VoIP,Business VoIP,VoIP phone service,Residential VoIP Service Providers and VoIP services

VoIP Charges are a case of ‘tail wagging dog’

2012-01-25T03:37:00.000-08:00

The Federal Communications Committee (FCC) in America is letting the tail wag the dog, according to search giant Google.

Proposed plans to charge Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) on a per minute basis in the same way as regular telephony could be a huge blow to the industry says Google.

The have accused the USA telecoms regulator of trying to stifle what is a rapidly expanding industry with possible call termination charges.

Currently one of the factors which makes VoIP so appealing is that information can be routed over the internet free of charge (once the internet subscription has been set up).

Up until now an ESP exemption has meant that VoIP traffic is free of charge. While telecommunications companies have railed against this disadvantage, VoIP providers have claimed that information, and this is basically what is being sent over the VoIP lines, should be free on the internet.

The Google lawyer Donna N. Lampert wrote to the FCC to persuade them to see the bigger picture – VoIP traffic is a very small part of the overall IP traffic which Google deals with.

Yet VoIP services like Skype have long been trying to monetise what is essentially a free service. Although Skype has millions of users only a small fraction of them are paying subscribers.

The Google figures show that VoIP calls now account for 21,000 terabytes a month compared to the 36,000 terabytes used for conventional calls.

Regular telephone traffic is certainly declining and it is clear that there will have to be a shift in the way it is administered as a result.

Lightyear Network Solutions Offers VoIP in the Cloud

2012-01-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

Hosted VoIP and cloud computing are the two standards which business service provider Lightyear Network Solutions has chosen to take it into the future.

The company is on the verge of rolling out VoIP in the cloud to small and medium sized businesses.

That will allow their customers to keep and integrate their existing traditional PBX (if preferred) with VoIP solutions for business.
Despite losing company founder Sherman Henderson recently the company is determined to plough on by increasing its portfolio and expanding its network services.

The new CEO Stephen M. Lochmueller told Fiercevoip: "We are pleased to announce the launch of our new product, which further enhances our extensive portfolio. Hosted VoIP is part of our strategic plan to make the cloud valuable and affordable for SMBs.”
Lightyear Network Solutions already has a strong customer base in the USA.
Hosted VoIP allows them to increasingly offer flexible and scalable solutions which can save companies costs and deliver fixed mobile convergence.

Service Options for Businesses

2012-01-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

Most small businesses will want to choose a hosted VoIP service, where the equipment and maintenance are handled by the hosting service provider. This allows for extremely rapid installation of a new system in most cases, normally within weeks (“But it can take up to a month if the existing business number is to be ported to a VoIP service provider,’ notes Scarborough).

The number of providers offering hosted VoIP phone services is growing rapidly. Their competition for your business lets you find the best possible rates and features. VoIP makes sense for businesses that are exploring ways to reduce their telecommunications fees. The technology has gotten better; it’s cheaper, and can be implemented relatively rapidly. But beyond cost savings, it allows businesses to access a large number of features that are unavailable to them with traditional phone services.

“I believe that the greatest advantage of VoIP phone services is that it allows a business to ‘future proof’ its phone system,” says Scarborough. “All too often, a company will invest $30,000 (or more) into a traditional system that works for them for a few years, and then they discover they’ve outgrown it. You don’t outgrow your VoIP service, because it’s simple to add new lines and phones, and to align features to communication needs of the individual user. Businesses that use it know they have access to the latest features, since these are always being upgraded with the latest VoIP hosting software.”

For many businesses, the future will be leveraging VoIP services, with reduced costs and the ability to integrate voice with other data-based technologies. The bottom line is improved customer service and higher productivity, and VoIP service is proving that it delivers both to a greater degree than was possible before.

Faxing over VoIP

2012-01-04T01:59:00.000-08:00

As far as VoIP has come in Voice telephone calls, faxing over VoIP still has a lot of room to improve.

Have you ever tried to fax on your residential VoIP line? I have, and it didn't go well. After doing some research on the subject I found out that the voice traffic and the Fax traffic are best run over two different codecs. This is why when most VoIP carriers sell you a business account they include a free additional fax line with the faxing specific codec to allow for faxing.

Faxing on a Voice VoIP line is possible but not recommended. You can fax a page or two over your Voice VoIP line but it may take you several attempts to accomplish. The reason is when the fax tone is digitized into packets, there is packet loss. Packet loss on a voice is not that critical because even with a little packet loss, you can still hear and understand what the person is saying. But, when there is packet loss on a fax, any little bit can really mess up the fax. The result can be a bad fax, error message, or even a dropped call. When faxing over a Fax Codec, the loss of packets is minimized and faxes generally make it to its destination, but in the case of a large fax (10+ pages) your chances of a successful fax diminish. It is recommended that a customer who is planning on faxing quite a bit get a fax machine that also doubles as a scanner and can convert potential faxes into a .PDF file so if the fax over VoIP does not work, the customer can email the fax.

Programmers are coming up with a better codec all the time, so it is only a matter of time before VoIP providers come up with a more reliable faxing VoIP codec. VoIP is here to stay and the VoIP providers are trying to overcome all of the objections from small businesses to gain their business, and faxing is a large issue for small businesses. I have the utmost confidence in VoIP providers to come up with a solution that is viable by the end of 2005 or earlier.

Faxing is only one of the things to consider before choosing a VoIP solution. In fact, there are many things to consider when choosing a VoIP provider.

Mobile VoIP - Voice On The Go !

2011-12-19T04:39:00.000-08:00

Mobile VoIP - (Mobile Voice over Internet Protocol) is the application of voice over IP technology to mobile devices (PDA, Pocket PC or Smartphone).

Mobile VoIP requires a mobile handset that supports, at minimum, high speed IP communications. Most commonly this is using Voice over Wi-Fi or VoWiFi, but the same protocols typically SIP or Jabber can be used over any broadband IP-capable wireless network connection such as the various 3G standards, EVDO rev A. (which is synchronously high speed - both high speed up and down), HSDPA or potentially WiMax.

Mobile VoIP will require a compromise between economy and mobility. For example, Voice over Wi-Fi offers free service but is only available within the coverage area of the Wi-Fi Access Point. High speed services from mobile operators using with probably have better audio quality and capabilities for metropolitan-wide coverage including fast handoffs from mobile base station to another, yet it will cost more than the typical Wi-Fi based VoIP service.

Mobile VoIP will become an important service in the coming years as device manufacturers exploit more powerful processors and less costly memory to meet the users' needs for ever-more power in your pocket. Smartphone in mid-2006 are capable of sending and receiving email, browse the web and in some cases watch TV.

The challenge for the mobile operator industry is to deliver the benefits and innovations of IP without losing control of the network service. Users like the Internet to be free and high speed without extra charges for visiting specific sites versus other sites. Delivering mobile VoIP is a service that challenges the most valuable service in the telecommunications industry – Voice. The opportunities, threatens and pace of innovation in the global communications industry.

Ecommerce VoIP provider TelcoDepot.com Launches Expanded range of TalkSwitch VoIP Phone Systems on on-line Store

2011-12-12T21:03:00.000-08:00

Ecommerce VoIP Equipment and VoIP service supplier TelcoDepot.com has launched an expanded vary of industry-leading TalkSwitch VoIP phone systems on its on-line phone system store. TalkSwitch VoIP solutions are optimized for little businesses and deliver increased productivity, performance and potency. TelcoDepot.com additionally provides business phone systems, Hosted PBX solutions, VoIP phones, business VoIP service, conferencing system solutions, Microsoft Response purpose solutions, VoIP gateways, phonephone equipment accessories and phone system support solutions for businesses.

TalkSwitch provides small businesses with great VoIP systems and productivity tools that enable them to try to do more with less since operating more efficiently and growing with ease. TelcoDepot.com currently stocks a full range of VoIP equipment and tools from TalkSwitch.

“TalkSwitch is synonymous with little Business VoIP systems, and their product are designed with the small guy in mind; combining wonderful business communication options with great software, productivity tools and the power of VoIP, they are a good work for a small businesses trying to change to VoIP as simply and affordably as potential without compromising scalability and performance," says Yaron Ram, Principal at TelcoDepot.com.TelcoDepot.com provides the complete suite of TalkSwitch VoIP Phone systems, accessories and software, with great support choices for installation, cabling, programming, shipping and a lot of.

TalkSwitch Auto Attendant and Voicemail memory upgrades are also offered from TelcoDepot.com including one hour, 2 hours, 4.5 hours and nine hours packages.** TalkSwitch VoIP systems from TelcoDepot.com come loaded with options and choices that boost little business productivity while being scalable and versatile.

TelcoDepot.com Launches New Microsoft Lync VoIP Phones on on-line Store

2011-12-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

TelcoDepot.com has launched a brand new assortment of Microsoft Lync compatible VoIP Phones on its on-line phone system store. TelcoDepot.com currently offers VoIP phone solutions that integrate with Microsoft Lync to deliver a really unified, wealthy and collaborative corporate communications surroundings leveraging IM, Voice, file sharing, video conferencing and additional to expand and enhance the capabilities of traditional IP PBX systems.

Microsoft Lync was designed with corporate needs in mind and delivers a really unified communications environment that uses wealthy integrated communications solutions together with Instant Messaging, Voice over IP, document collaboration, file sharing, video conferencing and alternative solutions to increase the scope, usability, productivity and effectiveness of traditional IP PBX systems within the workplace.

TelcoDepot.com offers an assortment of Microsoft Lync compatible VoIP phones and solutions together with the Clear One Chat seventy HD personal speakerphone, connects to laptop for wealthy hands-free audio communication, Jabra DIAL 520 MS USB handset solution, Jabra SPEAK 410 MS Microsoft Lync optimized USB speakerphone, Plantronics 82783-11 P540-M USB Phone for Lync, Aastra 6725i VoIP phone for Microsoft Lync OCS 2010, Aastra 6721i VoIP phone for Microsoft Lync OCS 2010, Snom 821 VoIP phones, Snom 720 VoIP phones, Snom 300 SIP-based VoIP phones, Polycom CX200 desktop phone for OCS, Plantronics 81402-02- Calisto P420M USB speakerphone for Microsoft Lync, Polycom CX100 speakerphone for OCS, and the Polycom CX300 desktop phone for Microsoft Lync.

Discounts are available on all Microsoft Lync compatible VoIP Phones purchased from TelcoDepot.com; please ask with TelcoDepot customer Care.“Microsoft Lync permits businesses to expand and extend their existing IP-PBX primarily based communications systems to really harness the power of the net by integrating IM, Voice over IP, document collaboration and file sharing, video conferencing and real-time communications. TelcoDepot.com is glad to supply our shoppers’ certified Microsoft Lync compatible VoIP phone solutions for their Microsoft Lync based networks,” says Yaron Ram, a TelcoDepot.com principal.

Voice over IP Telephony spells the tip for ancient

2011-11-21T02:13:00.000-08:00

Voice over net Telephony is technology which means you'll be able to hold telephone calls over the web or an IP network. It eliminates the need for having separate lines for your web association and dedicated voice transfer lines. There are several benefits to VoIP however as a result of it is still an advancing technology you wish to buy around to find the most effective deal. No cumbersome circuit switching is needed and there is no depletion within the bandwidth related to traditional twin line systems. VoIP protocol implies that information is only sent over the network when it has to be, releasing up that bandwidth when you aren't making 'calls'.

Advantages of VoIP

Voice over Internet Telephony isn't widely used in office networks, let alone in the home, however if you make international phone calls then you are probably being routed through IP infrastructure because of the lower costs of calls. What this does mean, though, is that the infrastructure is quite obviously already in place and anyone who chooses can do so easily. This means that you can 'call' friends, family or associates using your own VoIP without the need for them to have the same technology installed.

The costs are phone calls that are reduced dramatically by using VoIP and once the infrastructure is in place there are usually little or no extra infrastructure charges required making it a value effective and cheap telephony solution.

Because VoIP is a new technology you get the standard advantages of employing a brand new technology; increased technological advances and new technologies are employed meaning you get a state of the art system. Telecommunications suppliers have been regularly using IP networks to transfer voice information and most of the teething issues have been totally investigated and ironed out and every one the advancements made have been integrated into a system you'll be able to have put in your home, workplace or business. You don't essentially have to send your calls over the net, and for more secure calls you can use non-public IP networks.

Some disadvantages

VoIP, as a technology, is still in its infancy and new developments are being found every day. However, there are limitations to the service and the technology which needs to be addresses before it will become an entire replacement for your standard phone line. In addition, you can't send or receive faxes and you can't route traditional modems, alarm systems or satellite systems through your VoIP connection, because they need access to a voice grade phone line.

Does Voice Over IP Telephony Spell the End for Traditional Telephones?

2011-11-09T02:43:00.000-08:00

Just What is Voice Over IP Telephony?

Voice over Internet Telephony is technology that means you can hold telephone calls over the Internet or an IP network. It eliminates the need for having separate lines for your Internet connection and dedicated voice transfer lines. There are many advantages to VoIP but because it is still an advancing technology you need to shop around to find the best deal. No cumbersome circuit switching is required and there is no depletion in the bandwidth associated with normal dual line systems. VoIP protocol means that voice data is only sent over the network when it needs to be, freeing up that bandwidth when you aren't making 'calls'.

What are the Advantages of VoIP.

Voice over Internet Telephony isn't widely used in office networks, let alone in the home, however if you make international phone calls then you are probably being routed through IP infrastructure because of the lower costs of calls. What this does mean, though, is that the infrastructure is quite obviously already in place and anyone who chooses can do so easily. This means that you can 'call' friends, family or associates using your own VoIP without the need for them to have the same technology installed.

The costs are phone calls that are reduced dramatically by using VoIP and once the infrastructure is in place there are usually little or no additional infrastructure charges required making it a cost effective and affordable telephony solution.

Because VoIP is a new technology you get the usual advantages of employing a new technology; increased technological advances and new technologies are employed meaning you get a state of the art system. Telecommunications providers have been regularly using IP networks to transfer voice data and so most of the teething problems have been thoroughly investigated and ironed out and all the advancements made have been integrated into a system you can have installed in your home, office or business.

You don't necessarily have to transmit your calls over the Internet, and for more secure calls you can use private IP networks. For this reason many large businesses already have IP systems in place making inter-business calls much cheaper.

Electronic numbering makes it possible to dial traditional E 164 phone numbers connected entirely by your Internet connection. This means that you won't face any call charges whatsoever, and all you will have to pay will be the cost of your Internet connection.

Is VoIP available for me to use now?

Companies like Vonage, VoicePulse and Packet8 are already offering flat monthly fees for their VoIP services meaning you can call anywhere in the country (sometimes even to other selected countries around the world) and only ever pay one flat monthly fee.

Vonage offer a service for $24.99 a month that allows you to call anywhere in the US or Canada. They also offer similar plans for small businesses.

Are there any disadvantages to VoIP?

VoIP, as a technology, is still in it's infancy and new developments are being found every day. However, there are limitations to the service and the technology which need to be addresses before it can become a complete replacement for your standard phone line.

Because the Internet knows no geographic boundaries it means that, for example, calling the emergency services would not necessarily put you through to your local emergency dispatch centre.

In addition, you can't send or receive faxes and you can't route traditional modems, alarm systems or satellite systems through your VoIP connection, because they require access to a voice grade phone line. For the moment VoIP is a compliment to your traditional phone line, rather than a replacement, until these problems can be ironed out.

Google Paints VoIP IP Telephony Chrome

2011-10-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

The news that Google is working to install VoIP IP Telephony into its Chrome browser has passed relatively unnoticed this week but it could be one of the most seismic shifts to hit the way we work and communicate.

Currently using VoIP services requires pulling up a piece of hardware or software, or just clicking on your preinstalled Skype button.
Imagine the amount of time that could be saved by just accessing VoIP numbers directly through your browser?

Not only does that benefit users, but it fits into Google’s idea of personalized search. Having access to your call information as well as your search information will give Google even more targeted information about you.

There are two ways to look at that. Firstly it will either be useful as searching for exactly what you want will become quicker and more efficient. On the other hand it is quite scary to think about quite how much information Google now has about us, everything from when we were born to where we like to shop.

Yet the search giant will not mull over these important concerns and instead is plowing ahead with its open source VoIP IP Telephony project which will incorporate audio and video. Known as WebRTC, Chrome VoIP will now give access to real-time chat on our browser thanks to the collaboration of Google and their VoIP acquisition GIPS.

The Calling Card Alternative

2011-10-11T23:28:00.000-07:00

For a few years now, the calling cards business is booming. Everywhere you go, everywhere you search you might find one: in WallMarts, grocery stores, newspaper stands, vending machines in coffee shops. But the place you can find the most of these long distance alternatives is the internet. A quick search on Google, Yahoo or other search engines will reveal thousands of websites that sell calling cards. So,it's an easy pick, one might say. Well... not quite.

According to the FCC, almost 70% of the calling card businesses are fraudulent. Meaning mostly that they get your money but you don't get the calling card. That means that you have to be very careful when choosing a website to buy from. On top of that, calling cards vary in number and features, so you have to choose the one appropriate to your needs. Their low rates however, come with a price at times. Companies selling calling cards use VoIP technology and other third party carriers to complete their calls. While not as expensive as a satellite connection (hence the low rates), this technology is at the beginning, so problems may occur from time to time. This is why calling cards are not usually recommended for emergency calls. For calls within the United States however, calls made with calling cards (also known as phone cards) have a good quality and connection rate, given that you have found a good supplier.

So here are the steps you need to take to get the best out of your calling card purchase:

- Find a reliable website (this means no weird pop-ups, no advertisement of Viagra on the website - you get my point).

- Take a look at the available calling cards and rates.

- Check out any details of calling cards: usually, next to or underneath the picture of the calling card there is a link that will take you to a "Details" page. Look for maintenance fees, rounding, any other surcharges, expiration dates.

- If you intend to make a lot of long calls over a short period of time, choose a card with a maintenance fee. This means that a certain amount will be deducted from your balance each week/month until you use up the card. But if you plan to make so many calls, you'll probably use the card up by the time the maintenance fee is deducted. Calling cards with maintenance fees also tend to have lower rates.

- If you use the card just once in a while, choose a card with no maintenance fee. These cards usually have higher rates, but you don't have to worry about your balance going down if you do not use the card.

- Look for a Customer Service number. Reliable companies have Customer Service, in case their customers have questions or problems.

O2 Secure Wireless enters the Mobile VoIP Market

2011-10-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

O2 Secure Wireless is entering the mobile VoIP Market with an unlimited VoIP service to provide talk, text and data at low prices.

Now that the VoIP market is worth an estimated $50 billion per year (and rapidly expanding), O2 Secure Wireless has sensed an opportunity in the market and created the O2USA brand.

The website and product is still in its rudimentary stages but you can visit it for an idea of the plans that they offer. However having tried to look for shops in locations (I entered 90210 as it was the only American postcode I could think of having grown up on the TV series) the search facility returned no results.

Once the glitches are ironed out, O2USA will work on both the Sprint and Verizon networks, two of the most popular mobile VoIP networks in America. O2 already has a strong infrastructure in the USA and other regions nearby such as the Caribbean.

Val Kazia, the Chief Executive Officer of O2 Secure Wireless, said: "O2 Secure Wireless is clearly in a highly desirable position to enter this sector. The potential to make the O2 trademark a nationally recognized name is unlimited.”

Nevertheless O2 had to put a warning about future looking statements under the Safe Harbour Act, presumably because the necessary regulation for this product is still being undertaken.

Lightyear Network Solutions Offers VoIP in the Cloud

2011-09-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hosted Voip and cloud computing are the two standards which business service provider Lightyear Network Solutions has chosen to take it into the future.

The company is on the verge of rolling out VoIP in the cloud to small and medium sized businesses.

That will allow their customers to keep and integrate their existing traditional PBX (if preferred) with VoIP solutions for business.
Despite losing company founder Sherman Henderson recently the company is determined to plough on by increasing its portfolio and expanding its network services.

The new CEO Stephen M. Lochmueller told Fiercevoip: "We are pleased to announce the launch of our new product, which further enhances our extensive portfolio. Hosted VoIP is part of our strategic plan to make the cloud valuable and affordable for SMBs.”

Lightyear Network Solutions already has a strong customer base in the USA.
Hosted VoIP allows them to increasingly offer flexible and scalable solutions which can save companies costs and deliver fixed mobile convergence.

