increasing daily and plenty of consumers are facing new challenges about learning new forms of communication using computer hardware or software. The changes in our world raise many questions, and these common questions and answers focus on one growing area of communication, IP Telephony or Voice over Internet Protocol. These questions that people often ask are heard all over these days, but our answers will help explain much about this new phase of keeping in touch with others.
What exactly is IP telephony?
IP telephony is a term that refers to VOIP technology or Voice over Internet Protocol. It is essentially the routing of voice conversations over a network, such as the internet, or any IP based interface.
IP telephony, Internet telephony, Voice over Internet Protocol, VOIP, Broadband telephony, Broadband phone, and Voice over Broadband are all terms that relatively refer to this in the same way.
If someone mentions any of those terms, they are likely referring to the notion of IP telephony. It is a growing aspect to communications, too, and many people are starting to use it in their homes to help with their communications aspects.
Where did IP telephony come from?
IP telephony is a commercial evolution of the 1973 project called "Network Voice Protocol". Network Voice Protocol was a computer networking project that was used to transport human speech patterns over communications networks.
It was developed by internet researcher Danny Cohen of the Information Sciences Institute and was created to demonstrate that it was possible to develop a feasible blueprint for two-way voice communications over a digital network.
The Network Voice Protocol project was used to send speech between sites on the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network or ARPANET. ARPANET is a United States Department of Defense project designed to produce a global network. It also became an ancestor of the internet.
What are some tasks that IP telephony can perform better than traditional communications equipment?
Incoming phone calls can automatically be directed to your VOIP phone, wherever you happen to be in the world, as long as you have access to a network. This means that you can take your phone with you wherever you want and remain connected to your office or to your family without worrying about any long distance aspects or any other additional charges.
There are also connected call center agents online at all times, around the world, that can assist you with any problems you may have with your IP telephony technology. This enables you to remain connected and plugged in to the answers you need while you go where you need to go.
Just how reliable is IP telephony, anyway?
As conventional landline phones are connected to telephone company phone lines, they may actually be kept going in the event of power outages or other occurrences that may interrupt the service. Most household VOIP broadband services, however, rely on a modem connection or other powered services to make the phone work.
In these cases, a VOIP phone may not be the most reliable service you can have. On the other hand, there are many options you can take to create a more reliable service for your phone so that it will not be interrupted by power outage or other issues.
What is Skype?
Skype is one of the most popular providers of VOIP telephony services in the world. Created by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, also of the file-sharing program Kazaa, Skype enables its users to utilize IP telephony software protocols to achieve peer-to-peer voice conversations.
They offer both paid and free services and generally operate for private, personal users. Business users tend to go for some of the more elaborate plans whereas Skype tends to offer what works as more of a messenger service with voice software over a network. Most aspects of Skype are free.
What exactly is IP telephony?
IP telephony is a term that refers to VOIP technology or Voice over Internet Protocol. It is essentially the routing of voice conversations over a network, such as the internet, or any IP based interface.
IP telephony, Internet telephony, Voice over Internet Protocol, VOIP, Broadband telephony, Broadband phone, and Voice over Broadband are all terms that relatively refer to this in the same way.
If someone mentions any of those terms, they are likely referring to the notion of IP telephony. It is a growing aspect to communications, too, and many people are starting to use it in their homes to help with their communications aspects.
Where did IP telephony come from?
IP telephony is a commercial evolution of the 1973 project called "Network Voice Protocol". Network Voice Protocol was a computer networking project that was used to transport human speech patterns over communications networks.
It was developed by internet researcher Danny Cohen of the Information Sciences Institute and was created to demonstrate that it was possible to develop a feasible blueprint for two-way voice communications over a digital network.
The Network Voice Protocol project was used to send speech between sites on the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network or ARPANET. ARPANET is a United States Department of Defense project designed to produce a global network. It also became an ancestor of the internet.
What are some tasks that IP telephony can perform better than traditional communications equipment?
