Voice over IP

Voice over IP is a telephony term which basically describes the facilities for managing the delivery of voice using a broadband connection.

IP telephony can use a company's IP data network for voice calls. The really cool thing about Voice over IP is that it allows you to make free calls and has no monthly fee. If you and your correspondent both use Voice over IP handsets, you can call each other for free and talk for as long as you like. You can even receive all other landline and mobile calls on the same handset.

Hosted Voice over IP will steadily grow as businesses seek lower tariffs and bandwidth becomes readily available. It will remain a choice for multi-branch or large companies and for those whom telephony is a business-critical tool. A company with little need for inter-site telephony will find there is little between hosted Voice over IP and their existing pbx solutions when it comes to cost.

There are advantages of using Voice over IP and these include the following:

• Bypasses cost charges for ordinary telephone services
• Lower capital costs
• Lower management and administrative costs
• Reduced complexity
• Improved integration of distributed business entities
• Reduces the need for traditional telephone equipment (e.g. telephone system)
• Homeworkers benefit by having IP handsets connected directly to their office system which  gives the same benefits and facilities of using the office phone giving the illusion that you are working from the office
• Enables you to keep your number wherever you are in the world and make calls from that country at the cost of making the call in the UK