VoIP and 911 Warning

2011-09-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Why VoIP is Changing the Way We Work

2011-08-29T03:51:00.000-07:00

An interesting article in the BBC finance section a while ago highlighted how more and more businesses are running virtual offices with employees all around the world collaborating through unified communications.

So even though I am freelance I can talk to clients in the Caribbean via Skype, and work on a project with them at the same time via Google Docs.

Although there will always be important aspects to face to face contact, in truth this new way of working can benefit everyone. There is no need to waste huge amounts of time and money hopping on trains or planes all the time, to say nothing of the negative effect that all those carbon emissions have on the planet.

Businesses benefit hugely because they get rid of the massive amount of costs and responsibilities that come about with employing someone full time, especially all those extra taxes and employer contributions.

Studies have also shown that remote workers are in fact more productive. They get to manage their own time and in doing so are more efficient with it on the whole. Many feel that they have something extra to prove by not being in an office and so work doubly hard.

VoIP Fraud is now Microsoft's Problem

2011-08-04T04:16:00.000-07:00

An interesting article here describes the problems that large companies face as they try to diversify – specifically the move of Microsoft from software towards IP telephony.

While both areas are highly regulated, moving into the world of Voice over Internet Protocol through their highly publicized purchase of Skype certainly presents new challenges.

Hence the slew of articles about Microsoft enabling the ability to eavesdrop on VoIP conversations. While this was initially interpreted by some as a sort of Orwellian invasion of privacy, in fact this is a legal requirement.

Law enforcement needs to be able to have access to VoIP call transcripts for the purposes of terrorism prevention. VoIP solutions have many good aspects but they can also be used for nefarious purposes as it is much harder to track the original of a VoIP call. This is in danger of making the infamous wiretapping way of police work (as depicted in the excellent drama series The Wire) obsolete.

IP telephony calls are so hard to trace that India, which has seen a boom in VoIP used by criminals and terrorists, made efforts to ban some smartphones last year.

While Microsoft is now facing the same challenges, it will have to come up with a very innovative solution to the problem.

Mobile VoIP - Skype coming to iPad

2011-07-05T03:31:00.000-07:00

Skype is now being worked on as an application for the iPad2 and iPad. The news will make remote communication even easier and is a huge boost for the world of mobile VoIP.

Skype is already available on most smartphones so that if you have used up your contract minutes allowance, but still have some internet credit you can make free calls. It is, of course, especially useful for calling people who live abroad at an affordable rate.

The news was confirmed by Skype Vice President Rick Osterloh. The new app will have everything you normally expect from Skype, including video chat, except for the file sharing feature – because of a conflict with the Apple system.

So it seems that Microsoft is not going to hog Skype for itself. It is also a nice move from Apple because in theory Skype is a direct competitor to their new Facetime video chat product.

Learn 1st Hand About Vonnage, Packet8, And Skype – The Real 411

2011-04-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

Whether you’re a current user of Vonnage, Packet8, or Skype VoIP phone services….or are just curious about them….a good place to learn whatever you want to know is their online discussion Forums. Keep in mind that each of these is company sponsored or influenced….so you’ll have to filter through some obvious biases and emotional attachments to get at what you really want.

If your looking for advice or information on set-up, trouble shooting, special promotions, company news, plan pricing, etc…..from actual users and company types…these are good resources. If you don’t mind wading through the frequent sappy gushings of infatuated fans…you can get some very useful pearls. Occassionally you’ll even hit on some eye opening honest assessments and advice too. Just look hard until you find something that fits your need. It’s there.

Vonnage Forum

It’s no secret that I’m not fond of Vonnage. I feel they’re way over priced, have built there reputation on a massive marketing machine vice a quality product, and their customer service sucks. But this is a pretty loyal and active Forum with a few very helpful regular posters. Better to get the scoop here than listen to that annoying “Whoohoo” jingle again.

Packet8 Forum [community.packet8.net/]

It’s also no secret that Packet8 is my favorite broadband phone service. Particularly for any business applications. Their frequent industry awards for business packages…such as the recent top nod for their Virtual Office IP PBX offering….sold me a long time ago. Their Forum takes an extra step to get into for registration but is worth it. The Forum contents are probably more informative overall about services, applications, and the parent company [8X8 Inc.] than the other 2 forums are.

Skype Forum

I’ve never been an advocate of Sofphone services but it does have it’s place. Skype is the hands down king here…but is far from perfect. Their “free” isn’t really free for example….unless those you’re calling also have Skype. Plus their business applications leave much to be desired. But their following are rabid supporters. Plus they have probably the largest share of the VoIP “phone” market worldwide…..especially in Europe and Asia….for now. Their Forum can be more Rah Rah than informational at times but is well worth looking over.

Now if you prefer a more open and unbiased community dialogue and Forum experience….I suggest you trek over to the VoIP Forum at DSLReports.com. It can be somewhat of a free-for-all at times. But there’s a ton of useful information shared on all kinds of VoIP providers beyond just the 3 mentioned above….as well as some links to useful tools to enhance your VoIP experience.

DSLReports.com VoIP Forum

There ya go. Between these open discussion resources you should be able to find whatever you need about VoIP phones … and the specific providers cited. Just keep in mind that it’s all other people’s opinions. The bottom line is that it’s YOUR opinion that counts most.

Chinese Telecommunication Regulations to Trample VoIP

2011-04-12T02:46:00.000-07:00

The Chinese government is starting to set telecommunication regulations and rules and they should not be too surprising because they are very much interested in controlling what goes on inside their nation and also what leaves. China is very much concerned with losing control of the people or having a civil war. Remember it is still a communist nation. We know that the Chinese government is very adamant about Internet censorship for various reasons.

China also sees a threat with Voice IP technologies and that is voice over the Internet like Vonage. China is very concerned about this and they should not surprise anyone because they are very concerned with Internet censorship and maintaining complete control of everything that is viewed online by their people. This does pose a problem for those in the Voice IP business and it may exclude China as a market.

Although the Chinese telecommunication rules and regulations have not been put into place yet they will include VoIP and other light technologies to help the Chinese government maintain control over the people and their communication systems. Some decry the new telecommunication rules and regulations, but few are surprised by them. Perhaps you might consider all this in 2006.

Five Considerations That Ensure Successful Transition to Internet Phone Service

2011-04-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

1.Assess your existing infrastructure

One of the most important considerations while planning a migration to an Internet phone service is to assess the state of the existing infrastructure present in the organization. This would require complete analysis of the existing telephone network as well as the data communication network. It is important to clearly determine the infrastructure that can be reused in the new setup, the equipment that would get obsolete and the new equipment that needs to be purchased for the migration. This would give you an idea of the extent of investments needed for the initiative.

2.Evaluate the amount of bandwidth available in the existing network

Before planning a transition to the Internet phone service, it is important to check the corporate LAN to determine if it has enough bandwidth that can support voice traffic. It must have enough capacity to handle this new voice traffic without affecting call quality, losing calls or slowing the Internet traffic. To find out the unused bandwidth on the network, you need to assess it at times of greatest load. This would help you determine any additional bandwidth that you may need and the cost associated with it.

3.Determine the backup power requirements

In contrast to the traditional telephone lines, an IP network would need power backup to ensure uninterrupted service and to keep voice reliability high. It would be important to keep IP phones functioning during power failures and this would call for uninterrupted power supply. This would be an additional cost for the organization that has to be considered during planning.

4.Ascertain if the in-house IT staff can deploy and manage the new system

Another important consideration is to ascertain if the in-house IT staff can deploy and manage the new system. For this you will need to consider your staff’s level of network knowledge and availability to handle this new initiative. If they are not able to handle it, you may need to consider a service provider to do the same for you. Depending upon your requirements, you can then choose between getting the Internet phone service installed onsite and subscribing for a service hosted by a provider.

5.Ensure that the timing for transition is correct

To ensure that any new organization-wide initiative results in the planned return on investment, it is important that the timing of the initiative needs is correct. You need to consider factors like, is your current phone system getting obsolete, are you moving to a new office building where no wiring is installed currently, are you expanding geographically and opening up new offices in far off locations/countries or is your current PBX lease is about to expire, etc. All these considerations would help you time the transition and ensure that implementation is easier and more cost-effective.

For all the work that goes into planning a switch to an Internet phone service, organizations have gained several operational benefits that translate into savings and increased employee productivity. Therefore the bottom line is to plan and time the conversion properly.

Visit: Concepts of Programming Languages (9th Edition) by Sebesta

How to Never Pay a Hotel Phone Bill Again

2011-04-04T03:35:00.000-07:00

The protocol is increasingly being adopted as the standard means by which computers communicate to facilitate VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. So you can imagine SIP as a common language for new generation operators to speak to connect calls. However, there are no operators there is only your computer (or other hardware) and that of the person you are speaking with. That brings this introduction to some of the many benefits of SIP communication.

The goal of SIP was to provide users with many of the functions and features they typically expect with making phone calls, such as familiar rings, hearing the ring back tone when a call is placed, and the process of dialing a number. SIP goes beyond this however, also implementing a number of advanced features. Despite its’ convenient interface that mirrors that of a typical telephone call, SIP is based on an internet protocol rather than that of the telephone industry. Because of this, SIP is able to work seamlessly alongside other internet based protocols. This has allowed the technology to uniquely establish a user location, meaning that you can tell the IP address or “location” from which a person is making a call, something vital for offering emergency services. It also allows for coordination amongst the various participants in deciding upon what call features will be supported, as well as providing the protocol for call management which allows for adding, dropping, or transferring call participants.

One of the most exceptional benefits of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is its application with Private Branch Exchange (PBX). A private branch exchange is a private telephone network used within an enterprise in which users share a certain number of outside lines for external telephone calls. This provides a significant cost savings to the company because it allows companies to quickly and easily make calls within their institution, as well as save by limiting the number of external phone lines that must be maintained. SIP can extend these cost savings dramatically by offering users free long distance calls worldwide. Once again, because SIP is internet based rather than running over traditional telephone lines, the cost of call transmission are as cheap as say sending an e-mail, that is to say, Free! While PBX is already an efficient use of office resources incorporating SIP into a PBX means taking such savings and capabilities to a new level. Incorporating SIP gives users’ access to free interoffice communications, long distance calls, as well as huge savings in setup and transaction costs. These transaction cost savings are due to the fact that SIP is based on internet protocol allowing for the ability to physically move phones without any need for rewiring or new setup costs. Because that the system is peer-to-peer rather than cog and wheel like hardwired telephony means that there is no complicated setup necessary, but rather users can simply plug the phone into any available broadband connection and without the need for any complicated hardware or software, calls are ready to be made and received.

Visit: Computer Organization and Architecture (8th Edition) Stallings

The Aim To Standardize VoIP Protocols

2011-04-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) is a remarkable technology that lets us talk to one another from our home computers. It provides an efficient and flexible way for us to communicate at work and at home, and the cost savings versus conventional telephone services are incredible. It requires little upfront investment, and you have the ability to travel with your phone number all over the world. It is a technology that almost seems too good to be true. As with any relatively new technology, though, there are technical kinks with VOIP that continue to need refining and development in order for the technology to reach its fullest potential as a replacement for the current telephone systems that we are accustomed to using.

At the beginning of a VOIP phone call, there is an analog phone (in use with an ATA), an IP phone, or software that converts data from analog to digital and routes the call to an endpoint. Along with these pieces of equipment, there are protocols that are employed to get the job done efficiently. A protocol is a set of rules that control data transfer between two points, in this case, from the placement of a phone call to the destination. Protocols are put into use by any combination of hardware and software to define real-time communications performance.

There are several VOIP protocols used at this time that mark out which programs (that transform the data) connect with one another along with the network. The most common protocol being used for VOIP is know as H.323, which was created by the International Telecommunication Union for the purposes of videoconferencing. This protocol is actually a group of several specific protocols that provide provisions for videoconferencing, data sharing, and audio transmission (VOIP). However, since it was not expressly designed for VOIP, there are often compatibility issues with its use.

A newer protocol has come out known as Session Initiation Protocol, or SIP. SIP was developed specifically for VOIP, and it is less complex than H.323. Yet another protocol used for VOIP is known as Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP). It focuses on destination control, and is intended to be used for supplemental features such as Call Waiting. A big problem arises because these three protocols do not always work together very congruently. This is often a problem when placing VOIP calls between different networks that use different protocols. And since there has not been yet developed a uniform set of standards for protocols to use for VOIP, problems are likely to continue until they are established.

Despite the technical glitches that can be encountered in using the technology to place phone calls, VOIP is still far more efficient, accommodating, and cost effective to what we are used to in telephone communications. The direction in which VOIP is heading hints that it is poised to one day replace our traditional telephone technology altogether. As with any technology-driven product or service, developers of VOIP will likely continue to improve upon current standards of VOIP and its protocols, further improving the technology for widespread use. This will provide users of VOIP even greater efficiency and reliability when they want to make a telephone call.

A Dummies Guide to Broadband Phone Service

2011-04-01T06:06:00.001-07:00

Did you know that the Internet can totally replace your existing phone line? With broadband phone service, you can make and receive telephone calls using a regular phone without the assistance of your local phone company. Instead, the phone plugs directly into a broadband internet connection, either cable or DSL.

You need two things to turn your internet connection into a personal phone line: a subscription to broadband phone service and any traditional phone (analog or digital). Most service providers charge between $20 and $30 a month.

Once connected and installed, broadband phone service works just like a regular phone: Pick up the phone and you will hear a dial tone – dial a phone number – wait for the person to answer – and start talking. In most cases the person on the other line won’t even know that you are using broadband phone service; the quality is that good.

Some of the benefits of using broadband phone service include: unlimited calling to the U.S and Canada, free features like call waiting, caller id, call forwarding, voicemail and the ability to choose your area code. This means that you can live in New York and have a California phone number. Most broadband phone service providers also offer a trial period or a 30-day money back guarantee.

Some additional features of broadband phone service are virtual numbers (a number in a different area code, that when dialed rings directly to your main number). Virtual numbers eliminate long-distance phone charges for anyone calling within that numbers’ area code. Most broadband phone service providers also offer toll-free numbers and 411 directory assistance for a low monthly fee.

Weeding The VoIP Garden

2011-03-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is fast becoming the way for the world to communicate and the VoIP market jungle is full of weeds wanting to become trees.

VoIP has been around for the public market since 2002 and you can only find about a handful of stand alone VoIP service providers. Vonage who is the king of marketing still clings to its “Woo Hoo” song and their ever rising marketing costs and lower profits. Packet8, the old pioneer of Internet phone service, is chugging away while building up consumer confidence and new innovative VoIP products. We see Lingo, who likes to push their International calling plans, struggling to regain ground on the rest of field, and the new kid in the garden, SunRocket, who brings their trusty Bottom-Line pricing along for the new growth of VoIP. These and a few other companies are around for the long haul.

It is important in these early growth stages to weed out those who are trying to choke out the main growth. These are VoIP providers who are only in for the early money grabbing glory days and will die off when the heat starts to beat down on them.

If you are looking for a new VoIP service provider you need to take a few hours and weed out the jungle. You can check out the online VoIP news reports for their achievements and future plans, find and study the VoIP forums. Internet phone providers who have little or no news at all are mainly the ones that will die out. You’ll find that the strong growing VoIP companies are bringing new and improve products and services to the field everyday. Researching like this can be tough going and very time consuming.

Another option is to locate an independent VoIP, broadband or telecommunication consultant who is consistently researching and learning about the new VoIP services and products offered. These consultants are not being paid by just one provider or company to sell only their products. They are able to give you unbiased advice concerning the services you are considering. They can tell you the pros and cons of each individual provider even for those who they don’t represent.

Using an independent telecom consultant will ease the pain and time in finding that right VoIP or broadband phone provider especially in this weed choked Internet phone garden. An independent consultant will be able to inform you of what all of the top VoIP providers are doing with new services, products and future plans for the leading VoIP solutions.

Accents and Voice Recognition Software

2011-03-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

Transfer technologies from United States of America military, DARPA and those companies funded by In-Q-Tel have brought us a long way into computer age. In fact you may not realize this however, the Internet was not invented by Al Gore. It was invented by ARPA, which is the predecessor to DARPA. In other words the reason we have this great tool called the Internet is because it was funded and invented by a group working with United States military.

Currently the United States military and the IT specialists that the United States military contracts with is working on specialty voice recognition software to intercept foreign communications. The software is getting so good that the voice recognition software can pick up dialects and search accents in various regions throughout anywhere in the world.

This is good news because this means the future of voice recognition software will include software that will allow you to use voice recognition in your daily life without making errors. Consider writing and or emailing a friend on the Internet or talking to a friend in a chat room or posting on Internet forum or blog.

This voice recognition software of the future will pick out the accents flawlessly without any pre-training of the individual using the equipment or software. In other words it will be 100 percent perfect right out of the box. Consider all this in 2006.

Why You Should Consider Switching To A Broadband Phone

2011-03-28T01:50:00.000-07:00

Are you fed up with traditional telephone service and being at the mercy of the companies who constantly increase the rates on long distance, as well as local phone privileges? It may be time to find a different way to place a call to your family and friends. Broadband phone service is an increasingly appealing concept replacing the common telephone company services of Sprint and AT&T. Also known as VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol, broadband phones are another way of referring to an Internet phone.

How an Internet Phone Works

When speaking on an Internet phone, your voice is transformed into a digital signal, which travels across the World Wide Web in packets before it reaches whomever you are speaking to. These packets of data are converted into an analog signal before the person on the other end hears what you are saying. A broadband phone isn’t much different from a regular phone. You won’t be using any exotic, high tech receivers and you don’t have to change all of the phone jacks in your home. To place a call over broadband technology, all you have to do is pick up the receiver, dial a number and wait for someone to answer on the other line. You can also benefit from the same services you have grown to love, such as caller ID, call waiting and voicemail options.

Long Distance Calls

One of the main reasons people are making the switch to broadband telephone services is because the cost to place a long distance call is quite impressive. Most Internet phone services offer a flat rate that allows unlimited calls throughout the month. These calls can be placed to anywhere in the U.S., as well as Canada. Some companies also offer reasonably priced international calling plans.

Broadband Phone Service Providers

You will find a variety of Internet phone service companies springing up to pick up the pieces of unsatisfied traditional phone company customers. Local cable providers are also taking advantage of this service by offering digital phone access through some of their service packages.

Requirements

In order to enjoy a broadband phone service, a high speed Internet connection is needed. This can be accomplished through cable or DSL access.

A Few Disadvantages

Since your phone service will be provided through the Internet, this means that during thunderstorms and power outages, you run the risk of losing your telephone access. When the power gives out, so does your phone service because it is connected through your computer. This also means that if an emergency should arise during this time, you will not have a way to communicate to the outside world, by phone that is. Also, 911 access is not available for all broadband phone users.

VOIP Software Guide 101

2011-03-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Planning to go to a telephone booth or buy a card to make a long distance call but hesitant to spend so much money! Now scrap off your worries and adopt the VOIP service. VOIP is the commonly known abbreviation of Voice Over Internet Protocol. VOIP enables you to make calls worldwide via your Internet connection. Basically VOIP is a category of software and hardware that uses an Internet connection to pass voice data in packets using IP (internet protocol) in place of regular public switched telephone network.

There are many Internet telephony applications available such as Dialpad, CoolTalk, NetMeeting etc. Usually most of these applications are coupled with some popular Web browsers while others are stand-alone products.

The advent of VOIP and its surging popularity has led to depreciation in the costs of conventional telecommunications systems. Now you don’t have to pay for separately for your local charges but only your Internet rent. All you have to do is to say hello to Voice-over-IP and make use of the remarkable technology with which data and speech are transferred simultaneously and for which a separate telephone cable connection is not needed. This will save upto 80% of the amount you spend in making foreign calls through the standard way.

At present VOIP service is offered by leading providers such as Vonage, Lingo and Skype. Lingo is an ideal option to make international calls especially to Europe and Asia. Lingo is also commendable choice when you tend to move out of US because then you can carry your US number and call at US local rates from anywhere in the world. In comparison to Skype and Vonage, Lingo is cheap in cost.

Skype is perfect to use when you and your computer are inseparable and you have friends and family who use the same technique. Skype is deemed to be the best voice portal these days. Skype allows free calls to other Internet phone users while calls to regular phones and mobile phones are to be made at per minute fee. Skype also offers certain other add-on plans.

Out of these Vonage is the best provider of commercial and residential VOIP telephony. Vonage is different from Skype and other IM-based VOIP services for it offers a myriad of options to choose and many other uncommon features.