Incoming phone calls can automatically be directed to your VOIP phone, wherever you happen to be in the world, as long as you have access to a network. This means that you can take your phone with you wherever you want and remain connected to your office or to your family without worrying about any long distance aspects or any other additional charges.
There are also connected call center agents online at all times, around the world, that can assist you with any problems you may have with your IP telephony technology. This enables you to remain connected and plugged in to the answers you need while you go where you need to go.
Just how reliable is IP telephony, anyway?
As conventional landline phones are connected to telephone company phone lines, they may actually be kept going in the event of power outages or other occurrences that may interrupt the service. Most household VOIP broadband services, however, rely on a modem connection or other powered services to make the phone work.
In these cases, a VOIP phone may not be the most reliable service you can have. On the other hand, there are many options you can take to create a more reliable service for your phone so that it will not be interrupted by power outage or other issues.
What is Skype?
Skype is one of the most popular providers of VOIP telephony services in the world. Created by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, also of the file-sharing program Kazaa, Skype enables its users to utilize IP telephony software protocols to achieve peer-to-peer voice conversations.
They offer both paid and free services and generally operate for private, personal users. Business users tend to go for some of the more elaborate plans whereas Skype tends to offer what works as more of a messenger service with voice software over a network. Most aspects of Skype are free.
How to ensure the quality of internet VoIP
1. Make sure you have the bandwidth you need. One of your first self-help steps should be to make sure that you have the right amount of bandwidth. As the most successful small-business VoIP provider, with some 8,000 customers, Packet8 service provider 8x8 Inc. provides a reasonable basis for comparison. Its bandwidth rule of thumb is that 25 to 30 percent of the workers at a typical company are on the phone at any one time. Give yourself a cushion and assume it'll be 40 percent. 8x8 uses D.729 compression technology to squeeze a voice call into 25 Kbps of bandwidth. That means for a 10-employee business, you'll need 100 Kbps to carry calls alone, on top of all your other data needs. If your provider uses different technology, find out what it is and adjust your estimates accordingly.
2. Make sure you have the right kind of bandwidth. The "A" in "ADSL" stands for "asymmetric." That means that the speeds are different in different directions. That may be OK for home users who download more files than they upload. But if you do more back-and-forth business than Web surfing on your office network, it might sometimes be harder for people to hear you than for you to hear them. 8x8 Inc. recommends at least SDSL (symmetric DSL) and perhaps fractional T1 connections.
3. Make sure you're not trying to do too much on your LAN. Companies that send a lot of big files around the office network, like graphic images that hog hundreds of megabytes, won't leave much room for voice traffic. Make sure you have a comfortable bandwidth margin even during periods of peak usage. Either that, or prohibit employees from sending large email attachments whenever the boss is on the phone. You also might consider getting a router that prioritizes voice over data. 8x8 sales and marketing VP Huw Rees said that will set businesses back $200 to $300, rather than the $50 or so for a simpler model. He added, though, that with sufficient bandwidth, and enhanced router may not be necessary.
4. Even with normal traffic levels, make sure your gear is up to the job. Some small businesses, believe it or not, try to make do with residential networking gear. A router that lets your family share the DSL connection at home won't work at the office. You might not mind it when a YouTube video stream interrupts your daughter 's GTalk call to her Facebook pal across the country, but your sales superstar whose big closing pitch gets cut off because everyone is logged on to your competitor 's Webinar will surely mind it a lot.
5. Intimidate your provider with tough technical questions. Ask your VoIP provider how much packet loss its technology can handle without calls sounding like two robots talking. If it tells you anything more than 1 percent, ask for a discount or go elsewhere. When the provider 's gear buffers packets to cope with jitter, how much delay does that introduce? There may be no right answer to that question, but there is also the question of the maximum total delay its service typically experiences. More than 250 to 300 milliseconds, and the callers start talking over each other, one of the most irritating aspects of poor call quality.
6. Speaking of delay, ask your provider about its provider. Does it use a name-brand carrier with a network far-flung enough to deliver the voice packets on one hand to a POP (Point of Presence) near you, and on the other hand to gateways near the people you're calling, wherever they are? If it does, latency problems should be minimal, because the only uncontrolled part of your packets' journey will be the last mile over the open public Internet from the POP to you. 8x8 says that latency on Level 3 's backbone, which it uses exclusively, has become insignificant.
