VOIP – What is it and will it work for me?
You may have heard the word VOIP used a lot recently and may be left wondering “what is it and will it help me?” Well, explaining the full intricacies of VOIP is far beyond the scope of this article, but perhaps we can try to clear up a few points.
In short VOIP stands for Voice Over IP and as far as this article is concerned, this relates to the delivery of voice communications over Internet Protocol (IP) such as the internet.
One of the reasons why so much noise has been made over this technology is the cost savings that it can make you.
For instance, let’s compare……………….
a) A conventional telephone system with 25 users, each with a direct dial and the system is connected via ISDN.
With
b) A VOIP based telephone system with 25 users, each with a direct dial and connected via a voice approved ADSL line.
It is highly possible that system b could reduce your monthly call costs by half, yes, that’s right 50%! On the face of it it seems to be a no brainer, coupled with all the additional features offered by a VOIP system such as remote workers being able to have a phone at home that works just as if they were in the office. Plus, where multiple sites are concerned, site to site calls can be free.
However, an ISDN system is very reliable and a VOIP system using a voice approved ADSL line has it’s Achilles heel right there. ADSL lines rarely come with any kind of SLA and their uptime is not as good as ISDN. That’s not to say it’s not an option as there is the possibility of running a backup ADSL line for when the primary fails. Additionally, new technologies such as EFM (Ethernet first mile) can provide a more reliable connection for a VOIP system and often come with an SLA, the cost is higher than ADSL but it may still save money as this technology is capable of serving both your voice and data requirements with one circuit.
To move from ISDN to VOIP most likely some investment will be required, you will probably need to replace your PBX (Phone system) and handsets. A cost saving analysis is worth doing at this point to see if VOIP is for you at this stage.
If you currently have no system and are just about to install your first, chances are that VOIP will be the way to go. The only choice left to make is whether you have an onsite PBX or a hosted system, but that’s a story for another day.
This is really an informative article.. This will help me in my research….
The only VOIP app that works with Android right now is Skype, and AFAIK, it’s only available on Verizon’s dceveis. Sprint doesn’t have a network in Europe. Sprint phones use CDMA network technology, which is not used in most of the rest of the world. You may be able to roam on European networks with your phone, but it’s going to cost you big time. In fact, you’d be advised to not even turn the phone on after you leave the US, because you’ll get hit with incredible roaming fees.If you had a GSM phone, you’d be able to use a local SIM card for phone and text services, and whatever available wi-fi there is for data. But you don’t have that option. This is why I try to talk people out of using CDMA services we’re the only country that uses them, practically.If you have to make calls while you’re there, buy a cheap GSM cell phone on eBay (or ask someone with an account on T-Mobile or AT T is they have an old phone they can loan you). You’d have to get the phone unlocked, but that’s pretty easy, and you can then get a local SIM and call and text where you need.Just remember, overseas and international cell calls are really, really expensive. Avoid doing it unless you absolutely have to.