However at the end of the day you should opt for VOIP software that goes with your broadband connection. So before downloading any VOIP software do some research over the bandwidth the service requires, and then ensure that your internet service provider is able to match up with that.

Moreover you may not be able to avail excellent VOIP service if you are using a dial-up connection for with breaking connection, the clarity of voice and consistency in the call may also break.

Weeding The VoIP Garden

2011-03-23T23:45:00.000-07:00

Visit: C: How to Program (6th Edition) by Paul Deitel and Harvey Deitel | Criminal defense lawyer in Houston Texas

VoIP in Canada – Marketing by The Majors

2011-03-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

Voice Over IP is a leading-edge technology that is highly touted by industry experts as the future of telecommunications . Analysts believe that a shift away from traditional telephone lines to a fully digital, broadband service is inevitable, and indeed, while the major telecom companies in Canada offer the products, as we approach the end of 2006, some of them are doing anything but trumpeting the new technology.

A quick online perusal of the Canadian cable providers information will reveal that they are doing their very best to keep the difference between the traditional service and the broadband technology as quiet as possible. Even though the cable providers are in an ideal position to capitalize on the fact that they already have the technology to handle data calls, ‘don’t worry!’ appears to be the message, ‘nothing will change if you switch to the digital service’. And while that might sound good to some people, a small ‘bundling discount’ alone hardly seems enough to make consumers want to make the jump from analog service.

Rogers takes pains to distance itself from any association with VoIP. A comprehensive search of their website turns up only one mention of Voice over IP, and then only in the context of how their broadband service is NOT VoIP. Strictly speaking, that may be true; Rogers has a private broadband network that has been delivering their cable TV service for years, and by using that existing network, they avoid using the public internet and the sometimes negative connotations that can be associated therein. But VoIP can be defined as phone calls delivered via ANY data network, not necessarily the public internet, and if that’s the case, Rogers Digital Home Phone Service is indeed VoIP.

For Western Canadians, Shaw Cable is the Rogers of the region. Shaw has been supplying the cable service almost exclusively for some time, and they have, like Rogers, recently begun to offer a digital alternative to the phone service that has traditionally been the domain of Telus. Shaw goes a little further than Rogers and makes a more vigorous attempt to dissuade consumers from choosing what they call ‘best-effect’ VoIP, and qualify their own VoIP service as ‘Managed IP Telephony’. It’s an interesting strategy; on the one hand they tout the benefits of the data network, while at the same time distance themselves from the possible limitations of the un-managed internet. And most strikingly, with a reference to the Enhanced 911 question that many VoIP companies are dealing with, Shaw ultimately claims that their IP telephone service won’t “compromise personal safety”.

The only of the major telecommunications companies in Canada that actually seems to embrace VoIP is, ironically, Bell Canada. In addition to the traditional Home Phone service that Bell has offered forever and that VoIP acts as an alternative to, Bell now sells what they call ‘Digital Voice’ and ‘Digital Voice Lite’. These services are clearly advertised as VoIP, and unlike the Cable providers, Bell actually proclaims that VoIP is “the future of telecommunications”. They tout its “reliability” and “innovative calling features”, and profess VoIP’s “simplicity and convenience”. Unfortunately, starting at $34 per month, the pricing is not as competitive as some of the other offerings in the market.

So while the Cable companies are slow to associate with VoIP, in name at least, it’s encouraging to see that at least one of the major Canadian players is embracing the technology, and spirit, of what’s surely to be the standard for the future.

Visit: C++ Programming (5th Edition) by D. S. Malik | Criminal defense attorney in Harris County Texas

Unique Ways To Buy Wholesale Prepaid Phone Cards Online From Distributors

2011-03-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

The calling card business has changed dramatically over the last year. In the past, it was a crazy skeptical business that had tons of wholesale phone card businesses open overnight, only to disappear the next day. Today, the number of illegitimate card operators have been thinned out, and there are more serious companies who are in the business to legitimately sell phone services, rather than to take consumers’ money and shut the doors. Distributing cards for a legitimate company represents a large revenue opportunity.

There are some excellent niche markets for this industry such as cruise ships, commercial vessels, international associations that need wholesale calling cards in bulk to provide to their customers, employees or members, especially for international calling. with flexible, virtual, easy to use quality clean calling card solutions.

Discount phone card distributors provide a great service for legitimate phone card providers. But there not a match for every wholesale phone card buyer. If you search around online, you will be able to network with a strong partner. Some companies offer bill at sale which will let you carry no inventory cost to allow your calling card business to expand your telecom product line without the extra asset cost and risk Point of Sale Activation offers a great way to be flexible in the every changing competitive market.

The largest opportunity actually exists outside of traditional retail channels. If you sell to or need to provide phone cards outside of a retail location, there are several options worth exploring. You can find partners that will provide you with free trial phone cards to distribute as to help build their name and let your customers test the quality of the calls before putting a larger amount of money to recharge phone cards. Handing these to your customers can be a great value-add for your service or product. Many of them will even allow you to co-brand these trial cards, providing you with free advertising for your own brand at the same time. You can even find partners that have amazing unique offers such as special discounts, contest, free movie passes or free restaurant gift certificates.

These are generally offered by companies that provide quality service and great rates. They are willing to offer extra bonuses, since they are confident that once a consumer tries their calling service, they will most likely recharge and continue to use their product. These wholesale phone card providers are using there strength in customer retention to offer an amazing phone card offers to attract new users. Some phone card companies may pay you as an affiliate with a small 5% commission. But if it’s a quality wholesale phone card provider online, they can pay you 80% to 150% of the sale to acquire a new customer to maximize your profit with no risk. Now is the time to do your research to find a firm that will provide extra value to your customers while maximizing your profit with minimal out of pocket expenses

Visit: C++ How to Program (7th Edition) Paul Deitel and Harvey Deitel | Criminal attorney in Houston Texas

Lower Videophone Prices Allow Individuals Accessibility

2011-03-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

VoIP service providers are now offering videophone at the lowest price we’ve seen on the VoIP service market. The tremendous drop in prices will see more individuals and SMB’s investing in this affordable futuristic way of communicating.

VoIP services are fast becoming the way to communicate worldwide and with the recent drop in videophone and service plan prices many individuals will be able to get a taste of the future at cost-effective prices. Today’s videophone offers more clarity than ever before and at a lower cost.

The videophone has become popular for conferencing with geographically challenged offices in real-time and for lawyer firms in taking depositions. I expect to see more videophones in offices in the next few months and individuals adding videophones as a practical conversational communication option to there current telcom arsenal.

Watch for the VoIP service field to grow in great leaps and bounds in the next year along with more important features being established such as emergency 911 and 411 services. The last few weeks have seen the FCC take a closer look at the VoIP industry, along with other consumer groups which is a plus for consumers. Consumers should see the lower level providers fade away and the tier 1 VoIP providers battle it out for the best technology and lowest price plans. Some providers have already added a Regulatory Recovery Fee to cover the cost of the new obligations being imposed on the VoIP providers, but, don’t expect prices to go up much. VoIP services are still the most economical way of communicating today.

Visit: C For Engineers and Scientists (1st Edition) by Cheng | Criminal attorney in Houston Texas

Bluetooth Computer Headsets – Enjoy Wireless Freedom

2011-03-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

Wireless Computer Headsets

Till recently, few options were available to people interested in using cordless headsets with their computers. Dedicated wireless Headsets are available, however they often cost upwards of $200 US puttititle="Bluetooth Computer Headsets"ng them out of reach of the average user.

Bluetooth Headsets

Cellular telephone users have long embraced the benefits of Bluetooth Technology for use with their handsets. One of the more popular Bluetooth devices available to Cell phone users are Bluetooth Headsets. Although Bluetooth Headsets were initially quite expensive, the average price has dropped considerably in recent years bringing them within reach of millions of people.

Aside from using Bluetooth Headsets with Cellular Telephones, Bluetooth Headsets can be used just as effectively with computers. All one needs to do is make their computer ‘Bluetooth Enabled’ and the procedures involved in using the Bluetooth Headset with a computer compare with those used for cellular telephones.

Bluetooth Computer Headsets

There are literally hundreds of different Cellular Telephone Bluetooth Headsets available on the market. Any of these Headsets will work with your computer however end-users are anxiously awaiting the introduction of dedicated Bluetooth Computer Headsets. Although they haven’t hit the market at time of writing, rumours and press releases hint at the imminent arrival of dedicated Bluetooth Computer Headsets.

Price

Initially, one can anticipate that Bluetooth Computer Headsets will be relatively expensive when compared to their ‘corded’ couterparts. However, as with most computer-related hardware, the price should drop once additional manufacturers release Bluetooth Computer Headsets and competition thrives.

Logically, one could also anticipate that Bluetooth Computer Headsets will be less expensive to manufacture than their cellular telephone headset counterparts due primarily to the fact that a far lesser degree of miniturization will be required. Whereas cellular telephone Bluetooth Headsets are designed to be portable, Bluetooth Computer Headsets will likely be designed primarily for comfort, audio quality and range. Lesser miniturization generally results in lower manufacturing costs which hopefully will be passed on to the consumer.

Expectations

So what can one expect from a Bluetooth Computer Headset? Ideally they’ll be light-weight, comfortable, incorporate an integrated boom microphone, be capable of stereo sound and above all, be realistically priced. Furthermore, Bluetooth Computer Headsets should be simple to install/use and boast an operating range that encompasses the average user’s home or office.

Provided these basic requirements are met, Bluetooth Computer Headsets should prove extremely popular once released and we await their arrival with eager anticipation

Visit: Business Driven Technology (4th Edition) by Baltzan and Phillips| Criminal attorneys in Houston Texas

The FCC Unanimously Approves Mandatory 911 for VoIP Service

2011-03-16T01:55:00.000-07:00

The Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved a 10-page measure that will require Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers to provide a reliable 911 system to their customers. The measure will also require that state and local governments to levy taxes on VoIP service providers in exchange for providing access to 911 dispatchers. Internet phone providers have 120 days to improve the current 911 situations.

The new FCC Chairman, Kevin Martin stated, “The requirement to provide access to 911 is about public safety. Because the commission previously found that the VoIP services at issue were interstate, the commission assumed the responsibility to ensure that basic public safety requirements are implemented and satisfied.”

Currently VoIP service users who dial 911 run into many problems such as being redirected to administrative offices instead of a dispatcher. Also, when calls are received by dispatchers contact information for the caller such as the telephone number and location of the caller is not provided with the current VoIP 911 system. The lack of a reliable 911 system has brought several lawsuits against VoIP providers.

Sen. Conrad Burn, a sponsor of the bill made the comment, “The few seconds it takes someone to realize that their broadband connection cannot reach 911 can be the difference between life and death, and we cannot waste that time during an emergency.”

VoIP providers are being required to update and inform all customers, both new and old, of the limitations and problems that can come with calling 911 from a VoIP phone. The measure will require that 911 dispatchers must receive all calls to 911 and that the calls are accompanied by the caller’s information and location.

“Anyone who dials 911 has a reasonable expectation that he or she will be connected to an emergency operator. This expectation exists whether that person is dialing 911 from a traditional wire line phone, a wireless phone or a VoIP phone,” states Martin, “Today, we take this action to ensure this expectation is met as soon as possible.

Broadband phone service subscribers can check with their current VoIP provider for updates to their VoIP 911 plans. New updates and changes are being added to VoIP to meet the FCC’s new regulation so VoIP users are encouraged to check with their VoIP providers.

For More Information On Text Books Please Visit: Business Driven Information Systems (2nd Edition) by Baltzan

The Best VoIP Service – Sunrocket vs. Vonage and Packet8

2011-03-14T03:31:00.000-07:00

Sunrocket internet phone service is one of the best VoIP deals available today for those looking for quality service at an inexpensive price. Once a very small player in the broadband phone game, Sunrocket has been growing by leaps and bounds and is now considered one of the best VoIP companies. With call quality comparable to top of the line broadband phone service providers Vonage and Packet8, Sunrocket is the leader when it comes to price.

Currently at $199 per year for unlimited local and long distance calling, Sunrocket will save you $100 a year compared to Vonage’s annual price of $299.88. Annual savings over Packet8′s 12 month price of $239.88 is around $40. With call quality being about equal among these three VoIP providers, if you’re looking for cheap unlimited local and long distance domestic phone service without a lot of extra bells and whistles, Sunrocket is the way to go.

Comparing VoIP Plans

All three providers include free Canada calling with their unlimited plans, online account management and billing, voicemail, voicemail to email, three way conference calling, call forwarding, call waiting, call return and speed dial. These basic features are pretty much standard among all VoIP service providers, and are included free. For most average telephone users who are used to land line service, these features are a nice “bonus”, as most POTS (plain old telephone service) users have to pay extra to get these enhancements.

Sun Rocket offers very low international rates, with many calling locations as low as .03 per minute. As a special promotion that has been running for some time, Sunrocket gives new subscribers a free cordless phone when they sign up via a referral.

At $24.99 per month, Vonage offers a larger set of features as well as unlimited international calling to most of Western Europe. Vonage has more enhanced features than Sunrocket, such as caller ID with name, call transfer, ring lists, international call blocking and click to call computer calling. International rates are very competitive.

For $19.99 per month, Packet8 also offers a larger set of free features with their unlimited local and long distance plan including caller ID blocking, anonymous call blocking, simultaneous ringing on multiple phone numbers, and a “find me, follow me” feature that can be set to ring different phone numbers one at a time until someone answers. Packet 8 also offers an optional video phone plan that is used with the video telephone they sell. This allows you to make videoconferencing phone calls with other video phone users. As like most VoIP providers, Packet 8 offers very competitive international rates. An unlimited international calling plan is available for an additional fee.

When comparing VoIP providers, you can see that all digital phone service plans are not created equal. If low cost is your primary goal, you make little to no international calls and you are happy with basic features, Sunrocket is a great choice. If you make frequent calls to Western Europe and want some extra features, Vonage is the option for you. If you want extra features, primarily call within the U.S. and Canada, or want to use video conferencing, Packet8 is an excellent choice.

No matter which internet phone service provider you choose, as long as you stick with a highly rated VoIP company that has a reputation for good voice quality of calls, you can’t go wrong. Broadband phone service is the future of telecommunications, and you can save a lot of money on phone bills by switching to VoIP. The only requirement is a broadband internet connection. For home or small business users, cable internet service will provide the biggest savings, as most DSL service requires a land line telephone service account.

For More Information On Text Books Please Visit: An Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming with Java(5th Ed)

Will VoIP be a Mass Market Product?

2011-03-08T03:25:00.000-08:00

A common thinking among “Marketing people ” is that for every product that enters the market there must be a path, a target, a need ( real or created) that decides how the product must enter the consumer’s life, which part of the population is more likely to go for it, which niche it is going to fill and, most important “…certain things being stated, something other than what is stated follows of necessity from their being so.” and that is the final issue: the price.

Depending on those anavoidable patterns a product is more or less ready for a certain market.

High technologically devices, the ones that offer perfect quality and cost a fortune will target the elitarian market, where the price has not big importance (on the contrary, if the price would be lower than what certain people can afford, the product wouldn’t reach them) since it means luxury.

When a product ceases to be luxury and begins to be a need, then the mass market is ready. The product can enter 60% of consumers’ lives, reach easily a good upgrade in the percentage and become ” The New Product of the year 200….”.

Let’s consider the VoIP market.

Prior to recent theoretical work on social needs, the usual purpose of a product invoked individual (social) behaviors. We now know that these assumptions are not completely wrong.

Wrong would be NON considering them.

In systems where many people are free to choose between many options, a small subset of the whole offer will get a disproportionate amount of traffic (or attention, or income), even if no one of the system actively work towards such an outcome. This has nothing to do with moral weakness, selling out, or any other psychological explanation. The very act of choosing, spread widely enough and freely enough, creates a power law distribution.

Now, thanks to a series of breakthroughs in network theory by researchers we know that power law distributions tend to arise in social systems where many people express their preferences among many options. We also know that as the number of options rise, the curve becomes more extreme. This is a counter-intuitive finding – most of us would expect a rising number of choices to flatten the curve, but in fact, increasing the size of the system increases the gap between the #1 spot and the median spot.

In other words: give to the people the choice among desktop phones and mobile phones and the majority will choose what they think more convenient, in spite of the cost of the service.

In a way the cost of the service is the only left advantage in favour of the fixed telephony.

If the price was the same the desktop phones would disappear from the life of the average consumer (mass market consumer).

To see how freedom of choice could create such unequal distributions, consider a hypothetical population of a thousand people, each picking their favorite way of telecommunication. One way to model such a system is simply to assume that each person has an equal chance of liking each kind of telephony. This distribution would be basically flat – most kind of telephony will have the same number of people listing it as a favorite. A few will be more popular than average and a few less, of course, but that will be statistical noise. The bulk of the telephony will be of average popularity, and the highs and lows will not be too far different from this average. In this model, neither the quality of the voice, the availability, the design of the device nor other people’s choices have any effect; there are no shared tastes, no preferred genres, no effects from marketing or recommendations from friends.

This is the mass market of VoIP as dreamed and forecasted by most hardware producers.

People would choose VoIP in spite of the fact that the systems are not intercommunicating, the available phones are just desktop phones, most of the population doesn’t have a “Flat rate DSL” and some do not even have a decent connection, (just one ” UP to…) and just because VoIP means cutting cost.

For More Information On Text Books Please Visit: Advanced Programming Using Visual Basic 2008 1E Bradley

Will the Bell System Survive? A Massive Transfer of Wealth from Bell to VoIP is Underway

2011-03-07T02:11:00.000-08:00

Will the Bell System Survive? A Massive Transfer of Wealth from Bell to VoIP Is Underway.

The “Internet Revolution” has brought us e-mail, the World Wide Web and quick, convenient ways to communicate that we’ve come to take for granted. And now it’s reached consumers who are looking for a more economical, more flexible way to talk on the phone. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also known as Broadband Phone or Internet Phone, now allows consumers to use their ordinary telephone to talk over the Internet at rates 50 to 60 percent below those charged by the Bell System, and with robust features that Bell cannot offer.

The Bell System has been our primary “channel” for connecting with friends, relatives and business associates for the last 100 years. Yet, in July, 2004, Michael Powell, the past Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the telephone industry, made this dramatic statement: “VoIP will irreversibly alter the world of communications. VoIP is the most significant paradigm shift in the entire history of modern communications since the invention of the telephone.”

Powell was quoted in Forbes Magazine, but why did he speak about VoIP in such striking terms?

For starters, the courts have ruled that VoIP voice services over the Internet are information services, not telecommunications services. As such, VoIP is not subject to the many taxes, regulatory fees and tariffs that Federal, State and local governments have piled onto the phone company over the years. Take a look at your latest phone bill and you’ll see that 30 percent or more of the monthly charge comes from these “junk fees.” Moving to VOIP phone service eliminates them, except for a trifling 3 percent Federal Excise Tax.

Second, unlike the phone company, VoIP service providers don’t have to install and maintain central offices, millions of miles of copper wire and fiber optic cable to carry your voice from point to point. The Internet is “already there,” just waiting to send your voice as a digital packet stream alongside other digital traffic. This huge savings on infrastructure costs, plus the elimination of “junk fees” translates into a savings of 50 to 60 percent per month, every month. A typical $65 per month phone bill usually costs about $25 per month with VoIP; saving a residential customer with a single phone line nearly $500 per year. For homes with two lines, savings can approach $700 per year.

Third, VoIP delivers sophisticated new features the phone company cannot. For example, Find Me service allows you to designate up to five phones that will ring in sequence, or simultaneously, to find you when you’re out of the office. Enhanced Voicemail lets you listen to voicemail from any web-connected PC or Mac, and to forward them as email attachments to anyone who might need to hear the voicemail. A web-based Call Manager lets you build a list of contacts you can dial simply by clicking on the person’s name. These conveniences not only increase productivity for busy people; they’re fun and easy to use. And of course all the features you already use ? call waiting, caller ID, call return, etc. are included in the standard VoIP service.

These factors working together have led market research firms, including Frost & Sullivan and the Yankee Group, to predict that consumers using VoIP phone service will increase from around one million now to over 18 million by 2007. Other estimates range as high as 30 million by 2007. Losing 18 to 30 million customers in the next few years is very likely keeping conventional phone providers awake at night.