7. Speaking of quality, ask your provider how it tests it. Does it even test for voice quality using MOS (Mean Opinion Score), a standard measure for how people perceive the quality of voice calls? (A score of 4.0 is "toll quality.") If so, does the provider mathematically derive MOS values solely from IP network performance stats? If it does, it might be doing a superb job of delivering voice packets that contain grotesquely distorted sounds. Psytechnics CTO Mike Hollier insists that it 's necessary to record actual calls themselves and analyze them to provide meaningful MOS readings. 8x8, for its part, said that it used to do that, but the company eventually found that it understood the correlation between the mathematically derived scores and the quality users perceived well enough that it could cut back on such end-to-end testing.
8. Ask your provider about troubleshooting. If your call quality isn't up to par, is the provider 's solution a page of frequently asked questions and an email address for contacting technicians? 8x8 's Rees said that with the days of erratic Internet performance long (at least a year) in the past, most current problems result from bad LAN setups, including culprits such as faulty wiring and misconfigured routers. That 's the kind of problem that a set of generic answers can't begin to address. 8x8 puts customers in touch with wiring specialist CSI Inc. when they need more individualized help.
From all this, it 's clear that all Internet VoIP is not created equal. And even though you may be shelling out only $50 per month on your credit card for unlimited nationwide calling, it doesn't mean that all you can do is pay your money and take your chances.
2. Make sure you have the right kind of bandwidth. The "A" in "ADSL" stands for "asymmetric." That means that the speeds are different in different directions. That may be OK for home users who download more files than they upload. But if you do more back-and-forth business than Web surfing on your office network, it might sometimes be harder for people to hear you than for you to hear them. 8x8 Inc. recommends at least SDSL (symmetric DSL) and perhaps fractional T1 connections.
3. Make sure you're not trying to do too much on your LAN. Companies that send a lot of big files around the office network, like graphic images that hog hundreds of megabytes, won't leave much room for voice traffic. Make sure you have a comfortable bandwidth margin even during periods of peak usage. Either that, or prohibit employees from sending large email attachments whenever the boss is on the phone. You also might consider getting a router that prioritizes voice over data. 8x8 sales and marketing VP Huw Rees said that will set businesses back $200 to $300, rather than the $50 or so for a simpler model. He added, though, that with sufficient bandwidth, and enhanced router may not be necessary.
4. Even with normal traffic levels, make sure your gear is up to the job. Some small businesses, believe it or not, try to make do with residential networking gear. A router that lets your family share the DSL connection at home won't work at the office. You might not mind it when a YouTube video stream interrupts your daughter 's GTalk call to her Facebook pal across the country, but your sales superstar whose big closing pitch gets cut off because everyone is logged on to your competitor 's Webinar will surely mind it a lot.
5. Intimidate your provider with tough technical questions. Ask your VoIP provider how much packet loss its technology can handle without calls sounding like two robots talking. If it tells you anything more than 1 percent, ask for a discount or go elsewhere. When the provider 's gear buffers packets to cope with jitter, how much delay does that introduce? There may be no right answer to that question, but there is also the question of the maximum total delay its service typically experiences. More than 250 to 300 milliseconds, and the callers start talking over each other, one of the most irritating aspects of poor call quality.
6. Speaking of delay, ask your provider about its provider. Does it use a name-brand carrier with a network far-flung enough to deliver the voice packets on one hand to a POP (Point of Presence) near you, and on the other hand to gateways near the people you're calling, wherever they are? If it does, latency problems should be minimal, because the only uncontrolled part of your packets' journey will be the last mile over the open public Internet from the POP to you. 8x8 says that latency on Level 3 's backbone, which it uses exclusively, has become insignificant.
