How to Choose a VoIP Provider

Do you want to know how to choose a VoIP provider? Look no further, this article explains how to choose two different types of Voice Over IP service providers including, free softphone service.

Choosing a VoIP provider may not be as simple as it sounds. This article offers tips on how to choose a VoIP provider, depending on on whether you are using Softphone VoIP service or hardware VoiP services. Find out how to chooise the best voice over IP to suit your needs.

Choosing Two Different Kinds of VoIP Providers

Choosing a VoIP provider can take multiple directions, and we’re going to discuss two in this article: one is choosing a free softphone for VoIP using your computer, and perhaps a headset or external microphone; the other is choosing a VoIP service that provides a connector that links your existing broadband connection to a phone that you own or buy or that the VoIP provider supplies.

How to Choose a VoIP Provider for Free Softphone Service

When you’re choosing a free VoIP provider for calls, you need to:

  • Select a service that is designed with your computer operating system.
  • Select a service that the people you want to be in touch with also use.
  • Find out which services work well in your particular setting and circumstances—when relying on a free service for business or any other essential type of communication, having a back-up is a good idea. Note that service may be fine when you’re talking to a colleague in Sydney, Australia, but not work when you’re trying to communicate to someone much closer and in the US. This is part of why testing and backups are important.
  • Consider the features that the service provides. With softphones, you may find that you get access to Instant Messaging (IM) and even IM forwarding, videochat, multi-way conferencing, file transfer, screen sharing, and desktop sharing. Some of these features may actually make using these services more desirable than using a hardware phone.
  • Consider whether purchasing an external microphone or a headset would make enough difference in your experience to make it worthwhile.

VoIP providers to consider include AIM, Google Talk, iChat,  Skype, Windows Live Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger.

How to Choose a VoIP Provider for a Hardware Phone

In choosing a VoIP provider that provides you with an adapter that turns your broadband Internet service into a phone line for existing or new phones which you or they provide, you will, of course, want to check cost, but also look at features and bundles. If you need a virtual fax service, for example, it may be worth getting both together. If you want a cloned second line—which can be a real asset—you want a provider that provides this feature. Call forwarding is pretty standard, but PhonePower has a feature called Failsafe call forwarding, which—in an outage during which you cannot receive phone calls via the Internet—will forward your phone calls to a number you designate, a service that could be very important in an emergency.

Features such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Return, Simultaneous Ring, Speed Dial, and the ability to keep your existing phone number are fairly standard, but the non-standard feature of US-based technical support for all avenues (phone, Live Chat, and email), which is not standard, could be the key one for you. So check around.

VoIP Benefits for Businesses

If you are a business looking to switch from traditional phone services to VoIP this article is a must read. Read this and learn the VoIP benefits for business and how VoIP can save your business money as well as provide extra security.

VoIP has benefits for everyone. This article focuses on the VoIP benefits for businesses. Voice over IP (VoIP) benefits for businesses help employees be more efficient with a variety of VoIP tools. Keep reading to learn how your business can benefit from VoIP.

Because VoIP technology is often considered to be beneficial for reducing communication and infrastructure costs, many corporations and businesses are switching to include VoIP technology in the form of communication and phone systems.

First off, let’s go over VoIP technology:

  • VoIP technology is the practice of using various technologies including communication protocols and transmission technology to deliver voice communications and multimedia data over Internet protocol (IP) networks like the Internet.
  • VoIP is different than traditional phone calls in that it is transported through IP networks like the Internet rather than the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The data information are transferred into IP packets and then through the digitization process of the analog voice signal, is then encoded and sent over the IP with a packet-switched network. To receive the message being sent over IP, a similar process is then followed in reverse order to answer the phone call.

What are some of the VoIP benefits for businesses?

  • Routing calls over existing data networks can help avoid the need for separate data and voice networks.
  • Conference calls are made much easier and more secure since there doesn’t have to be a third party involved in transmitted the call.
  • Other features like call forwarding, automatic redial and caller ID are typically free tools that can be used from open source VoIP implementations through the subscription with a VoIP provider. With traditional telecommunication companies, these services are usually an additional charge to  your phone bill.
  • VoIP benefits for businesses also include the flexibility VoIP technology offers for business solutions. These features include the ability to transmit one or more phone calls over a single broadband connection.
  • Security is another huge VoIP benefit for businesses. This secure connection is made with calls using standardized protocols like Secure Real-time Transport Protocol. Traditional telephone connections encounter many difficulties in keeping calls secure like digitizing and digital transmission. However, VoIP does not have these issues and is made secure through simply encrypting and authenticating the existing data stream.
  • Another VoIP benefit for businesses is location independence. Using VoIP technology, you can get access anywhere to your VoIP provider  that has a sufficiently fast and stable Internet connection.
  • Integration with other services over the Internet like video conversations like Skype as well as message or data file exchange, audio conferencing and address book management are just a few of the other VoIP benefits for businesses.

Overall, even though there is typically an increased cost initially when switching to VoIP technology, many business operators and company owners feel the VoIP benefits for businesses are worth the cost of the communication system.

What is SIP Trunking

What is SIP Trunking? SIP refers to a VoIP system that uses a BPX connection. Keep reading to see if SIP trunking is something you could use within your business VoIP services.

Without getting too technical, SIP Trunking can be explained as a type of protocol that enables Voice over IP (VoIP), otherwise know as the ability to communicate by voice over the internet.  The acronym SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol  and refers to a service provided by an ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider) that permits businesses to use VoIP by having a BPX installed.  The BPX is connected to the company’s existing telephone infrastructure via the internet.  As a result, VoIP services and their associated advantages become available.

The main advantage of SIP Trunking is that it saves on the cost of making and receiving phone calls by routing them through the internet.  Previously, companies and individuals have used the public telephone network that operates using a switch system with a complex routing operation that results in expensive calls to many areas.  However, SIP offers an affordable alternative that can save a business money by cutting back on long distance charges and operating fees.

In addition, SIP enables individuals within a company to travel around the world, while holding onto the same phone number.  It provide flexibility to a business, plus, offers some beneficial features, such as advanced calling and voice mail options.  In addition, SIP can integrate your phone system with your customer management system, resulting in more efficient communication and better productivity.

The new technology for SIP Trunking is now affordable for businesses of any size, and is rapidly replacing traditional telecom systems.  The main components used for deploying SIP service include an Internet Telephony or SIP Trunking provider, a PBX with an SIP-enabled trunk side, and an enterprise understanding device for SIP communication.  SIP equipment comes with multiple channels that enable numerous conversations to take place at the same time

When shopping for an SIP Trunking provider, one should consider the price, equipment, and system features that are being offered.  The average price of a single SIP trunk is approximately $25 per month, but can vary greatly according to the number of lines, type of equipment, and service provider being used.  The phone equipment provided for SIP service can be used directly through a computer or linked through a phone, and vary according to the vendor.  Plus, the available system features offered with SIP service may include voice mail, faxing, conference calls, 800 numbers, and the ability to convert voice messages into text.

Overall, SIP Trunking is a widely used protocol for Voice over IP.  In addition, some SIP service providers can facilitate online video communication, instant messaging, streaming multi media distribution, file transfer, and online games.  It is a new technology that allows VoIP to replace the standard  telephone operating system with one that is more advanced, and continues to grow in popularity, with a cost efficient infrastructure and useful features.  Many telephone providers and private companies now offer SIP trunking as an alternative means of communication and an effective business solution.

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