The impact of the Internet on communication is pervasive. In July, 2005, the US Congress voted overwhelmingly (410 to 20) to reform the Postal Service to save it from a “death spiral” brought on by rising costs and declining business due to the impact of the Internet. The next few years should bring more challenges to the Bell System as millions of people drop their phone service in favor of the lower cost, richer features and convenience of VoIP communication.

For More Information On Text Books Please Visit: Absolute C++ (4th Edition) by Walter Savitch

Interactive Voice Response

2011-03-04T03:59:00.000-08:00

As the user’s interaction with the database is predetermined by what the IVR system will allow the user access to, IVR technology does not require human interaction over the telephone. Example, banks and credit card companies use IVR systems because their customers can receive up-to-date account information instantly and easily without necessarily speaking to a person. IVR technology is also used to gather information, such as telephone surveys in which the user is prompted to answer questions by pushing the numbers on a touch-tone telephone.

Generally the system plays pre-recorded voice prompts to which the person presses a number on a telephone keypad to select the option chosen, or engage in simple answers such as “yes”, “no”, or numbers in answer to the voice prompts. The latest systems use natural language speech recognition to interpret the questions that the person wants answered. One of the newest trends, Guided Speech IVR, integrates live human agents into the design and workflow of the application to enable speech recognition with human context.

Other innovations include the ability to speak complex and dynamic information. Examples would be an e-mail, news report or weather information using Text-To-Speech (TTS). TTS is a computer generated synthesized speech and is no longer the robotic voice people associate with computers. Real voices are used to create the speech in tiny fragments that are glued together before the caller hears it.

IVR systems can be used to create and manage many services such as telephone banking, order placement, caller identification and routing, balance inquiry, and airline ticket booking. Voicemail systems are different from IVR systems because they are a one-way communication tool (the caller leaves a message), but IVR systems attempt two-way interaction with the caller. Automatic call distributor (ACD) systems are often the first point of contact when dealing with any larger business, and can be used in place of more expensive IVR systems. IVR systems are mainly used at the front end of call centers to identify what type of service the caller wants and to extract numeric information such as account numbers as well as provide answers to simple questions like account balances or just to allow pre-recorded information to be heard.

IVR systems are often referred to as being unhelpful and difficult to use because of the poor design and lack of appreciation of the callers’ needs. A fully functional IVR system should connect callers to their desired service promptly and with minimal flaws.

IVR call flows are created in a variety of ways. Older systems, which depended upon proprietary programming or scripting languages, and modern systems, which are structured similar to WWW pages, using the VoiceXML or SALT languages. This allows any Web server to act as an application server, enabling the developer to focus on the call flow. Developers need not require specialized programming skills, as any Web developer already have the tools needed to create an IVR call flow.

Voice Over IP Warrior

2011-03-02T01:39:00.000-08:00

In a traditional PSTN, the quality of service of the calls and continuous connection are very dependable; so, in order for people to switch to IP telephony, the same quality considerations must be maintained or excelled. With IP telephony consisting of distributed elements, the entire architecture has to be strategically managed to provide good service while at the same time reducing the overload and maintenance costs.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, solutions include components such as end-user devices, PBX, gateways and gatekeepers, IP network and several protocols that take care of the issues and operations of a transaction. When a call is initiated, there are distributed arrays of routers, which manage the call functions such as identification of the destination, maintenance of the connection between the IP and PSTN, billing management, and alerts about the incoming transaction.

In this competitive VoIP market, VoIP solutions must be able to meet needs such as high-speed interface, predictable performance, quality of service and security. These factors drive application development and infrastructure deployment. The routers should be able to handle thousands of calls through increased bandwidth, and they should also match the interface speeds in order to forward the IP packets. The quality of service is maintained in the router by addressing concerns such as exact sequencing of the packets so that the call is clear and meaningful. Security features are to be implemented to prevent hackers from accessing the infrastructure. This is managed by enumerating the routers, which function as gateways and controllers as private addresses, so they are not accessed through the public Internet.

A robust infrastructure deployment is complemented by application development that adheres to various protocols that are mostly governed by International Transmission Union (ITU) and Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Several protocols are available, and the necessity of the implementation depends upon the product groups. Signaling System Seven (SS7) is a protocol that manages the establishment and termination of calls. H.323 is a product-based communication protocol that signals the call to the IP network and the end user.

RTP protocols address the concerns of real-time receipt of calls so that the calls arrive in the same sequence. Media Gateway Control protocol coordinates the actions of gateways. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) handles the setup and tear down of multimedia sessions between speakers.

With a combination of infrastructure and protocol, VoIP solutions enable the customer to establish calls at a fraction of the rate of PSTN lines, while at the same time maintaining quality

VoIP is Gaining Popularity in Asia

2011-02-25T02:47:00.000-08:00

Internet telephony is now a billions business in Asia and is expected to grow by at least 20 per cent annually. Enterprises who initially wary of VoIP due to reliability and investment seems to have finally overcome their initial resistance. Major countries in Asia such as China, Japan, India and Singapore have taken significant steps for VoIP implementation for enterprises .

Why VoIP is on the Rise?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection. It converts the voice signals into data for transmission over an IP network, and then reconverts the data back to voice signals.

There are several factors tip in the scales in favor of IP telephony. But the primary one is the trend towards a consolidated data and voice infrastructure as organizations look to reduce operational costs.

Also, an increasing need to replace traditional private branch exchange (PBX) systems has pushed businesses to look at alternatives like VoIP. With the current distributed IP phone solution, enterprises do not have to fuss over system breakdowns that once plagued the old PBX.

The implementation of VoIP system allows voice calls to be carried over the company’s existing data network. The IP phone system has helped to reduce voice traffic and ease the maintenance.

The rise of VoIP among enterprises also because of the high growth of broadband connections to the home, improvements in quality of service, and hook-ups that allow VoIP calls over ordinary telephone handsets rather than clunky PC microphone systems.

VoIP services for now typically promise a significant cost savings, virtually wiping out charges for long distance and international calls. In addition, connecting phone calls over the Internet could eventually open the door to advanced communications services that tie voice together with e-mail, instant messaging and video conferencing.

VOIP Diet

2011-02-23T02:20:00.000-08:00

Everyone’s heard of “fad diets” from the Atkins Diet to the Amputation Diet. The VOIP Diet is a sure-fire diet that lures you away from big, expensive and fattening power lunches. The VOIP Diet enables you to eat smart by working from home. Instead of hurried lunches at the burger place, open the fridge and eat last night’s nutritious and inexpensive leftovers.

How can you lose weight on the VOIP Diet? Just install DSL or cable high-speed internet access and a Multitech VOIP extender in a converted spare room in your home or apartment. Multitech can connect to your office’s phone system. As a part of our sales ACD group, I need to be available for our many sales requests. The first thing I noticed after installing the Multitech VOIP was my sales went through the roof. No more office distractions. I could now just focus on my customers.

The second thing I noticed was my car. I hardly drove and with gas costing roughly $3.00 per gallon, I’m content leaving my car right where it is. Of course, the best perk was seeing my family more. They loved it and I did too. I was home in the mornings and able to eat breakfast with them and I was home when they returned from school. It was a huge positive change with my wife and kids. They are so much happier and so am I. I still go to the office once a week but days of a long and hassled commute are over. And don’t get me started on the 20 lbs I dropped by not eating at Mr. Beef.

Get the technology that enables more home time and encourages better eating. A single port, a Multitech VOIP gateway and extender costs only $995.00. You can install it on virtually any telephone system including Partner, Merlin Legend, Merlin Magix and Definity. VOIP works on ADSL, SDSL and Cable.

View This Site: USA top 10 fitness camps | fitness resort

Applicability of Federal Wiretapping Law to VoIP

2011-02-22T02:16:00.000-08:00

One issue that the FCC is discussing in their proceedings is that this new technology may provide a way to make the detection of crimes more difficult. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) is concerned that VoIP “offers increasing opportunities for terrorists, spies and criminals to evade lawful electronic surveillance,” since they could make calls over the Internet, which requires different technology than the FBI currently uses for intercepting regular telephone calls.It is also easier to apply strong encryption to VoIP transmissions. Hence, the FBI is pressing the FCC for new Internet eavesdropping rules. If the FBI’s position prevails, it will have access not only to VoIP calls, but anything else that travels over broadband, including e-mail, instant messaging, and Internet browsing. Civil libertarians are justifiably concerned about privacy and other civil liberty implications.

The FBI already has the ability to seek a court order to conduct surveillance of a broadband user under existing federal wiretapping laws. Vonage, for example, has been served with subpoenas for both call records and call data. Vonage can retrieve the data immediately because the company has it on hand. When the company receives a request for live voice interception, it is easily able to copy the data stream and send it to another location because all the VoIP calls go through a central server. It is unclear why the FBI needs additional access beyond what it can obtain under existing laws, but if it is granted, broadband users will need to understand the capability that law enforcement will have to access all of their cable activity

View This Site: USA top 10 fitness camps | fitness resort

Active Directory and Organizational Units

2011-02-21T04:19:00.001-08:00

Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is a way to logically organizing users, computers, and resources on the UAA network. The UAA AD system (UAACTDIR) is organized into Organization Units (OU) that give members access to shared drives that contain proprietary information. The OU that a user belongs to is determined by the department or office of their employment.

(X:) Shared Drive

These shared drives are mapped to the (X:) drive under the "Network Drives" section of My Computer on your Windows PC. Shared drives contain folder/file permissions for groups and individuals based on their required needs and access to department documents and resources.

(H:) Home Folder

Another drive that will automatically appear under the "Network Drives" section of My Computer is the (H:) drive. The (H:) drive represents a users home folder that serves as a personal storage repository for documents that only the AD user has access.

Juniper Research Forecasts $1.5 Billion Revenue Stream for Mobile AR Apps by 2015

2011-02-16T01:37:00.000-08:00

As per new research conducted by Juniper Research, entitled “Mobile Augmented Reality: Opportunities, Forecasts & Strategic Analysis 2011-2011,” mobile global revenues driven by increasing number of leading brands, retailers and mobile vendors investing in mobile augmented reality (AR) applications and services, is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2015.

According to the report, from an eight million figure in 2009, the installed base of AR capable smartphones has reached up to 100 million units in 2010. The growth was fueled by AR apps gaining popularity among smaller development companies and researchers at technological institutes with support from the larger players. Some of the major developments highlighted in the Mobile Augmented Reality report included release of Qualcomm’s AR-software development kit for Android, availability of preloaded AR browsers within Samsung (News - Alert) handsets in selected markets as well as branded mobile advertising campaigns from Carlsberg and Coca Cola with featured AR elements.

At this week’s ITEXPO East 2011, the leading IP communications conference, mobile vendors presented at the 4GWE conference, which discussed the critical issues of how best to enable and exploit the mobile Internet. 4GWE explored the trends driving a shift toward an anywhere, anytime, broadband mobile network. The conference served as a gathering place for Mobile Network Operators, fixed carriers, handset manufacturers, mobile Internet device manufacturers, application providers, and venture capitalists.

Executives from mobile vendors including Skype, Google (News - Alert), Verizon, Motorola, AT&T, and more, expanded upon the operator's role in meeting the ever increasing demand for wireless services; how carriers will prioritize traffic in an age of mobility and never ending applications; the role of the device in delivering 4G applications; how the smartphone will improve productivity in the enterprise and at home; and the role of 4G technologies including WiMAX (News - Alert) 2.0, WiFi, and LTE.

In a release, report author Dr. Windsor Holden said, “One of the key benefits from this heightened activity is the fact that it generates press interest and public awareness: even if consumers don’t necessarily understand how it works, they can see real life examples of AR in action. Likewise, it serves to generate wider interest amongst brands and developers who can see potential applications for AR technology; it educates the market.”

With the last-minute deployments of AR elements to pre-existing apps, the report also discusses the hesitancy among developers and consumers in accepting AR apps as “real,” given that the use of AR was limited and had failed to engage successfully with the end user.

Instructions for Router Installation

2011-02-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

If you are using a router, please follow these instructions for connecting to the DSL modem.

* Connect the port labeled "WAN" or "Internet" on your router to the DSL modem.
* DO NOT connect a port labeled "LAN" on your router to the DSL modem!
* Follow the manufacturer's directions for configuration. If you check the router's status panel it should be getting an IP address that begins with 10. If it is not, you may have a problem with how you have it connected or configured which will need to be resolved before you can continue. (We do not support the use of routers; please refer to your router user manual.)
* Once you have an IP address that begins with 10, connect a computer to the router. Make sure you are getting an IP address from the router and have good communications with it.
* Register the router:
Do it yourself:
+ Visit the DSL registration page at http://umdsl.itcs.umich.edu/ and authenticate. This will register the router.
+ Wait 30 minutes and release/renew the router's IP address using its control panel, or by power-cycling the router.
+ If you can't reach the registration page, try accessing it from a computer connected directly to the DSL modem to be sure it is working in general. Assuming that it is working, failures to reach the registration page from behind the router may indicate a problem with how the router or connected computer is configured. These problems should be resolved before proceeding.

IP Telephone Service That's Easy, Inexpensive and Reliable!

2011-02-11T01:35:00.000-08:00

Until now, IP Telephone services were complex and often needed expensive equipment to connect to your existing phone system. Accessing the latest PC phoning features and having a "portable" phone number that follows you wherever you go sometimes required replacement of all your phones with IP phones.

With MeritVoice, your organization has all the benefits of an advanced, low cost IP Telephone service without changing your current phone system. In most cases, MeritVoice even provides the equipment your system may need to connect to an IP phone line usually at no additional cost!

MeritVoice also provides local calling throughout Michigan (with none of the black-out areas other providers have), long distance calling worldwide and full 800 number capability.

* Delivers a complete, reliable and secure, converged communications solution integrating voice and data over your IP network.

* MeritVoice uses Merit's advanced fiber-optic network and leverages the power of our Members' dedicated connections to the network.

* Brings IP cost savings and features to conventional phone systems.

* Consolidates voice, video and data from one source: a single supplier for networking, phone, administrative and billing support.

* Advanced features like emergency and broadcast dialing which allows you to call your whole community in minutes. Voice broadcast reaches vast numbers of people in a short amount of time via either their fixed or mobile phone as well as via SMS alerting and e-mail.

* MeritVoice peers with TelNet's network at multiple points in Michigan, enhancing performance, speed, and reliability.

Together with TelNet WorldWide, Merit brings the most experienced team in IP Voice technology and networking to your organization!

* Merit and TelNet are Michigan-based providers with the largest coverage in the state.

* Cost savings: assuring cost savings with the best-in-class, customized solutions

* Our priority is Michgan's Research, Education, Library and HealthCare organizations!

Duke to convert phone service to voice over IP

2011-02-10T02:08:00.000-08:00

Duke University will convert all phone service on the main Duke campus, including the health system, to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), over a two-year period. The move will vastly simplify the way phone service is provided across campus, and will reduce phone service costs by more than $2 million a year when completed.

VoIP is a technology that converts the voice at one end of a telephone conversation into small packets of data, transmits those packets across existing data networks, and reassembles them into intelligible speech at the other end of the call. Since VoIP eliminates the need for dedicated telephone lines and switching equipment, the system can help to reduce infrastructure and communication costs.

“OIT has been testing and piloting Voice over IP service for some time now, and we put our first 500 production phone sets into service three years ago,” said Duke University Chief Information Officer Tracy Futhey. “Today, 10 percent of our phones are using VoIP, and our technology infrastructure is ready to support VoIP for all users on campus.” Many large corporations have been using VoIP for years and, increasingly, universities are following suit.

The adoption of VoIP, Futhey explained, “will allow us to retire Duke’s legacy phone switches, which are costly to maintain and, in some cases, difficult to upgrade. With everyone using VoIP for phone service, we will be able to reduce phone rates for all departments starting in July of next year and, because we will standardize the models we offer for most applications, we will also be able to save on equipment purchases and establish a common replacement schedule. All of this helps ensure that we are using Duke’s financial resources as efficiently as possible.”

The aggressive conversion schedule—replacing more than 30,000 lines over the course of two years—will allow the enterprise to benefit from the projected annual savings as quickly as possible, and to avoid the cost of upgrading legacy equipment. In addition, this process will give each department the opportunity to review phone needs, with an eye toward reducing the number of lines used and thereby saving even more on phone service.

OIT project staff have already started meeting with key staff in the offices of the provost, the executive vice president and the health system to share the draft project plan. Once a schedule for conversion of each department is set, project timelines, metrics and status reports will be made available via the Web. As the staff in each department gets close to conversion, they will receive detailed information about the process and instructions for use of the new phones.

While VoIP phones use different technology to transmit calls, they work essentially the same way other phones do: you pick up a handset, punch out the number you want on the keypad, and use other buttons for redial, hold, and so on. With VoIP service, however, you’ll be able to do other things, like move your phone (and your dedicated phone number) to another location without paying for a service call, or duplicate the settings from your office phone on the phone in your lab.

Software Phones at Dartmouth

2011-02-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

Students at Dartmouth can now use their computers as phones - and through an independent development, long distance charges are now also a thing of the past. This fall, Dartmouth's incoming freshmen can download free software that allows their Windows computers to function as telephones on both the campus's wireless and wired networks. This offering is one of several new mobile voice options from Dartmouth's Computing Services Department.

"I don't think anyone's done this before on such a large scale," says Bob Johnson, Associate Director for Telecommunications, "so we're eager to see how the community uses these new ways of communicating. We'll be studying it."

The "softphones," which are being phased in throughout the fall term starting with the first year students, allow any Windows computer to place and receive telephone calls. Wireless or wired, all users need is a headset or handset (available from the campus computer store), some free software from the Dartmouth Web site, and an assigned phone number in order to talk on the phone from Dartmouth to anyone, anywhere, anytime. There are a few new handheld wireless phone options as well.

"This software frees you from thinking a phone is a physical device," says Larry Levine, Director of Computing. "Your phone could be your laptop computer, your handheld computer, or any other wireless device."

The rollout of the software is the first of a new generation of communications technologies made possible by an upgrade of the campus data network this past winter and spring. Once separate, the data and telephone networks are now merged in a way that provides new services to the Dartmouth community, including voice-over Internet protocol, or VoIP. With VoIP, phone calls travel along the converged data-telephone network, eliminating long distance fees.

"Softphones are less expensive than cell phones," says Levine. "Because we've also simply stopped charging for long distance calls, no matter what kind of phone you use at Dartmouth there's no charge for long distance, whether you call from a regular phone or a softphone," says Levine.

This campus-wide technological experiment will be closely watched. Computer Science Professor David Kotz and his students, as well as Thayer School of Engineering professors and professionals from Computing Services, will all study the impact on both the wireless and wired networks as more and more converged traffic crosses the wires during the term.

Internet phones have arrived

2011-02-08T02:51:00.000-08:00

The idea of digitizing voices isn't new; just listen to a CD. But digitizing phone calls, organizing them in "packets," and sending them over network lines is now becoming mainstream. Dartmouth is embracing this new technology by converting its traditional phone lines to voice-over Internet protocol, or VOIP.

As part of Dartmouth's planned upgrade, a new and improved network infrastructure, which was gradually installed over the last five months, will be rigorously tested over the next few weeks. The new equipment allows for "convergence," a term that describes the fact that cable TV, voice and data will travel through one line.

"Convergence is saving us space and money," says Brad Noblet, director of technical services for Peter Kiewit Computing Services. "The jack in the wall becomes an all-in-one utility, and we upgrade all three systems with one shot."

From a user's point of view, sending phone calls over the data lines with a new system works exactly the same way as before. The actual VOIP phone set looks a little different, but users will not otherwise notice a difference in basic telephone service, says Noblet. However, the new system brings new conveniences, such as the ability to place calls or retrieve messages from a wireless-enabled laptop via Dartmouth's campuswide wireless network.

"I find it very easy to use, and I use it routinely to call off campus," says John Winn, Professor of Chemistry. "I particularly like that it keeps a list of calls I've placed; I just scroll back to a previously-called number and lift the receiver to place a new call to that number."

Barry Scherr, Provost and the Mandel Family Professor of Russian, agrees. "I like it," he says. "It's a mini computer that doubles as a phone; I can even get news headlines on it."

According to Bob Johnson, Associate Director of Telecommunications, the upgrade provided Dartmouth with a tenfold increase in overall bandwidth capacity and improved network intelligence that brings us "out to the edge of current technology."

"Our old network worked with routers going through one hub," says Johnson. "We replaced the hubs with switches and upgraded all the routers to provide better, uninterrupted service." This means that Dartmouth has upgraded its system to better manage the torrent of information flowing around the campus and to and from the rest of the world.