7. Speaking of quality, ask your provider how it tests it. Does it even test for voice quality using MOS (Mean Opinion Score), a standard measure for how people perceive the quality of voice calls? (A score of 4.0 is "toll quality.") If so, does the provider mathematically derive MOS values solely from IP network performance stats? If it does, it might be doing a superb job of delivering voice packets that contain grotesquely distorted sounds. Psytechnics CTO Mike Hollier insists that it 's necessary to record actual calls themselves and analyze them to provide meaningful MOS readings. 8x8, for its part, said that it used to do that, but the company eventually found that it understood the correlation between the mathematically derived scores and the quality users perceived well enough that it could cut back on such end-to-end testing.
8. Ask your provider about troubleshooting. If your call quality isn't up to par, is the provider 's solution a page of frequently asked questions and an email address for contacting technicians? 8x8 's Rees said that with the days of erratic Internet performance long (at least a year) in the past, most current problems result from bad LAN setups, including culprits such as faulty wiring and misconfigured routers. That 's the kind of problem that a set of generic answers can't begin to address. 8x8 puts customers in touch with wiring specialist CSI Inc. when they need more individualized help.
From all this, it 's clear that all Internet VoIP is not created equal. And even though you may be shelling out only $50 per month on your credit card for unlimited nationwide calling, it doesn't mean that all you can do is pay your money and take your chances.
Will the downfall of Vonage hurt residential VoIP customers?
Vonage, already struggling from a series of setbacks, has just taken another two huge body blows — one by the U.S. Court of Appeals on behalf of Verizon, and the other by Sprint Nextel. At first glance, it looks like the old-school phone companies are not only fighting back, but winning. But is that really the case, and if it is, what does that mean for other VoIP providers?
First, the news. The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a previous decision to award an injunction against Vonage 's use of technology based around two patents held by Verizon. A third patent was also involved, and in that case, the verdict is not yet final — it has been sent back to the original court for further clarification and a recalculation of awards and damages associated with the verdict. That last part, at least, is a little good news, since it suggests that the $58 million in damages plus 5.5 percent royalties on future sales that was originally awarded may be reduced. This came one day after a New York court reached a similar decision in a suit brought by Sprint Nextel, in which it awarded the company damages of $69.5 million and 5 percent royalties on future Vonage sales. This award is being appealed, and it may yet be set aside.
The result was a drop in stock price for Vonage to just more than $1, as well as a suspension of trading. Less than 18 months ago, Vonage went public with an initial share price of $17. That 's a huge drop and a huge blow to the company. In addition, if both lawsuits end up where they stand right now, Vonage is going to be paying 10 percent of everything it makes to two of its biggest rivals, not exactly a recipe for success.
What Next?
Despite a giant customer base, a well-known brand and, yes, even some loyal customers, it is hard to imagine Vonage recovering from these blows. Instead, it is likely that its customers will drift away over the next two years. The big question: Where will they go? Probably in the short term, the most likely answer is to their local cable provider. One of the reasons for Vonage 's early success was simply that cable companies weren't in the game. Now that they are and are offering VoIP service in combination with Internet and TV service (usually in the popular "triple-play" package, in which voice, Internet and TV service cost $100 per month), it is hard to see customers looking much beyond that easy, one-stop shopping.
And the other question that has to be troubling the other (smaller) residential VoIP companies is whether or not these telco and cable giants are going to come after them next.
But there are two other groups that could see some success. One is the more edgy VoIP players that offer basic free services while charging for extras. This group is led, of course, by Skype but include tens — even hundreds — of niche players. And Skype, despite some recent bad publicity, is clearly making inroads. It now has 20 million registered users in North America, up from 10 million a year ago. Since the company makes the concurrent numbers of users at any one time public, it is easy to see that it now has more than 9 million callers actively using Skype at any moment. And Skype, like other client-based VoIP services (Gizmo Project and several cell-phone VoIP enablers like Truphone spring to mind), is moving relatively fast in terms of adding functionality and features.
Wifi VoIP
The other group is far less obvious — it 's the mobile-phone providers. As more and more people abandon landlines altogether, mobile-phone companies are also stepping in to IP-based services to expand their offerings and reduce their costs. The previously mentioned Truphone is an example, having just demonstrated true VoIP calling on the Apple iPhone.
