VoIP Telephone Systems

Voice over Internet Protocol technology has many names. Some of these are VoIP, IP Telephony, Internet Telephony, Broadband Telephony, and Voice over Broadband. What it all comes down to is that it routes a voice or telephone conversation of an internet connection or other IP-type network.

Providers are defined as the companies that are carrying the VoIP service. VoIP protocols are protocols that send the conversation of the network. These may be seen as a commercial version of the 1973 invention of Network Voice Protocol, used by ARPANET providers. These can often be much more cost-effective than typical phone systems, especially when a user already has a network available that can easily add VoIP due to its under use. Typically, all VoIP-to-VoIP phone calls are free. However, many times a call between a VoIP phone and a traditional phone may have a fee that must be paid by the VoIP user.

VoIP telephone systems require much less data. This is in large part due to the fact that they use data compression that is used on digital audio. This also makes communication even more instantaneous, and thus even more functional than most phone systems.

The two most common types of dialing with VoIP are DID (direct inward dialing) and access numbers. DID was invented and patented by AT&T in the 1960’s. In this system of dialing, the phone company allocates the phone numbers reserved for the system, and the administrator distributes them. To explain, if everyone on the system has a seven-digit phone number, plus a four or five digit prefix, then those who are on the same system can simply dial the seven digit number. This way they don’t have to deal with an operator or a VoIP auto-attendant. These are also known as “direct lines.” Access numbers require a user to input an access number or extension, usually via auto-attendant, in order to reach the correct party.

VoIP phone systems can be very useful in a large corporation, business, or even a home. Regardless of initial startup cost, in the long run, they generally save money in the long run.