The new equipment ensures that messages are not slowed down, adds Johnson. Whether it's voice, data or cable TV information that's moving around our campus network, service will be consistent and reliable. Backup generators have been installed as part of the upgrade, ensuring that network service will never be compromised and 911 service will continue to function in an emergency.

While VOIP is tested, though, the old phone service will remain in place.

"We have a three-year safety net," says Noblet. "That's how long our existing telephone contract runs."

Alex Jordan '03, from Chelmsford, Mass., is an engineering major working with the VOIP infrastructure for his senior thesis. He is working with specialized digital radios that use the amateur radio bands to make long distance network connections. He is creating a new network independent of the campus system that will be able to operate over much longer distances.

"Since the radios are portable," he says, "it would be possible to set up these wireless video and voice connections virtually anywhere using just a laptop, a commercial webcam and the digital radios. They would be especially well-suited for emergency or disaster areas where traditional modes of communication have been rendered inoperable. It has been exciting to see how well the VOIP standards work and to get the chance to use them to meet our communication needs over these new networks."

Welcome to VoIP at UofL

2011-02-07T03:07:00.000-08:00

Voice over IP (VoIP) is an increasingly popular form of telephone service. VoIP works by taking the voice signals on your telephone, converting the signals to digital information, and sending them over a computer network instead of over traditional telephone lines. Over the past few years VoIP replaced most of the phone systems at larger organizations, such as UofL, and is now offered to homes in some areas over broadband cable and DSL connections.

The university has been using VoIP successfully since 2002. VoIP can be installed anywhere the ethernet network is available. Only one internet outlet is necessary to use a VoIP phone. When installed, the VoIP phone plugs into the Internet outlet and the computer plugs into the back of the phone.

The University of Louisville gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Case Western Reserve University in the development of these web pages for their permission to use VoIP documentation and materials from their web site.

Area codes to change at Kilmer Library, Dec. 3rd; Part of Rutgers VOIP project

2011-02-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

After December 3rd any calls to phone numbers in the Kilmer Library must be preceded by a new area code - 848. This change is taking place as part of the university's five year project to implement Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone lines across the New Brunswick/Piscataway campuses.

For a limited period of time, callers who dial the old area code of 732 will reach a recorded announcement that reminds them of the new area code and asks them to redial.

Rutgers initiated the VOIP project to provide university departments and offices with less expensive and more manageable options for their telecommunication needs. The change to VOIP phone service will be undertaken in stages, over the next four years, based on the infrastructure available on the different campuses and the readiness of specific buildings and departments. There are currently no plans to implement VOIP on the Camden and Newark campuses.

The Libraries are excited by the move to VOIP because it will allow us to save money on phone costs and will allow new options in our phone service. As an example of one possible benefit - since Rutgers will own the entire 848 area code, faculty or staff members who move to an office in another building can take their phone number with them. This change alone will save Libraries personnel, and their professional and personal contacts, countless hours in now-unnecessary phone book updates over the years to come.

In the months ahead the Libraries will post news updates as additional library buildings implement VOIP and change their area code to 848. The next library scheduled to implement VOIP is the Douglass Library, in March or April of 2011.

New Features offered by Voip

2011-02-03T02:34:00.000-08:00

The new system will provide SanJac a variety of new features.

One-X Portal

The Avaya one-X Portal will give SanJac employees easy access to communications capabilities anytime, anywhere. Avaya one-X™ Portal is a web-based software solution that provides workers with access to directory information, voicemail, and audio conferencing.

Enhanced 911

Amcom’s enhanced 911 . The solutions pinpoint a 911 caller’s exact location and pass it along to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). This kind of reliable, automatic transfer of information will help you provide vital, lifesaving information and notify the appropriate onsite personnel that an emergency call is in progress.

VoIP @ Qatar University New Telephone System

2011-02-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

Information Technology Services implemented this spring semester of a new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone system, a technology that enabled the University to make telephone calls using the Campus network instead of traditional phone lines. All Colleges/departments has been migrated to the new VoIP system gradually.

Old System Disconnection

Since all the offices and staff have been migrated to the new system, we are starting discontinuation of the old system. All the OLD PHONES operational at ITS Department will be discontinued starting Jun 01, 2010. This process will be gradually executed throughout Qatar University and by Jun 30, 2010, QU should have only one system to operate and use.

New QU Numbers

New numbers have been published on QU website and respective departmental websites. Also, online directory at QU website can be used to search for new numbers.

Qatar University Main Number = 403 3333
New ITS Helpdesk = 403 3456.8

VoIP Fulfillment Launched by VoIP Supply

2011-02-01T02:39:00.000-08:00

VoIP Fulfillment by VoIP Supply is a suite of services specifically designed for VoIP service providers that increase operational efficiency, decreases costs and bolster customer experience. I spoke with VoIP Supply's Garrett Smith - Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Russo - Executive Vice President, and Donald Stefanie - VoIP Service Provider Program Manager to learn more.

First off Garrett mentioned that VoIP Supply has over 700 service provider customer â€“ an impressive number â€“ though not all of them are using their new VoIP Fulfillment services. They actually targeted service providers and resellers back in 2004 when their business first started. However, although VoIP Supply started with the service provider and reseller space, they refocused around 2006/2007 on end users since the margins on hardware were getting squeezed. Now they're targeting SMBs directly at 150 seats and under. They also launched their buyback program during the recession period, which really took off and enabled IT Directors to scrape some cash together from some old telecom equipment. In their first year they purchased about $1 million in used equipment. VoIP supply also has a Refresh (refurbished/reconditional) 10-step program that takes customer's used products, cleans it, fixes it up, replaces broken buttons, and then sells it. Last year they launched their "Deploy" service which is their nationwide installation service.

Garret Smith explained, "You can come to VoIP Supply as an end user customer and you can get your phone system, your hosted system, your networking, your cables, your surveillance system even - completely configured, shipped plug n' play and then have our outsourced installation staff go into your office and do the whole soup-to-nuts installation for you, the testing, the final settings & configurations, and essentially leave you with a brand new working system and you don't have to lift a finger." Garrett added that this service is gaining a lot of traction amongst their service provider customers since they're looking to make it easier for their customers to get started.

Garrett, "Where we differentiate is with the ancillary things, like device consultation and selection. Due to the number of service providers, the number of end user customers, the number of resellers that we touch, the variety and the longevity, we're in a position where service providers can come to us and work with us to find the right fit for their service."

Garrett explained they can take the 1st tier customer support and act as a service providers technical support to answer phones or email as though they were the service provider. They can also do co-branding, add any sort of sticker or collateral and custom brand the packing tape, etc. Garrett explained, "Essentially, we can take the entire back-end infrastructure from a pick, pack, and ship, from a device configuration, a customer service & returns perpective and white label that and act as though we are that service provider."

VoIP Supply sells IP phones, IP cameras, extended warranties, Asterisk hardware, networking equipment, DECT SIP phones, and more. One other interesting offering is that VoIP Supply has a leads generation program that providers 30 leads per day to service providers

BlackBerry gets mobile VoIP connectivity

2011-01-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

Mobile VoIP connectivity is the one of the most sought after apps for smartphones and now BlackBerry, which is produced by RIM, is getting in on the action.

Although the Blackberry is a great enterprise smartphone, users who wanted Mobile VoIP must have looked on enviously as competitors like the iPhone and the Android accessed products such as Fring, Truphone and Skype.

But now the Mobile Voip service TringMe can be downloaded by BlackBerry owners as their first native VoIP client.

This third party program allows free phone calls over a Wi-Fi network which saves money and also makes business transactions that much easier, especially now that worldwide conference calling is also on the menu.

More than 100 million smartphone users are expected to be using mobile VoIP connectivity services by the year 2012.

Breezecom Offers Scalability in Terms of VoIP Capacity and Destinations

2011-01-25T00:55:00.000-08:00

A premium international telecom service provider, Breezecom, has announced that they offer scalability in terms of VoIP capacity and destinations in their wholesale VoIP service. The offer is included as one of the key features in their wholesale VoIP service package. Apart from this, the company also provides – network based on state-of-the-art Genband platform, robust quality ASR, ACD, and PDD, also their service suits carriers seeking multiple DS3 capacity.

Commenting on their VoIP service package, the company's senior marketing executive said, “Picking up the right partner is imperative for your success. Your wholesale VOIP termination (aggregation) provider must consistently deliver a high quality of service. With us you can be assured of seamless wholesale VoIP termination. Our VOIP / SIP system provides the features and flexibility to compete in the global VoIP marketplace.”

This package is designed to give more flexibility and convenience to wholesale, retail VoIP service and smaller carriers within the services that the company provides. Therefore, telecom business owners who use the company's VoIP service package can be assured that all their voice traffic needs will be met with high efficiency and cost effectively.

Further stressing on the company's services, the senior marketing executive added, that “the support of our technical team is offered on a 24x7 basis. We ensure that our response time is minimum and quality of resolution as per our customers’ requirements.

VoIP Services for Making Phone Calls

2011-01-24T03:45:00.000-08:00

Most people have heard of Skype, and it still is one of the best VoIP services around, but there are quite a few other good options as well that let you make phone calls over the Internet using your regular landline, mobile phone or your computer.

There are three kinds of Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions that let you enjoy crystal-clear* phone calls at a fraction of the price that your phone company charges:

1. Hardware based – You get a dedicated hardware router that sits between your Internet modem and your corded /cordless phone so ytitle="VoIP Services for Making Phone Calls" ou can make and receive phone calls just like before. The only difference is that calls are now routed through the Internet and not your phone company so you usually end up saving money.

2. Software based – You install a VoIP software on your computer or your web-enabled mobile phone and make phone calls via the Internet connection bypassing your phone company. It doesn’t matter if you mobile phone is connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi, GPRS, EDGE, 3G or WiMAX.

3. Web based – Web based VoIP services neither require any hardware nor software. You open the VoIP service provider’s site, type the phone numbers and you’re instantly connected. Some services also offer special hotlines (or direct access numbers) that let you make Internet phone calls using your traditional phone even if you don’t have an internet connection.

Treasury flags VoIP upgrade

2011-01-21T05:20:00.000-08:00

The Federal Department of the Treasury has gone to market for a supplier to replace its existing PABX with a Voice over Internet telephony (VOIP) system.

When reached, the agreement will be effective for three years and will see the chosen company delivering core services such as the design, supply and installation of the system, coupled with adequate training of the Treasury staff and maintenance.

In an a statement included in a Request for Tender document, the Treasury said an Internet Protocol-based (IP) technology would allow the department to finalise its unified communications strategy, which includes voice, instant messaging, presence and conferencing capabilities. “Treasury is seeking a solution that empowers its staff to self-service features, thereby reducing the ongoing ICT support costs,” the department wrote.

Prior to substituting its PABX system with a new platform, the Treasury will also upgrade its email system, from Microsoft Exchange 2007 to 2010. At a later stage, the actual deployment of the VOIP solution will involve changes at all levels. New telephony solutions will require 1,300 user handsets, 20 door handsets, 300 expansion modules and 20 conference handsets. Also the Treasury will standardise its headsets on one model of wired and one of wireless.

Its current Norten Meridian PABX switchboard supports features as call hold, transfer, call forward, pick up groups, hunt groups, shared lines etc. With the rollout of the VOIP technology, the Treasury expects to deploy a software-based console to support high inbound calls volumes.

“The proposed software console is to meet the operator’s requirements for accepting and dispatching calls, directory searching, call queuing, night-switching, and reporting,” it is written in the RFT document. “In addition, identification of “presence” status for end users from the software console is to be provided”.

Fixed landline business telecommunications services

2011-01-20T00:39:00.000-08:00

A "fixed line" telephone, also known as a landline, is a standard telephone used over the "wired" telephone network.

How do I choose a service provider?

The public telephone network was operated by British Telecom until 1984, when the industry was opened up to competition. The market is made up of a multitude of operators (or telcos), split into network providers, which supply services direct to the premises, and service providers or "billing only" telcos, which use the infrastructure supplied by network providers.

BT is still the biggest network provider, but alternative providers, including cable TV companies, have entered the market in several parts of the UK, including AT&T, Cable & Wireless (formerly Mercury), NTL and Telewest (now merged under the Virgin Media banner).
If you have a BT line, you may choose a different service provider to carry the calls themselves, regardless of where your business is based. These 'billing only' services can be accessed in two ways -

* indirect access - indirect access operators use BT's infrastructure from a customer's premises to the exchange to provide their own services. Services from these providers are accessed by dialling a prefix number or by routing through a box, which automatically dials the prefix. Some companies, such as First Telecom and One.Tel, specialise in indirect access, while the cable companies offer indirect access services in areas where they don't have their own infrastructure.
* carrier pre-selection (CPS) - with CPS there is no need to dial a prefix or use an adaptor, as calls are carried by a company selected in advance. CPS has been in operation since December 2000, and most indirect access operators are expected to offer it in the future.
* Local Loop Unbundling - where a carrier has its own equipment in the local BT exchange and a trunk line to its own network

Outstanding VoIP Voicemail Features Makes Getting VoIP Voicemail Extremely Convenient

2011-01-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

There are many types of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) protocols that are employed by the VoIP providers currently providing VoIP calling plans. Luckily for the consumers, the VoIP providers have listened to what functions the consumers want in their Voicemails. Almost all of the VoIP providers provide Voicemail with the standard VoIP calling plan. The special feature of the VoIP voicemail plan is in how the consumer can access his/her VoIP voicemail message.

In general, there are 4 ways in which a VoIP consumer can access their voicemail. When you add the four ways up, you will be able to access your voicemail from virtually anywhere.

First, you can access your voicemail through your primary VoIP telephone by dialing *123 or some other combination of numbers (VoIP voicemail access code varies by provider). The automatic attendant will let you know how many voicemails you have and walk you through retrieving all of your new voicemails and saving/deleting your old emails. It is quite a slick system.

The second method is via a local voicemail access number, where you can call a local telephone number from any telephone (Cell phone/Land line/ VoIP phone). When you dial into your local voicemail access number, the auto attendant will ask for you to punch in your VoIP phone number and password to be able to access your VoIP voicemail system.

The third method is through your VoIP provider online account management portal. You can go to your Provider's VoIP homepage and access the "Customer Login" portal by typing in your username and password. Once into the portal, click on the Voicemail tab and you can listen to your new voicemails over Internet connection.

The fourth method, and possibly the most useful, is every time you get a new VoIP voicemail, you are sent an email. That email will state that you have a new voicemail from your VoIP account, the date the voicemail was received, and an attachment of the voicemail as a .wav file. One outstanding feature is that you can save the .wav file on your computer's hard drive and email the voicemail to friends, family, or coworkers.

The above are generally how most VoIP providers give consumers access to their voicemail (but not all). Be sure to check each VoIP provider for how they provide their consumers access to their voicemail.

VoIP voicemail service is only one of the things to consider before choosing a VoIP solution. In fact, there are many things to consider when choosing a VoIP provider. An educated consumer generally results in a satisfied consumer. Please see our VoIP: Things to consider article to find a list of more things to consider when choosing a VoIP provider. You can Compare VoIP providers side-by-side at www.VoIPChoices.com

Will VoIP be a Mass Market Product?

2011-01-18T01:05:00.000-08:00

A common thinking among "Marketing people " is that for every product that enters the market there must be a path, a target, a need ( real or created) that decides how the product must enter the consumer's life, which part of the population is more likely to go for it, which niche it is going to fill and, most important "...certain things being stated, something other than what is stated follows of necessity from their being so." and that is the final issue: the price.

Depending on those anavoidable patterns a product is more or less ready for a certain market.

High technologically devices, the ones that offer perfect quality and cost a fortune will target the elitarian market, where the price has not big importance (on the contrary, if the price would be lower than what certain people can afford, the product wouldn't reach them) since it means luxury.

When a product ceases to be luxury and begins to be a need, then the mass market is ready. The product can enter 60% of consumers' lives, reach easily a good upgrade in the percentage and become " The New Product of the year 200....".

Let's consider the VoIP market.

Prior to recent theoretical work on social needs, the usual purpose of a product invoked individual (social) behaviors. We now know that these assumptions are not completely wrong.

Wrong would be NON considering them.

In systems where many people are free to choose between many options, a small subset of the whole offer will get a disproportionate amount of traffic (or attention, or income), even if no one of the system actively work towards such an outcome. This has nothing to do with moral weakness, selling out, or any other psychological explanation. The very act of choosing, spread widely enough and freely enough, creates a power law distribution.

Now, thanks to a series of breakthroughs in network theory by researchers we know that power law distributions tend to arise in social systems where many people express their preferences among many options. We also know that as the number of options rise, the curve becomes more extreme. This is a counter-intuitive finding - most of us would expect a rising number of choices to flatten the curve, but in fact, increasing the size of the system increases the gap between the #1 spot and the median spot.

In other words: give to the people the choice among desktop phones and mobile phones and the majority will choose what they think more convenient, in spite of the cost of the service.

In a way the cost of the service is the only left advantage in favour of the fixed telephony.

If the price was the same the desktop phones would disappear from the life of the average consumer (mass market consumer).

To see how freedom of choice could create such unequal distributions, consider a hypothetical population of a thousand people, each picking their favorite way of telecommunication. One way to model such a system is simply to assume that each person has an equal chance of liking each kind of telephony. This distribution would be basically flat - most kind of telephony will have the same number of people listing it as a favorite. A few will be more popular than average and a few less, of course, but that will be statistical noise. The bulk of the telephony will be of average popularity, and the highs and lows will not be too far different from this average. In this model, neither the quality of the voice, the availability, the design of the device nor other people's choices have any effect; there are no shared tastes, no preferred genres, no effects from marketing or recommendations from friends.

Meet Your Solution To Cell Phone Overage Charges: The femtoJack!

2011-01-17T01:03:00.000-08:00

The femtoJack is a new and innovative product from the creators of magicJack, which is aimed at allowing users to make mobile phone calls for free within their homes by using a computer that has access to the internet.

Basically, the femtoJack allows people to make use of VOIP via their cell phones, which for those who often end up paying overage charges for extra minutes this will be a welcomed opportunity. The reason is because it will only cost $19.95 per year and will allow for unlimited local and long distance minutes while in range of it.
The device is manufactured by Ymax and although sounding like its in violation of FCC spectrum laws, is actually completely legal according to most experts in the field. It sounds illegal because it works off the same high frequency spectrum that mobile phone operators purchase licenses for, but only uses the spectrum within your home, which is how it is not restricted by the law.
The actual logistics of the femtoJack are quite simple, plug the little USB sized device into your computer and it operates by allowing your mobile phone to piggyback onto the available femtoJack mini cell network that it creates so that you can make your phone calls for free instead of wasting cell phone minutes.
Despite all of its greatness there is a drawback to the revolutionary device in it will only work with phones that are GSM enabled, which in the United States means those provided by T-Mobile and AT&T. However, those who have Sprint or Verizon service can still use the device if they can dig up an old GSM phone that they are no longer using.
A few of the large cell carriers are likely to make complaints about the femtoJack when you consider it is using the spectrum that they are paying billions to use. Due to this the femtoJack is certain to draw some flack soon. In the meantime you may want to check it out and see if you can get your hands on one of these

Softphone Screen Features

2011-01-13T00:58:00.000-08:00

I’ve had emails from visitors wanting to know how to use the Softphone Screen that appears when you install Magic Jack so I thought I would write an explanation of how it works. The red numbers you see on the Screen below designate the different areas of the Softphone Screen that we are going to discuss, these numbers do not appear on the Softphone Screen on your computer

1. This is the area on the left of the Softphone where you will see rotating messages from Magic Jack about their services. Any updates will also show here, such as when new area codes are added to the service. If the area code that you want is not available when you first get your Magic Jack, you’re allowed to change your area code free once that area code becomes available.

2. The center top of the Softphone Screen displays your Magic Jack phone number that has been assigned to you just under “Ready to call”. There are also three buttons for Yahoo, AOL and Weather, which if clicked, will open up your browser to Yahoo.com, AOL.com and Weather.com.

3. The Magic Jack Phonebook will store your contacts that you enter and also the calls that you have made or received with your Magic Jack. By clicking on Contacts, a menu appears where you can edit or delete your contacts. Clicking on calls displays your recent calls and Favorites will display the sites you have saved in Favorites in Internet Explorer.