All of these players are just itching to step in and grab chunks of the lucrative residential phone pie. In fact, they already have much of it. So what 's left for VoIP?
The simple answer is business. Business VoIP is a whole other kettle of fish. That market is changing rapidly, and PBX (Private Brach eXchange) services in particular are letting small companies look like big companies while still operating at small-company prices.
The more complex answer is in interconnecting everything. VoIP isn't going away; in fact, VoIP is rapidly being put inside every form of voice calling — from traditional telco to mobile phone to business PBX to voice services — if it isn't already there. It isn't VoIP that 's in danger from a Vonage collapse — it 's the idea that just changing from traditional telephone circuits to VoIP is all that it takes to make a new phone company.
First, the news. The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a previous decision to award an injunction against Vonage 's use of technology based around two patents held by Verizon. A third patent was also involved, and in that case, the verdict is not yet final — it has been sent back to the original court for further clarification and a recalculation of awards and damages associated with the verdict. That last part, at least, is a little good news, since it suggests that the $58 million in damages plus 5.5 percent royalties on future sales that was originally awarded may be reduced. This came one day after a New York court reached a similar decision in a suit brought by Sprint Nextel, in which it awarded the company damages of $69.5 million and 5 percent royalties on future Vonage sales. This award is being appealed, and it may yet be set aside.
The result was a drop in stock price for Vonage to just more than $1, as well as a suspension of trading. Less than 18 months ago, Vonage went public with an initial share price of $17. That 's a huge drop and a huge blow to the company. In addition, if both lawsuits end up where they stand right now, Vonage is going to be paying 10 percent of everything it makes to two of its biggest rivals, not exactly a recipe for success.
What Next?
Despite a giant customer base, a well-known brand and, yes, even some loyal customers, it is hard to imagine Vonage recovering from these blows. Instead, it is likely that its customers will drift away over the next two years. The big question: Where will they go? Probably in the short term, the most likely answer is to their local cable provider. One of the reasons for Vonage 's early success was simply that cable companies weren't in the game. Now that they are and are offering VoIP service in combination with Internet and TV service (usually in the popular "triple-play" package, in which voice, Internet and TV service cost $100 per month), it is hard to see customers looking much beyond that easy, one-stop shopping.
And the other question that has to be troubling the other (smaller) residential VoIP companies is whether or not these telco and cable giants are going to come after them next.
But there are two other groups that could see some success. One is the more edgy VoIP players that offer basic free services while charging for extras. This group is led, of course, by Skype but include tens — even hundreds — of niche players. And Skype, despite some recent bad publicity, is clearly making inroads. It now has 20 million registered users in North America, up from 10 million a year ago. Since the company makes the concurrent numbers of users at any one time public, it is easy to see that it now has more than 9 million callers actively using Skype at any moment. And Skype, like other client-based VoIP services (Gizmo Project and several cell-phone VoIP enablers like Truphone spring to mind), is moving relatively fast in terms of adding functionality and features.
Wifi VoIP
The other group is far less obvious — it 's the mobile-phone providers. As more and more people abandon landlines altogether, mobile-phone companies are also stepping in to IP-based services to expand their offerings and reduce their costs. The previously mentioned Truphone is an example, having just demonstrated true VoIP calling on the Apple iPhone.
All of these players are just itching to step in and grab chunks of the lucrative residential phone pie. In fact, they already have much of it. So what 's left for VoIP?
The simple answer is business. Business VoIP is a whole other kettle of fish. That market is changing rapidly, and PBX (Private Brach eXchange) services in particular are letting small companies look like big companies while still operating at small-company prices.
The more complex answer is in interconnecting everything. VoIP isn't going away; in fact, VoIP is rapidly being put inside every form of voice calling — from traditional telco to mobile phone to business PBX to voice services — if it isn't already there. It isn't VoIP that 's in danger from a Vonage collapse — it 's the idea that just changing from traditional telephone circuits to VoIP is all that it takes to make a new phone company.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