4. Buttons for Redial which calls the last number dialed; Voice Mail, which will dial your number and then prompt you for your password to access your Voice Mail. When setting up your Voice Mail, use the password 1234, and then change it immediately to another 4-digit number. The 411 button will open your web browser to this website: free411.com which is a free telephone lookup directory. Clicking on the Google button will open up your web browser to Google.com.

5. When installing your Magic Jack, you will be prompted to enter your physical address for their 911 service. You may add more than one address if you will be using your Magic Jack in different locations. If you will be using the Magic Jack 911 service, be sure to have your correct physical location selected at all times. Also have a back-up way to call 911 in case your internet service goes down, as your Magic Jack phone will not work during these times.

6. Phone key pad on the Magic Jack SoftScreen. You may use your phone to dial a number or the Softphone Screen can be used by clicking the buttons with your mouse.

7. If using the Softphone Screen to dial a phone number, you click “Send” to call the number, and “End” to hang up when you are finished with your call. The number you have dialed, whether using your telephone or the Softphone Screen will show in the white area.

8. Change the size of the Softphone Screen by clicking on “Big” or “Small” in the upper right corner. The Softphone Screen can be minimized by clicking on the button with the “-” located to the right of the “Big” or “Small” button. The Menu button lets you access different features for your phone, such as “Do Not Disturb” which will send all calls directly to Voice Mail for you.

Now you know all about your Magic Jack Softphone Screen so you can use your new service to its greatest capacity. If you have any more questions, please ask in the comments below. I answer all comments, and you will probably ask a question that many others would like to know also.

Magic Jack VoIP Phone

2011-01-12T03:18:00.000-08:00

Magic Jack is one of the new voip phone services that you use with your computer and high-speed internet connection to make unlimited long distance phone calls. It’s great as long as everything is working as it should. But what if you are having problems with Magic Jack? Sometimes it works just fine at first then after a month or 6 weeks problems begin to develop. The softphone screen begins to disappear or not load at all. Or it disappears and keeps reloading and going away again. The computer it is hooked up to will start freezing up, sometimes to the point where you cannot use it at all unless you unplug the Magic Jack.

I had all of these happen to me and after trying a few things and finally unplugging it in disgust, I tried plugging it into an external a/c powered usb hub and then everything worked perfectly again. That was an easy fix for me. It does conflict with the sound for my printer, but to me this isn’t a big deal because I don’t care if I hear a computerized voice telling me that the printing is complete. But what if it conflicts with other programs? This is something that does occur quite often. No two computers are alike once they are used for a while by their owner. You’ll find some answers here to your problems with Magic Jack…and many times it is not the device, it is the conflict with your computer.

Instant Menaces or Instant Messengers?

2011-01-11T02:21:00.000-08:00

Many vendors offering Instant Messaging (IM) services have added new capabilities such as voice messaging and file sharing. Among others, AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo offer these IM services.

Clients of Instant Messaging services are also easy prey for the community of hackers. Using a simple monitoring program, the plain text from Instant Messaging can be easily captured and creates vulnerability to electronic eavesdropping. .

In one version of AOL's Instant Messenger, aka AIM, a user was found to have been the target of a hacker attack. The villainous hacker had crafted a URL which, when clicked by the user with AIM on their desktop, allowed the hacker to execute a virus on the victim's system. What is particularly sinister about this is that AIM does not have to be running for this type of virus to deploy.

Another avenue of attack is when victims are simply sent an HTML email with a link that when clicked will execute one or all of the following: a privilege elevation attack, a denial of service attack, or the installation of a backdoor for later use, to name a few.

Using a computer phone service that operates on secure lines with high end encryption codec on proprietary patented technology that features IM capability will optimally protect you against these vicious hacker attacks.

Greater Interconnectivity with other Data Technologies

2011-01-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

Because VoIP is a data-based technology, it allows greater interconnectivity with the company data network. These capabilities will vary with the VoIP hosting provider, who provides templates that allow the customer to integrate voice with other data sources. Some will even create a custom application if a business requires it.

For example, a business may choose to place a “Click and Call” feature that allows instant access to customer support from the company website. With Web and video conferencing, they can even see who they’re talking with, for a more personalized experience. An application can also be designed that allows customer service representatives to see a pop-up when customers call which provides customer account and contact information for improved service quality.

A VoIP system can be used to screen where calls are routed. Calls can be routed to an automated attendant, even for employees in multiple cities. This lets a small company appear larger. When customers call, they will hear, “To reach Jim Smith, enter 4111, to reach John Jones, enter 4122,” etc. The customer never realizes that each employee is in another city, state, or country. VoIP can also be programmed to block certain phone numbers, or place them on “virtual ring”, where the call never comes through.

Rapid credit card machine authorizations are another business benefit of VoIP phone service with the low cost option of adding additional lines as data lines. “The credit card machine line can be ‘on’ all the time, and provides lightening-fast validations,” says Scarborough. “It’s also a very cost-effective solution for point of sale systems. Instead of a cash register dialing into the network, it can be kept on 24/7, at little charge.”

Google Joins the Internet Phone Revolution

2011-01-08T00:46:00.000-08:00

Its not so long ago that the idea of free phone calls over the Internet would have been thought an impossibility, but as any knowledgeable user will tell you they are now commonplace. Skype the pioneer and market leader has 51 million users and a great, easy to use software package that allows your computer to make Internet phone calls between subscribers.

All you need is a reasonable computer, preferably a broadband connection but it will work over a dial up connection, and a microphone, then as long as the person you want to contact is online and also signed up to the same service, you can talk for ever for no cost.

This is possible because your speech is sent over the Internet in the data packets, just like email or any other Internet service. Microsoft, AOL, BT and Yahoo all have their own instant voice messaging services and now Google has joined in, with the launch of its instant messaging and Internet Phone service Google Talk. The service will be free to all users of its email program Gmail. This must be causing Googles competitors some concern, because as we all know from past, experience when Google does something they always want to be the market leader.

Google Talk will have the traditional uncluttered Google look which users have come to expect, to use Google Talk you must sign up for a Gmail Account. Google is making Google talk an open service, by working with EarthLink to connect with their Vling communications service and with Sipphone on using their Gizmo project, which will mean that users of Google Talk can send messages to users of other networks, unlike all their major rivals.

This means that Google Talk will be free for calls to other networks, unlike the services from AOL, Microsoft, etc where calls are only free between subscribers of their individual services. When it was announced this was seen as such a significant development that Skype immediately responded by announcing that they would also be making their network available to calls from other networks. At the moment Skype also has the advantage that its users can make calls from their computer to a landline or mobile phone, initially Google Talk will only offer Pc to PC communication, I wonder how long that will remain the case?

To start, with Google Talk will be free from adverts but that will probably change in the future, it is hoped that the launch of the service will increase the use of Gmail, where Google earns income by placing adverts targeted at the subject matter of the email.

This is a very significant step in the development of Internet phone calling services using VoIp and I expect that Google will make every effort to become the market leader.

Business Phone Systems

2011-01-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest inventions of the modern age is the invention of the telephone. This invention completely revolutionized the way people communicated with each other. It got completely changed and this invention continued to influence the farther developments made in the field of communication technology. In the present age, telephones have almost become indispensable for any person whether for personal or professional use. Nowadays, nobody can think of doing business without a telephone system providing assistance. In fact, business telephone systems have become the main means of communication amongst different companies and organizations.

Much depends upon the telephone system for a business to run its operations smoothly. In fact, these telephone systems have become the lifeblood of every business, whether large or small. To survive in today’s fast-paced business world, it would be very difficult for any business to survive unless it adopts the latest innovations of the communication technology. An effective business telephone system facilitates proper communication among the staff of a company as well as with its customers, which is undertaken in a highly professional way.

Business telephone systems are generally more complex and have more features than the phones used for personal communication. Although, both of these systems look similar, these business phone systems deliver much higher performance as regards business operation is concerned. But, the operational requirement would differ from business to business and would cater towards specific needs of an organization. These business telephone systems are available in different sizes catering to the needs of all types of enterprise, whether large or small. There are consultants available to assess the exact needs of an organization as far as its communication needs are concerned.

Present day business telephone systems have many advanced features that enable the business to improve its operational efficiency. For example, the facility of call forwarding enables any organization to manage all customer calls that come everyday efficiently and dealing with each of these calls quite effectively.

Business telephone systems are now available in wide variety. This variety enables every business to select
1000
a telephone system that is perfectly suited for that specific business. After a Telephone System has been selected, farther research should be carried out so that you could select the features that are suitable for your specific business.

Ultimately, the overall performance of any employee of any business would depend a lot on the kind of telephone system used in the organization.

All these discussion emphasizes the role of a good telephone system towards the success of any business

Skype for iPhone with video chat

2011-01-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

Telecom Industry Transition: WiFi, VoIP, WiMax - The Wireless Age is Already Here

2010-12-31T01:42:00.000-08:00

VoIP on WiMax will make the latest 3G technologies obsolete before they are completely installed. The reason is because 3G cell phone technology is capable of 2Mbs while WiFi is at 11Mbs in bursts and WiMax will be even greater therefore 3G is not needed as VoIP over WiMax is going to provide more data, faster speeds and greater numbers of users. WiFi and WiMax may actually solve the goals of conquering the digital divide. There will be a small price for this disruptive technology. There will be small legal battles fought such as this one over territory with government agencies and private sector. In the WiFi Online Newsletter commenting on a Wall Street Journal Article we saw Verizon fighting with the City of Philadelphia over their city wide WiFi and if you think about it they do potentially have quite a bit to lose don't they?

There will also be issues with frequency pollution from other uses in close proximity of the frequency band being sent out. There will be issues with the human biological system, birds, animals and pets. There will also layoffs caused by such disruption and some bluff layoffs to sway political intervention thru careful manipulation of "K-Street" style guerilla lobbying. There will also be issues with first to market and frequency allocations from the FCC. There will be consumer complaints due to bandwidth being used up and services too slow for users.

There are already some heated battles going on with the use of power lines to deliver Internet to the home because it will disrupt Ham Operators. The layoffs in Telecom have been astronomical in recent years. New technologies while they give the industry new life, new directions to grow they also provide for some fierce competition between players. One of the most recent issues was the VoIP FCC ruling, which said that VoIP couldn't be taxed by states, as it is an Internet Service not a phone service. This was a major ruling for the VoIP Industry and will add billions of dollars in capital from investment banks and venture capital firms.

http://www.commweb.com/53700703

Recently I was at a WiFi Verizon Hot Spot and there were six people with computers there, two playing video games on the Internet, One using VoIP another downloading a big file, needless to say surfing at any acceptable speed or collecting 1000 emails (most 90% SPAM) was out of the question. Although patrons have paid $19.95 per month for internet access there will be issues with speed and bandwidth as the Internet is soaked up by VoIP and excessive emails. WiMax promises to solve this problem with speeds of 75MB per second as opposed to the WiFi burst speeds of 11MB or the mobile satellite solutions at 1-2 MB per second. Still all of these solutions blow out of the water the old dial up speeds. 3G Wireless was thought to be the savior, yet with speeds on the very lowest end of the spectrum, even devices like the Blackberry (RIMM), or the AT & T iGO do not stand a chance on such services.

Right now 3G network is nearly complete and works good for phone calls and instant messaging, but is quite lacking for video or picture emailing. As new devices come out such as movie watching, music downloads, projection video, hologram messages, 3G, 4G even 5G and what some in the industry call 6G will not be able to use with the current 3G towers across the nation. Even with 1000:1 algorithm compression there is a limit on the devices and system. The Telecom Industry has taken a huge hit in the last five years with massive layoffs, accounting irregularities and overpriced bidding for frequency allocation, which amounted to investments based on pie in the sky wishful thinking potential consumer numbers even from a monopolistic standpoint, it was simply not possible. The frenzy to over pay for these frequencies was out of control and we saw the fallout occur as predicted by many an insider.

Consumer Review on CallWave Call Alert Service

2010-12-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

Missing phone calls while you are online?

Are you thinking of getting a private fax number for your business?

Can't afford an extra phone lines for your business?

If you answer 'yes' for any one of the questions above, then CallWave might be what you are looking for. CallWave internet calls alert system is specially dedicated to all the internet users, cell phone users, and business owners. It is definately a smart solutions for those who faced the problems above and I am going to tell you why here.

When you download CallWave (within 3 minutes), you will be having these features instantly

No extra phone line needed.

*Answer calls directly from your PC.
*Own your personal private phone number.
*Get calls transfer to your cell phone.
*Works perfectly with AOL and ISP account.
*Easy setup + instant download.

Basic CallWave package is free. Also, CallWave is giving 30days free trial on their internet call alert services. CallWave is safe and it's very easy to be used. You DON'T even need to use your credit card online to purchase CallWave service. 11 millions United States citizens had subscribe to CallWave, you too can have a try on it with the 30 days risk-free trial on ANY one of the CallWave packages.

Besides all those features listed above, CallWave also provide these special features that other call alert services don't offer.(and this is why i am only recommending CallWave call alert service.)

Your personal CallWave fax number Receive or send fax directly from/ to your email inbox with your personal CallWave Fax number.

CallWave Toll-Free Home Number Save your friends and family's money by getting a CallWave toll-free home number. No long distance calls cost for people who are calling you anymore!

CallWave Phone Number Your own personal, private CallWave phone number. Enables your friends and family to reach you anywhere, anytime - whether you're online, on the phone or away from home. Save up your money for setting up an extra phone line.

Telemarketer Blocking Tired with all those telemarketer calls? Get them blocked with CallWave! This feature blocks annoying telemarketer calls and triggers the removal of your phone number from the telemarketer's automated dialing system.

Alarm Systems & VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Phone Lines

2010-12-28T04:32:00.001-08:00

An astounding and unexpected number of people are dropping their (POTS) plain old telephone system, for the latest trends in phone service, VoIP. According to Frost & Sullivan there were 100,000 VoIP users at the end of 2003. Just halfway through 2004 the number jumped to more than 500,000.

The draw to such a change is most often cost related. Traditional phone companies charge use fees and by the minute charges, coupled with long distance fees. VoIP companies are charging a flat fee somewhere between $15.00 to $30.00 US per month, for unlimited calls to anywhere in the US and Canada.

VoIP works by digitizing voice signals from your phone and sending them over the Internet via your home or business computer. While people are scrambling to make the switch and begin to count the money they are saving, they may not realize that there is a good possibility that they are cutting the link between their alarm system and the monitoring station. Another link that is lost in most cases is traditional 911 services, as VoIP does not capture data for emergency response.

When your alarm goes off due to an attempted break in, is no time to find out that the monitoring response that you have been faithfully paying for is not available for you. The Alarm Company has no way of knowing that you switched services. You should be sending a test signal monthly, to assure yourself that the system is working properly, no matter who you are connected through. Be advised that if you are using VoIP and the signal goes through, it does not mean that it will always be as clear. The volume of traffic on the Internet can and will vary the quality of the digitized signal it sends.

If you find yourself intrigued by this revolution in phone services and are dependent on alarm system dispatch as part of your security plan, you should consider the pitfalls and options.

* If power fails to the premise it is likely that your VoIP will fail also, unless your PC has a backup power source.

* You may not be able to use 911 services.

* Your signal may go through giving you a false sense of security, as it may not work next time.

* You may have already switched to VoIP and not realize that your alarm is not being monitored.

I myself have elected to utilize VoIP to save money on long distance. I also maintain a standard limited use phone line to take care of my security communications, 911 and phone backup should power fail. The (limited use) phone line, cost me less than $15.00 per month and is offset by the savings on my long distance bill.

Cellular communicators are available that will make your alarm call over any available cellular network. The device will have to be purchased for about $200.00 to $500.00, and an additional fee of approximately $10.00 per month is added to your monitoring bill.

Some alarm companies offer radio signal transmitted monitoring services, which do not depend on phone lines of any sort to transmit your alarm signal. The availability of such services is limited and depends where you live.

Text To Speech - Its Simple

2010-12-23T02:06:00.000-08:00

Looking for a natural voice speech engine? Curious about what software can read your e-mails. Here is the latest TTS (text-to-speach) news.

AT&T Natural Voices

AT&T Natural Voices are available in 16khz or 8khz Versions. The 16khz versions have a richer, fuller sound and are more natural sounding. The 8khz version is slightly less expensive and takes up less disk space, but generally doesn't sound quite as good. A good analogy might be that 16khz voices sound like voices over FM Radio, while 8khz voices sound much more like voices over the telephone.

NeoSpeech

Kate and Paul are US English voices, available in 16khz or 8khz versions, supporting SAPI5 Speech applications including all NextUp.com Products, most newer TTS programs from other companies, as well as TTS functions built into Windows XP. Each voice requires slightly under 300mb of disk space, and is available on CD or via download. They support speed and pitch adjustments, and require a minimum of Pentium II, 400mhz with 128mb RAM.

TextAloud 2.0

TextAloud converts any text into spoken words. Instead of the valuable time you spend reading on your computer, imagine being free to relax, get up and stretch, or work on other things while the information you need is read to you in a pleasant, natural sounding human voice. Better still, leave your computer behind. TextAloud's unique Text to MP3 conversion can save your daily reading to MP3 audio files to download to your portable MP3 player. Listen to email, online news, or important documents while you exercise, work or commute.

NewsAloud
http://www.deprice.com/newsaloud.htm

NewsAloud personal news agent finds the stories you want, then reads them aloud in a natural, human sounding voice. Stop plowing through email or spending hours surfing the net for the news that interests you. Instead let NewsAloud do it so you can listen while you work on something else, or get your news to go and listen while you excercise, commute, or get outside for a change.

VoIP (Computer Phone) Warning

2010-12-22T02:26:00.000-08:00

Beware of VoIP internet service providers that operate on industry standard codec and industry standard protocols because they are PUBLICLY OPEN and INTERPRETABLE! This also includes, but is not limited to, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks.

In plain terms, this means, if you subscribe to, or considering subscribing to a VoIP internet solution provider who operates on these industry standards - and over 90% do -- you have inadvertently made yourself vulnerable to the criminal activities of hackers.

Regardless of the type of anti virus software you have on your computer, the publicly accessible industry standards provide a pathway by which these criminals can access your computer to plant viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and/or steal your identity.

Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, unscrupulous criminal hackers view systems operating on these industry standards as their personal "Cash Cow" because of the ease by which they can access your computer and gather your information to sell to other criminals.

Did you know that some hacker-friendly providers offer processor chips that are only sold on the Internet?

Did you know that hacker-friendly providers actually offer hacker software that enables these criminals to deliberately disable security on computers, access your personal and confidential information, as well as inject their viruses, worms, and/or Trojan horses?

For instance, "Vomit" is a free download software that was designed to convert VoIP phone conversations into a wave file which could be played with standard sound players. Hackers gleefully interpret this as a tool they can utilize to attack unsuspecting victims.

Hacker manuals are also easily accessible via the Internet. One of these manuals shows how to DoS other sites. DoSing (Disruption of Service) involves gaining unauthorized access to the "command prompt" on your computer and using it to tie up your vital Internet services. When a hacker invades your system, they can then delete or create files and emails, modify security features, and plant viruses or time bombs onto your computer.

View This Site: domestic violence houston texas | fitness retreat

Making PC to Phone VoIP Calls over Dial-Up Internet Connections

2010-12-20T23:37:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of hype these days surrounding Internet-based voice communications (VoIP) replacing traditional telephone service. Most of this revolves around companies such as Vonage who coin themselves as the 'Broadband Phone Company'. So what about those of us who don't have a broadband connection? Just because you don't have high speed Internet, doesn't mean that you can't save a fortune by using VoIP for your long-distance calls. Whilst a broadband connection will usually result in more consistent VoIP call quality, comparable results can be achieved using a dial-up connection provided some simple guidelines are followed.

Shop Around

Not all VoIP service providers support dial-up users. Companies such as Vonage bill themselves as alternatives to traditional telephone service and shy away from the dial-up community (who are tied to those 'traditional' networks to access the Internet). Furthermore, some service providers only support dial-up above a certain speed (e.g., 56Kbp). Two companies whose VoIP softphone applications work well over low speed connections include Callserve and Go2Call.

'Free-up' your System Resources

In order to ensure the highest call quality, close programs that are running in the 'background'. For Windows users, these applications can be seen in the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen. 'Right-click' the icons and close those programs that aren't critical to system security (e.g., don't close anti-virus software, firewall applications and the like).

If you're using Windows XP with user switching enabled, log off all users except the one that will be used to make the call. This will prevent the other user identities from running software and/or using your bandwidth while you're making calls.

'Free Up' your Internet Connection

Given the limited data capacity of dial-up connections, it's important that you devote as much of your bandwidth as possible to the VoIP softphone application. To achieve maximum call quality, don't do anything that uses your bandwidth whilst making calls. This includes instant messaging, checking email, using a webcam, browsing the internet, downloading, etc. In Windows, you can look at the two little computers in the bottom right of your taskbar to see whether your connection is being used prior to calling (the little computers illuminate when data is being uploaded and/or downloaded).

Scan your System for Viruses, Spyware, Adware and Malware

Some of these malicious programs can hijack your browser, tie up your internet connection and slow down your system (not to mention seriously invade your privacy!). I recommend AdAware for free scanning and removal of Spyware/Adware. Once you've checked and cleansed your system of these nasty programs, your virus definition files should be updated to minimize the chances of re-infection.

Use a Headset with an Integrated Boom Microphone

Last but not least, using a headset with a boom microphone should eliminate those annoying voice echoes often associated with PC to Phone calls. Echoes are caused by your microphone detecting the voice coming from your computer speakers and re-transmitting that voice signal back to the person you're talking to. By using a headset, the voice signals are limited in volume (due to the headset being directly adjacent to your ears) and thus the chances of your microphone 're-transmitting' those voice signals is greatly reduced.

View This Site: Juvenile Houston Texas | Fitness Spas

VOIP Questions and Answers

2010-12-15T01:24:00.000-08:00

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has grown in popularity recently and with that rise in popularity has come a number of common misconceptions and confusion. Global Value Conncet ( http://globalvalueconnect.com ) has complied this simple guide to address some of these most common questions and concerns.

# What is VoIP and what does it stand for?

# How do I make a VoIP phone call?

# What equipment do I need for VoIP phone calls?

# Are there any differences between making a local call or a long distance call?

# Who can I call if I am using a VoIP service?

# Are there any advantages in using VoIP phone service?

# Will I be able to dial 911 emergency services?

# Will I be able to use my computer while making a VoIP phone call?

# Will I be able to take my phone adapter with me while traveling?

# Does my computer need to be running in order to use VoIP service?

# How will I know when I receive a phone call over my VoIP service?

# Who regulates VoIP services?

# What are the computer system requirements for VoIP?

# Are free trials normally available?

# How can I improve the sound quality?

1. What is VoIP and what does it stand for?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it allows you to place telephone calls over a data network like the internet. It operates by converting your voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that can then be transmitted over the Internet. The digital signal is then converted at the other end back to a voice signal that the other party can hear. When you use a phone with an adapter the calls are placed just like a regular telephone. You first hear a dial tone then the call is made. You are also able to place a call directly from your computer using a conventional telephone or microphone.

2. How do I make a VoIP phone call?

Making a VoIP phone call is no different from using a regular land line telephone. You pickup the receiver and listen for the dial tone. You can then dial your number as you always have in the past. The call connects to your high-speed Internet connection and travels to your local telephone company's equipment to a VoIP provider which transport the signal through the Internet to the local provider of the party you are calling. They relay the signal to your parties telephone. As an alternative, you may also place the call using your computer's hardware and software, entering the number through your keyboard. The signal is then sent through your cable modem to your local telephone carrier.

3. What equipment do I need for VoIP phone calls?

Your existing incoming high-speed Internet connection should be sufficient but the higher the connectivity the better the signal.

In terms of hardware, you can hook up an inexpensive microphone to your computer or connect a phone directly to a VoIP telephone adaptor (ATA). Or you can use a phone specially made to work with Internet Voice. This is called an SIP Phone. Each SIP phone is a network endpoint, and voice is routed via its IP address. It allows a DID (direct inward dialing) number to move with a user. You can move, add or remove stations and never have to call your interconnect/PBX service company. SIP phones also allow full use of advanced features like voice mail to e-mail and auto attendant.

4. Are there any differences between making a local call or a long distance call?

There are many different calling available for VoIP. The calling rates and fixed plans will vary from one vendor to another depending on the service you select. Please make sure to read all of the fine print associated with any plan that you choose.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that VoIP can blur the difference between local and long distance by issuing a local number for your Internet phone. This allows you to make LOCAL calls to your home area code from that phone, regardless of where you are geographically. All you need is an Internet connection to plug in your phone, it doesn't matter what Internet provider you use, and you can call your local area code from anywhere in the world without paying long distance rates.

5. Who can I call if I am using a VoIP service?

Your calls can be made to any local telephone number, mobile phone, long distance number, or any international number. You may even use the service to speak with more than one person at a time. More importantly, the person you are calling does not need any special equipment; just a regular telephone.

6. Are there any advantages in using VoIP phone service?

If you are using a broadband internet connection, you don't need to maintain and pay the additional cost for a regular land line just to make telephone calls. With VoIP you're able to talk to many people at the same time. You can set up conference calls with your colleagues, staff, family and friends. VoIP allows you to reduce interconnect/PBX fees by enabling you to add, move and remove stations from your network without calling your service provider. In addition, you don't have to buy an expensive phone switch to set up your network. VoIP also offers many advanced calling features from caller ID and call forward to voicemail and distinctive ringing to call tracing and reminder calls, among many others. You can also manage your features through the Internet; log-in and customize services that normally you would have to rely on your provider to change - for a fee of course. Voice over Internet can lower long-distance fees by assigning a local telephone number to your VoIP phone. You will then be able to take your phone anywhere in the world, plug it into any broadband connection regardless of specific provider, and you can make LOCAL calls to your home area code. Parents can keep in touch with children at college; churches can contact missionaries all over the world; and businesses can connect branch offices in different cities.

7. Will I be able to dial 911 emergency services?

Some Internet Voice services have difficulty seamlessly connecting with the 911 dispatch center or identifying the location of Internet Voice 911 callers. Check with your local VoIP provider to determine if they can provide this service in your area.

8. Will I be able to use my computer while making a VoIP phone call?

Yes you most certainly will be able to use your computer while making calls on your VoIP network.

9. Will I be able to take my phone adapter with me while traveling?

You should be able to use your VoIP service wherever you travel as long as you have a high-speed Internet connection available. Your adaptor should work the same as when you are at home or in the office as long as you have access to a high-speed Internet connection.

10. Does my computer need to be running in order to use VoIP service?

Your computer does not need to be turned on but your broadband connection must be active in order for VoIP to functionproperly. However, if you are not using an adapter and choose to use a microphone or headset with your computer then your computer must be on.

11. How will I know when I receive a phone call over my VoIP service?

Your VoIP phone will ring like any other telephone.

12. Who regulates VoIP services?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has worked to create an environment promoting competition and innovation tobenefit consumers. Historically, the FCC has not regulated the Internet or the services provided over it. On February 12, 2004, the FCC found that an entirely Internet-based VoIP service was an unregulated information service. On the same day, the FCC began a broader proceeding to examine what its role should be in this new environment of increased consumer choice and what it can best do to meet its role of safeguarding the public interest. In November 2004 they ruled that States do not have the jurisdiction to impose taxes on VoIP services, another victory for the consumer.

13. What are the computer system requirements for VoIP?

The specific requirements of any VoIP system must be checked with each individual VoIP provider.

14. Are free trials normally available?

You need to check with your selected VoIP provider to determine if a free trial is available. Most VoIP providers will provide some kind of free trial or conditional free trial period. If you are dissatisfied for any reason you should return the equipment in their original packing boxes together with all shipping paperwork and packing slips to ensure they will honor their warrantee.

14. Will I be able to use VoIP behind a firewall?

You need to ask your network administrator regarding any special setting that are required to function through the firewall.

15. How can I improve the sound quality?

* Speak with a headset instead of a microphone. Better still, use a phone with an adaptor.

* If you are using a microphone, hold it away from the speakers to avoid having the sound from your speakers recirculate into your microphone causing feedback.

* Lower the volume on your speakers.

* Check with your sound card manufacturer to be sure you are using the latest drivers.

* Use a direct phone jack. A split line or extension cord between your phone jack and computer can distort the sound causing an echo.

View This Site: Houston Federal | Boot camp workouts

Do You Text Chat (IM) Online?

2010-12-13T22:50:00.000-08:00

IM (Instant Messaging) - man, we thought we had it made in the shade when we stumbled over this unique way to communicate! Outside of talking person-to-person on the phone, IM was the next best thing. Texting talk was endless and cost was nonexistent. Well, those were the good old days of yore - you know, those days of glorious innocence.

Just as we were getting oh so comfortable, happily IMing away to each other, then came the cloak-and-dagger entrance of the treacherous "IM villains". With their ominous arrival, the party abruptly ended. It seemed like overnight, our instant messaging (IM) turned into instant mercenaries, and the carnage was strewn all over the Internet.

First, it was one by one, then the numbers increased and starting growing exponentially, as friends began receiving, and inadvertently sending, viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Then it went from bad to worse, as report after report surfaced describing the grisly results of innocent victims losing their identity because these villains had accessed their personal and confidential information. Truly this was the darkest of times for all IMer friends - regardless of the IM service we were texting on.

How could this have happened? And more importantly, how can we protect ourselves?

Well, I found out that these villainous hackers had accessed a nifty little program originally designed to benefit us, and twisted it to intercept our conversations traveling across the internet. They now have a profitable tool to use that intercepts our data packets and sends us a virus, and duplicates it by sending the same ugly bug to everyone on our Buddy List.

Once a hacker has gained access to our Buddy List, they trick our friends into thinking WE, (a trusted source), are sending them a file to download. Then when our friends innocently download the file, these villains can then access their computers as well, and use the personal and confidential information gathered to line their own pockets. How it affected businesses whose employees used IM to communicate?well, I will just let your imagination take over from there?because the hackers let theirs do the same.

A lot of us were thinking that we had nothing to worry about because we had anti-virus software on our computers, and that provided the protection we needed. Wrong!

Anti-virus software is not designed to protect our data packets traveling across the internet. There are still no anti-virus applications that directly monitor IM traffic. This is due to the difficulty in finding IM traffic as it is often embedded inside http packets. And what is worse yet is that Forrester's, Root stated that "In 2005 and 2006, we expect IM to get hit with some serious attacks?"

But, don't despair! I have discovered a cure!

In fact, I discovered the best of both worlds. What I have found is a computer phone (in "techy" terms known as VoIP - voice over internet protocol) that is optimally secure. One of the many features of the computer phone is the IM that is built into it. Thus, the IM instant messages are sent over optimally secure lines rather than openly public lines on the Internet -- AND I can also actually talk to friends from my computer phone any time I want. The "good old days of yore" are back with even more !!!

Here's what a computer phone is all about.

The computer phone was the creation resulting from taking the convenience and features of the telephone and combining it with the power of the Internet. Pretty ingenious I think! Although most computers have a built in microphone, some do not. Mine was one of those computers that did not. So, I ran down to a local store and bought one for $5. Then, much to my delight, I found out that it easily plugged into the back of my computer.

Here is what is really incredible about a computer phone. I can talk, IM, make 3-way calls, transfer a call to my cell phone if I am running out the door, and much, much more.

Actually, I have become so accustomed to the convenience of the features on my computer phone, that it actually becomes frustrating when I cannot IM a friend I am talking to on their cell phone or telephone. You see, often times, I find great sites to share with my friends, so I have to slowly spell out the location over the phone and repeat the letters so they get the right site, then wait for them to repeat it back to me, rather than quickly IMing them the site and letting them click on it right then and there.

One final word of wisdom -- over 90% of all computer phone (VoIP) services out there do not operate on secure lines. The one I am using is optimally secure because they have their own proprietary high end encryption codec (code) with patented technology that is hosted in a professional facility. You just can't get any better than that!

Want to try a computer phone out for yourself?

You can download the software and try it out for 7 days absolutely free and without any contract, obligations, or hassles. Here's the place to visit http://www.free-pc-phone.com Oh, and yes, you will love this?.if you use a dial up connection to the internet, these computer phones work too, in addition to satellite, cable, and wireless connections.

Dee Scrip is a well-known and respected published author of numerous articles on VoIP, VoIP security, and other VoIP related issues. http://www.free-pc-phone.com

View This Site: Homicide Houston Tx | Fitness Vacations

VoIP - A Laymans Look - Should You Or Shouldnt You?

2010-12-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

"As business people we manufacture shin pads, or we distribute cat food, or we evangelize, but should we be considering VoIP? Will it make us more money, or save us time?" -Dennis Schooley

So what's all this VoIP hype anyway? I mean we all know that our voice can be delivered to the four corners of the globe over telephone lines. (Actually, I missed that part of second grade math where they taught us that a ball has corners, but everybody says it, so I'll accept it). Alex G. Bell, the second most famous resident of Brantford, Ontario, right after Wayne Gretzky of course, led us down the voice transmission path.

We're also fully aware of the Internet. Otherwise where would we get our sports scores, weather reports, horoscopes, and genealogy fixes. So why do we care about the real-time transmission of our voice, in telephone quality, using Internet protocol (VoIP)?

Presumably the whole concept was created to deliver some benefit to us techno-ignorant dwellers of the house of the masses. As business people we manufacture shin pads, or we distribute cat food, or we evangelize, but should we be considering VoIP? Will it make us money, or save us time? Will it make us more efficient as a Manufacturer, Distributor, or Evangelist? If the answer to those questions is no, then we shouldn't even think about it. So let's explore those questions. After all, it's all about results.

Geoffrey Moore introduced the concept that a product must cross the chasm of market acceptance in the 'Technology Adoption Life Cycle' in his book Crossing the Chasm. In his next book, Inside the Tornado, Moore talks about the tornado of market acceptance that lies like a siren beyond the chasm. It appears that VoIP is clawing up the far wall of the chasm, but we don't know for sure whether it will find that toe hold to crawl out, and catch the swirling tornado winds of fortune. All indicators are that it's going to happen. Dorothy and the Tin Man are holding their breath.

Perhaps the most significant indicator is that the 'business-prevention specialists', a title I usually reserve for lawyers, but in this case is applied affectionately to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), have begun the task of investigating what should be regulated in the world of VoIP. The FCC has already delivered a ruling on a VoIP product offered by AT&T. That fact in itself should make us all take notice that there must be something good coming, or they wouldn't be showing up at the dance to make sure the band isn't too loud.

Larry Stocker, of Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants in Kansas City says, 'if my clients' interest in VoIP is any indicator, then I think there will be a big increase in the provision of the service. We have quadrupled our number of assignments in the last six months alone, for clients that wish to select the right VoIP service, at the right price, from the right supplier. That seems to be a good indicator of market acceptance.

Another good indicator would be the number of suppliers, including the tier-one Telco's that have entered the fray to provide VoIP in their own particular flavor. That fact should cause us pause. It should cause us to challenge the original premise that â??talking over the Internet will be free', and that there will be no long distance cost any more. If that were the case, would all of these big companies - the renowned leaders in the telecom world - be scrambling to get to market to provide the service? Maybe it's just their way of giving back to society. I'm more inclined to think there are huge profits at stake.

And now you say, 'but I've already got the Internet, why isn't it free'. Well first of all, you'll need some kind of device that delivers 'telephone quality' over the Internet. Remember, I said 'real time'. Those $20 microphones just don't do it. In addition, have you ever tried to put someone on hold on the Internet, or call forward, or take a voice message you know, the things that businesses do everyday.

Presumably that's what all these suppliers are running the relay for to sell you that 'stuff' at the end of the race. Whether they sell it to you outright, or whether you rent it from them for a monthly service fee isn't the point. The point is that there is a cost to get access, as well as proper business applications. Included in the cost, which will be recovered through charges to you, are signaling, routing, protocol, and interface technologies. Oops, that's not layman's talk.

Presumably that's what all these suppliers are running the relay for to sell you that 'stuff' at the end of the race.

In addition to the access 'stuff' as a layman would say, there has to be access to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or I would never be able to call my mother. VoIP calls have to terminate on everyday telephone sets because I'm pretty sure my mom doesn't have a VoIP set up at her house. She doesn't have a bankcard, won't stay in a hotel that doesn't have 'real keys', and still loves her dial phone (definitely in Moore's technology buying group called Skeptics or Laggards). There is no way I'll be talking to her over her Internet connection she doesn't have one, and never will. So this VoIP thing will have to access the normal phone system. That's where the FCC and CRTC step in. Their position is that if the PSTN will be accessed, then access fees will have to be paid by the providers. And up goes the cost.

In his book, Implementing Voice Over IP, Bhumip Khasnabish, says "The goals of VoIP implementation are to achieve (a) significant savings in network maintenance and operations costs and (b) rapid rollout of new services."

O.K., so it's not free but there should be 'significant savings' if that holds true. Assuming those savings will be passed on, it should make me more money through cost reduction. Presumably these â??new services' will be designed to save me time, make me more efficient, or provide easier access to my target markets. Just think if one step can be eliminated in the manufacture of shin pads, if distribution channels for cat food are more streamlined, or the Evangelist can find more heathens to convert.

Bill Webster, another Schooley Mitchell consultant in Calgary, Alberta says, "the key is to assess the reliability and quality of service. If the quality is what you need, and by the way, it's improving every day, then a cost-benefit analysis is required comparing your current access to VoIP. Often times VoIP is the winner. As new services with VoIP become available over time, that win will be even more evident for the regular business person."

So there you have it. Should you or shouldn't you, as the title queries? It seems that the answer is akin to; should I or shouldn't I, when Alexander Graham introduced the telephone concept in the first place. I'm pretty sure that everyone, at least those that are alive today, eventually got one. Bell had to deal with laggards too.

It seems that this is the way the market will develop if the supply and regulatory indicators hold true. VoIP is not out of the chasm yet, but when this many suppliers enter the arena, then functionality is driven up to deliver the 'better mouse trap', price is driven down through competitive alternatives, reliability (the bugs are worked out) is driven up by the same forces, and you have emergence.

It seems that if you take Webster's advice and prepare the proper cost-benefit analysis, you're likely going to be getting your kite ready for the VoIP tornado.

View This Site: Domestic Violence Houston Tx | Fitness Retreats

Instant Menaces or Instant Messengers?

2010-12-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

View This Site: Houston Juvenile Lawyers | Boot Camp Vacation

VOIP: A Basic, Basic Intro

2010-12-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

What is it?

Most people are familiar w/ NetMeeting and other software that let you talk to others over the internet. VOIP is similar. However, it also uses your phone - the interface we're all familiar with.

Instead of connecting your phone to the wall, you connect it to a box either the VOIP company provides or you buy on your own. This is the modem. You need highspeed/broadband internet for this. Your modem plugs into your cable/dsl modem and now it can 'talk' btwn your phone and the internet.

Your phone lines already do pretty much what VOIP does, just w/ different/older technology (well, some of it's new w/ optics and such, but...).

How hard is it to setup?

It's actually very easy. Assuming you have the company send you a modem or you buy a kit at the store, you simply plug the modem btwn your current cable/dsl modem and your computer (e.g., the out from your cable modem now goes to the new box and the out from that to your computer). It also has a phone jack for your regular phone.

Once it is on, it will boot up and configure itself.

What are the benefits?

There are many benefits depending on the company you go w/, but here are a few I have (all of these are free w/ the monthly fee- $14.99 for my setup):

1. Features like caller id, call waiting, call waiting caller id, call forwarding, etc.

2. Voicemail

3. Email alerts for new voicemail.

4. Web access to voicemail - you can play your messages on your computer.

5. Auto-forward - if the phone is ever down or isn't answered, it's auto-routed to another number

6. Online management of all features, settings, account, etc.

7. Computer dialing - highlight any number on your computer, hit F6 and it sets up the call from your phone to theirs - very convinient!

8. Keep your regular phone (you don't need a voip phone)

There are some other cool features available for extra $ like the softphone which lets you use your computer as a phone w/o the modem - this means you can take your laptop w/ you wherever and you have your phone w/ the same phone number everywhere too (you can do this w/o the softphone, but you have to take your VOIP modem around w/ you - not bad if you're going somewhere for a longer trip).

Another really cool thing is the virtual phone numbers. You can get extra numbers that ring the same phone, but they are local numbers to any area code you want. So if I live in Dallas and have family in New York, I can get a local phone number here and there. That way my family in New York can call a local number (free) and talk to me! Vonage charges $4.99/month for that. I'm not sure about the others.

And the biggest benefit - IT'S CHEAP! I pay $14.99 plus some tax and such, but not the ump-teen taxes, charges, fees, etc. like the phone company charges.

Also, if you do a little research/reading, you can set it up to where every phone jack in your house is wired for VOIP. It's little more than plugging the output of your VOIP modem into the wall jack you already have. Very little more.

Bottom Line

You get lots of good, free features and options for doing/managing a lot more including a lot over the web and it's SO much cheaper (at least it is for me!). Being the 'average guy' I am, I don't really use all the features. Fortunately, it's pretty much a 'set it up and forget about it' type thing except that I save $40+/month w/ it!

I use Vonage b/c that's what I was told about first and it was one of the first. There are others and I'm sure they have their strengths, but Vonage has the cheapest base option at the time I did my research.

View This Site: Juvenile Houston Tx | Best fitness camps

VoIP: Finally Worth a Look

2010-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Internet Friends,

Hundreds of thousands of consumers collectively save millions of dollars each month by replacing (or supplementing) their traditional telephone service with personal voice over IP (VoIP) telephony.

Using IP to transmit voice is not new. Large corporations and long distance carriers have used IP to transmit voice on their private networks for years. Likewise, private citizens have used their computers and the Internet to talk with other PC users for a few years now, but in the past users of such solutions have had to contend with poor voice quality and the need for at least one computer to be connected to the Internet.

Widespread adoption of broadband Internet service (cable or DSL) in the last few years though has in turn fueled a surge in the growth of much-improved personal VoIP

Most VoIP service providers offer all-inclusive calling plans that provide you with unlimited local, regional and long distance (within the United States) at flat rates starting as low as $24.95 per month. Some offer usage-based plans at a lower monthly cost and most provide inexpensive per minute rates on international calls as well. In addition, VoIP service providers include a smorgasbord of advanced features such as name and number caller ID, call forwarding, call blocking and voice mail that traditional phone companies sell as premium services.

When you sign up for VoIP service, many service providers give you the option of choosing the area code, and possibly the exchange, for your service. You can select from any area where the VoIP provider has local service.

So what are the drawbacks of a personal VoIP solution? The main drawback is the need for a reliable broadband connection; without one a VoIP solution is probably not for you.

Power outages present another hurdle. Since VoIP requires a live Internet connection, losing electricity means losing your phone service.

The voice quality of your VoIP call is also another consideration. Since the data travels across the Internet, there's the potential for dropouts or "burbles" similar to what you might experience on a cell phone

Most people we called during our tests were surprised at the quality of the calls, and didn't realize they were on a VoIP connection until we told them. Keep in mind that the call quality for VoIP providers who don't manage their IP networks and depend on the Internet for routing will yield varying and sometimes disappointing voice quality and unreliable connections.

View This Site: Houston sex offenders | Top 10 fitness camps

Voice Over IP - Saving Money

2010-12-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

I was on a tech support call with a client in Australia for over forty-five minutes. Guess how much that cost me. If I told you less than a dollar, would you believe it? Well it is true indeed.

I called my friend in England just the other day. We talked for about half an hour and it didn't cost either of us a nickel. Free and clear as crystal, I used my computer. Nothing fancy, just a simple sound card, speakers and microphone is all I needed.

If you haven't heard about Voice over IP yet, you most definitely will soon. There are several different methods to the crazed digital telephony protocol that could change the way you make calls and save you a bundle.

What is VOIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the concept for managing the delivery of voice information in digital format through the Internet rather then conventional voice telephone lines. In the simplest form, VoIP turns any computer into a telephone.

Although there are complex and costly ways to do this in the enterprise level, there are also simple, nearly free ways do use VoIP on the personal level. All that's required is a broadband Internet connection of some type. Now I am not here to advertise for any single organization selling VoIP equipment or services, but just to let you know, there are some that offer very nice package deals with equipment, Internet phones, headsets and all the fixings of standard enterprise phone systems. There are also software based systems that operate like your everyday chat systems and require only computer speakers and a microphone.

Why would I want this?

One major advantage of VoIP and Internet telephony is that it avoids the tolls charged by ordinary telephone services that use the standard public switched telephone network. Sure Pac Bell and ATT don't like the sounds of that, not unless they figure out how to jump on the bandwagon and capitalize on this somewhat new form of technology.

Actually VoIP has been around for a while, yet it is starting to pick up speed now as an alternative means of communication. And the primary reason is that it will save you money.

Another money saving fact about VoIP is that since VoIP utilizes your broadband Internet connection for its delivery, customers do not pay Federal USF and FCC Line Charges and pay lower Federal Excise Tax.

WI-FI and VoIP

Now we're getting serious! Where is this going? Can it really compete with the cell phone? Well, at this time the wireless technology has some security risks and setup difficulties to overcome before it becomes a significant player in the game. But on a local, enterprise level, we are not far off.

What is the bottom line?

If you are tired of lofty telephone bills, perhaps there is a solution for you that will help with this years budget. You don't need to transform your entire phone system to utilize the benefits of VoIP. Start small and learn its potential.

A Rule for the Road:

Keep up with technology or else technology will pass you by; and the ignorance will cost you more than you will know.

Greg Richburg runs KlickCommerce, a web based marketing system for Women's clothing. He is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and the owner of Netricks, Inc. a network consulting, web design and hosting company located in Fresno, CA.

View This Site: Houston homicides | USA top fitness camps

The Lowdown on VoIP

2010-12-07T03:31:00.000-08:00

It seems like technology is headed for a massive telephone change over. The traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is looking to be replaced by VoIP. VoIP is short for Voice over IP. VoIP is the routing of conversations over an IP network or the Internet. VoIP uses a packet-switched network instead of the circuit-switched voice transmission lines used by traditional telephone networks. VoIP does not need an Internet connection to work. A company that has a LAN connection with all of its computers can utilize VoIP technology.

VoIP is a great technology, but has a variety of issues with implementation. VoIP may face problems with latency because IPs do not provide Quality of Service guarantees, nor do they provide their packets of information in sequential order. High-speed Internet connections are required for VoIP and firewalls often prove tricky for VoIP technology. To combat this, many people use Session Border Controllers (SBC).

VoIP technology has many advantages. There are more new features with VoIP because of the lack of an International Telecommunications Union. VoIP is still very much an open market for developers, so the technology is constantly being improved. VoIP also has a lower cost than traditional sources because of the monopolies that exist or traditional phone companies being controlled by the government. Some users even see VoIP phone calls as free because they do not have to pay extra for the service. The user only pays the Internet service provider, and therefore the usage of VoIP seems to be free. You can also take your VoIP phone wherever you go because all you need is a network connection to make it work. VoIP technology will also benefit network agents who work for call centers. Agents can help callers from anywhere in the country with an Internet connection. Finally, because VoIP is on the computer, there is increased functionality. Conference calls can be held, information can be sent, and things like address books can be updated and shared over VoIP.

While VoIP has many advantages, there are a few drawbacks to the service. One of the biggest drawbacks is reliability. Telephone lines have back up generators in case of power outages, so phones can keep working. Because VoIP is connected to the Internet, a power outage will end a VoIP call when the computer shuts down. To combat this, users must buy an expensive uninterruptible power supply or a generator that must then be installed on the premises. Internet connections are also subject to disconnection, depending on crowded networks, and the quality of the ISP. If the Internet connection drops, then the VoIP call will be dropped. VoIP is also a problem for emergency calls. Because of the nature of the Internet and VoIP systems, emergency workers cannot trace calls. In the event that someone with an emergency has a problem but is unable to give an address, the emergency worker will not be able to trace the call and find the person. VoIP carriers are already attempting to fix this problem by implementing a technical work-around. Finally, it will be very difficult to integrate VoIP on a massive scale, because while the standard Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) has a common standard, VoIP does not.

VoIP has many advantages as well as some large drawbacks. The main roadblock in the way of global VoIP adoption is reliability. When VoIP proves that it can be just as reliable as traditional telephone services have been over many years, then it will start to be adopted. VoIP technology is always improving, so the problems with VoIP today are likely to be solved sooner than many people expect. VoIP can truly revolutionize both the business world and home life.

Take Your Home or Business Phone With You When You Travel

2010-12-02T02:28:00.000-08:00

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service uses a broadband Internet connection (DSL or cable) instead of the Bell System circuits to carry your voice to any telephone in the world via the Internet. If you're not familiar with VoIP phone service, you'll be interested in this new technology that's giving traditional phone companies a run for their money.

Not only is VoIP phone service reliable, it costs 50-60 percent less than conventional telephone service. And most VoIP services give you free long distance calling throughout North America from any phone in the USA.

When you order VoIP phone service you receive a small "Analog Telephone Adapter" box that connects your telephone to your high speed Internet connection. This little adapter box, about the size of a paperback book, is linked to your phone number. Unlike a conventional telephone, where the phone number is fixed in place where the copper wires terminate in your home or office, with VoIP "the phone number is in the adapter box."

This opens up some fascinating possibilities.

Imagine that you are traveling away from home or the office, on vacation or on a business trip. As you pack your bags, why not slip that little adapter box into your luggage? It weighs just a few ounces and looks something like a computer modem. Remember: that adapter box contains your phone number. So wherever you take it, you're taking your phone number with you!

Now you've arrived at your hotel in a distant city - perhaps even in a foreign country. Most hotels and motels today offer high speed Internet access, and that's all you need to hook up the adapter box. If you carry a laptop computer with you, that's fine. But you don't even need to turn it on to use VoIP phone.

Sit down at the desk and connect your VoIP adapter box to the hotel's high speed Internet connection. Wait about 45-seconds while the box gets ready. Reach over, unplug the hotel telephone from the wall and plug it into your adapter box. Pick up the phone and - behold - you've got dial tone.

Because your long distance is free, you can call anyone in the US or Canada without toll charges, as long as you're in the USA or Canada. Need to check on the spouse or the kids at home? Dial them up. Need to call the boss? A customer? Dial away. You've got free phone service, courtesy of the hotel's high speed Internet connection.

But there's more. Because you're carrying the adapter box with you, your friends, family and others can call you at your normal phone number and you can receive the call in your hotel room. Folks back in your home city don't even have to spend money on a long distance call.

You'll recall that the FCC ruled a year or two ago that phone numbers must be "portable." That ruling led to a rush of people who chose, for example, to move their home phone numbers to their cell phones, abandoning traditional landline service. That "portability ruling" saved people millions of dollars in landline service fees.

Carrying your VoIP adapter box with you is an entirely different kind of portability, and it's unique to VoIP phone service. One of our associates based in Atlanta actually carried an adapter box to Moscow, Russia, where he plugged it into a broadband Internet connection. He proceeded to dial an Atlanta number to speak to his wife from eight time zones away with no long distance charges whatsoever.

The telephone industry is evolving and VoIP services are leading the way. If you've not yet experienced the flexibility, economy and quality service you can get from VoIP, perhaps it's time to jump on the VoIP bandwagon and join the evolution.

Text To Speech - Its Simple

2010-11-29T22:42:00.000-08:00

Needless HIGH RISK Exposure For Business Using Computer Phones

2010-11-29T02:27:00.000-08:00

The Facts

? Computer phones (VoIP) offer the most optimal means of communicating when considering quality and cost, and can save businesses up to 80% on their phone bills when calling from PC to PC, to landlines, or to mobile phones, regardless of company size.

? Over 90% of all VoIP solutions providers operate on unsecure lines or platforms, whether free or charging for services.

? Greater than 95% of all VoIP solutions providers do not have their own patented technology

General Information

? Calls placed on unsecure lines travel from one computer (IP address) over the internet to another computer (IP address) have little or no protection in between calls to guard against terminal viruses, Trojan horses, unscrupulous hackers, or uninvited guests listening in on private conversations.

These unsecure lines leave users dangerously vulnerable to the inevitable and expensive computer crash that forebodingly looms over the horizon.

? Calls placed on secure lines go through a VoIP platform (server) that incorporates its own security (including patented technology) against the ills of unsecure lines, thereby offering maximum security, privacy, and peace of mind for its users.

? Note: higher enrollment and monthly fees, or well known phone companies now offering VoIP services do not necessarily automatically guarantee security.

Recommendations

? Contact your VoIP solutions provider (if applicable) and request written information regarding security of their service, along with patented technology they own. Ask if their service hosts embedded spyware on lines and/or allows public access to names and numbers of subscribers.

If the requested assurances cannot be produced, take immediate action to avoid playing Russian Roulette with your business.

? Protect the security of your company's communications and privacy, while simultaneously experiencing exponential savings on phone bills, by locating and subscribing to a VoIP solutions provider who offers a secure platform that incorporates its own patented technology.

Apple iPad iOS 4.2.1 Demo: iOS 4's major iPad features

2010-11-26T01:57:00.000-08:00

Gov't wants 'fast-lane' net access

2010-11-25T03:09:00.000-08:00

Currently, ISPs have a 'net neutrality' policy, which means all web traffic is equal and no data is prioritised. However, according to Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey, content providers that require large amounts of bandwidth to pass their data to consumer, such as the BBC and Google, should be charged by ISPs to ensure web users accessing the site get the fastest speeds possible. Meanwhile, consumers that use lots of bandwidth should also be charged a premium.

The market to innovate

"We have got to continue to encourage the market to innovate and experiment with different business models and ways of providing consumers with what they want," he said.

"In order for the internet to continue as the open, innovative force for good that it has been over the past 20 years it is essential that all elements continue to prosper. This means ensuring that content providers and applications have open access to consumers and vice versa," he said.

"The founding principle of the internet is that everyone - from individuals to global companies - has equal access ... But the emergence of fast and slow lanes allows broadband providers to effectively pick and choose what you see first and fastest."

"This approach will reassure those who are investing in networks and coming up with new, innovative online business models," the ISPA said."ISPs use traffic management techniques so that they are able to effectively and efficiently run and manage their networks for the benefits of all users. This enables ISPs to prioritise time-sensitive applications, such as VoIP and online gaming, at peak times."

The Lowdown on VoIP

2010-11-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

Will the Bell System Survive? A Massive Transfer of Wealth from Bell to VoIP is Underway

2010-11-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

Will the Bell System Survive? A Massive Transfer of Wealth from Bell to VoIP Is Underway.

The "Internet Revolution" has brought us e-mail, the World Wide Web and quick, convenient ways to communicate that we've come to take for granted. And now it's reached consumers who are looking for a more economical, more flexible way to talk on the phone. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also known as Broadband Phone or Internet Phone, now allows consumers to use their ordinary telephone to talk over the Internet at rates 50 to 60 percent below those charged by the Bell System, and with robust features that Bell cannot offer.

The Bell System has been our primary "channel" for connecting with friends, relatives and business associates for the last 100 years. Yet, in July, 2004, Michael Powell, the past Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the telephone industry, made this dramatic statement: "VoIP will irreversibly alter the world of communications. VoIP is the most significant paradigm shift in the entire history of modern communications since the invention of the telephone."

Powell was quoted in Forbes Magazine, but why did he speak about VoIP in such striking terms?

For starters, the courts have ruled that VoIP -- voice services over the Internet -- are information services, not telecommunications services. As such, VoIP is not subject to the many taxes, regulatory fees and tariffs that Federal, State and local governments have piled onto the phone company over the years. Take a look at your latest phone bill and you'll see that 30 percent or more of the monthly charge comes from these "junk fees." Moving to VOIP phone service eliminates them, except for a trifling 3 percent Federal Excise Tax.

Second, unlike the phone company, VoIP service providers don't have to install and maintain central offices, millions of miles of copper wire and fiber optic cable to carry your voice from point to point. The Internet is "already there," just waiting to send your voice as a digital packet stream alongside other digital traffic. This huge savings on infrastructure costs, plus the elimination of "junk fees" translates into a savings of 50 to 60 percent per month, every month. A typical $65 per month phone bill usually costs about $25 per month with VoIP; saving a residential customer with a single phone line nearly $500 per year. For homes with two lines, savings can approach $700 per year.

Third, VoIP delivers sophisticated new features the phone company cannot. For example, Find Me service allows you to designate up to five phones that will ring in sequence, or simultaneously, to find you when you're out of the office. Enhanced Voicemail lets you listen to voicemail from any web-connected PC or Mac, and to forward them as email attachments to anyone who might need to hear the voicemail. A web-based Call Manager lets you build a list of contacts you can dial simply by clicking on the person's name. These conveniences not only increase productivity for busy people; they're fun and easy to use. And of course all the features you already use - call waiting, caller ID, call return, etc. -- are included in the standard VoIP service.

These factors working together have led market research firms, including Frost & Sullivan and the Yankee Group, to predict that consumers using VoIP phone service will increase from around one million now to over 18 million by 2007. Other estimates range as high as 30 million by 2007. Losing 18 to 30 million customers in the next few years is very likely keeping conventional phone providers awake at night.

The impact of the Internet on communication is pervasive. In July, 2005, the US Congress voted overwhelmingly (410 to 20) to reform the Postal Service to save it from a "death spiral" brought on by rising costs and declining business due to the impact of the Internet. The next few years should bring more challenges to the Bell System as millions of people drop their phone service in favor of the lower cost, richer features and convenience of VoIP communication

Get a "Virtual Phone Number" - Eliminate Long Distance Charges with VoIP Phone Service

2010-11-22T00:21:00.000-08:00

There's a revolution brewing in the telephone industry. But it's not the recent demise of AT&T or the failure of Worldcom. It's a new, yet proven, technology that lets you talk with friends, family and loved ones over the Internet.

It's called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or broadband phone, and it lets you use your ordinary home or office telephone to dial and talk to anyone using the Internet as your "channel" of communication. Instead of dialing through the Bell System copper wires, you make calls through your DSL or cable Internet access provider. No microphones or headsets. Just use your existing telephone to talk throughout North America and the world.

This new technology not only saves you 50 to 60 percent on your monthly phone bill. It also provides a host of services the phone company cannot. One of these - a "virtual phone number" -- can eliminate long distance charges to friends and family who want to call you. Here's how it works.

When you order your VoIP phone service you can also order a second phone number in a distant city. For example, if you live in Philadelphia you're in the 215 area code. And, if you have relatives in Los Angeles, you can order a virtual number in area code 818 (Los Angeles). Then, when a family member in LA wants to call you, they simply dial the 818 phone number, which is a local call for them. Amazingly enough, your phone rings in area 215. Your family gets to talk to you for the cost of a local call: for free.

Virtual numbers are great for kids going away to college. Rick and Patti live in Cleveland and have a son going to college at Kennesaw State University, near Atlanta. They can order a VoIP phone number with the Cleveland area code for the home phone, and get an Atlanta area virtual number. Then, when their son wants to call home, he makes a local Atlanta call and the phone rings at Mom and Dad's house, 700 miles away.

Of course VoIP phone service also provides toll free numbers - usually at less than two cents per minute - giving you yet another way to make it easy for friends and family to stay in touch.

Get virtual! Join the millions of people jumping on the VoIP bandwagon and start enjoying the rich features and accessibility you can get through broadband phone service.

VoIP and 911 Warning

2010-11-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

Be leery of your VoIP phone system in case of emergencies. 911 services may not be available to you or will be limited. You should put local emergency numbers by or on your phone in case you have a problem until the providers get this sorted out this fall. The FCC has been after VoIP providers to fix this problem and just recently extended the deadline. But for you and me, that means we have to be careful in emergencies or be left stranded trying to dial 911.

Providers of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone service have been told by the FCC to warn customers of potential problems of using 911 as an emergency number. The FCC told providers they should obtain acknowledgements from their subscribers and if they didn't, then they should turn off their service.

The VON coalition, a group of VoIP providers which include AT&T and MCI, were concerned of what would happen to their customers if they were cut off. Some portion of the subscribers typically won't respond to a request. Is it in the public's best interest to disconnect these people?

There are about 1.7 million VoIP subscribers nationwide and this cut off from the FCC could have potentially disrupted service for 100,000 people. The FCC issued this decree in May after a woman was unable to get 911 help to save her dying daughter.

The FCC ordered all the providers to have full 911 service by November 28th.

Here's the quote from the FCC:

Specifically, the Bureau announces that it will continue to refrain, for an additional 30 days -- until September 28, 2005 -- from enforcing the requirement that VoIP providers obtain affirmative acknowledgements from 100% of their subscribers that they have read and understood an advisory concerning the limitations of their E911 service against those providers that meet the reporting requirements established below.

In addition to satisfying these reporting requirements, to be eligible for this extension, providers also must have filed a report on or before August 10, 2005 in accordance with the Bureau's July 26, 2005 Public Notice. The Bureau will evaluate the sufficiency of the updated reports filed by interconnected VoIP providers and take subsequent action as necessary.