Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About... VOIP But Never Dared To As !

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Table )f &ontents
Introduction ... page 4 Chapter 1: What Is VoIP Technology? . .6 Chapter 2: What ou !eed To "se VoIP 1# Chapter $: %a&ing Calls "sing VoIP .2# Chapter 4: The 'd(antages 'nd )isad(antages .2* Chapter *: The +usiness ,ide -. VoIP 42 Chapter 6: /inding ' VoIP Pro(ider ..*2 Chapter 0: The Installation -. VoIP Technology .*0 Chapter 1: "sing VoIP /or 2(erything .6# Conclusion 6$

$ntroduction
The one de.initi(e thing that should 3e said a3out VoIP technology is that it 4ill trans.or5 your li.e. There are 5any 4ays in 4hich it can do this6 too. ou7(e heard co55ercials and seen a 5illion di..erent ad(ertise5ents .or VoIP. !o46 it7s ti5e to learn all that you can a3out this technology so that you can add it to your li.e. VoIP is one type o. technology that o..ers 5ostly 3ene.its and it is de.initely not hard to use. ou7ll 3e ready to go 8uic&ly and you7ll 3e a3le to start sa(ing 5oney right a4ay6 one o. the largest reasons to s4itch your long distance ser(ice to VoIP. Throughout this e93oo&6 4e7ll e:plore 4hat VoIP is and ho4 it 4ill trans.or5 your li.e. ou7ll 3e a3le to e:plore the options that are a(aila3le to you6 learn ho4 to use VoIP in your ho5e and in your 3usiness and you7ll 8uic&ly see ho4 you7ll sa(e a s5all .ortune on it. +eing .air6 there are a .e4 disad(antages to this technology6 3ut 4e7ll sho4 you ho4 to co5pletely ta&e ad(antage o. all that VoIP can o..er e(en around these

consideration. I. you are on the edge trying to decide i. you 4ant to s4itch to VoIP6 4e7ll help you to 5a&e that decision. The largest 3ene.it that VoIP pro5ises is that it 4ill pro(ide you 4ith high 8uality long distance ser(ices 4ithout the cost that usually goes along 4ith it. What the long distance co5panies don7t 4ant you to &no4 is that it is co5pletely si5ple to use and it 4ill allo4 you to call locations around the 4orld6 easily. Instead o. going 4ith ;ust 4hat the VoIP sales people are o..ering or counting on 4hat the long distance carriers are saying6 ta&e the ti5e to .ully learn 4hat the options are that you ha(e. <earning a3out VoIP .or yoursel. 4ill allo4 you to 5a&e the 3est decision6 regardless o. the sales tal& that you 4ill .ind e(ery4here. =ere is a (ie4 o. VoIP that is honest and .air and that 4ill pro(ide you 4ith the in.or5ation you need to 5a&e a decision a3out this ser(ice. >ead through The )e.initi(e ?uide To VoIP and 5a&e your o4n decision a3out its 4orthiness in your ho5e and your 3usiness.

&hapter *: What $s +o$, TechnologyWhat ha(e you heard a3out VoIP? !o46 .orget a3out it. What you should learn a3out it you7ll learn here. >e5e53er6 sales 5ar&eting has really done a ;o3 on VoIP to this degree.

What Does +o$, DoWhen you install VoIP technology into your ho5e6 you7ll ha(e the a3ility to tal& to others using Voice -(er Internet Protocol @VoIP.A 'll that 5eans is that you7ll 3e a3le to use the phone that7s connected to the internet to 5a&e calls. Instead o. phone lines that traditionally run o(er the electrical or phone lines in your ho5e already6 VoIP uses your internet connection instead. our standard phone 4ill plug into the VoIP adapter to 3e used. In 5ost cases6 you 4on7t 3e a3le to tell the di..erence in using VoIP o(er other phone technology. It gi(es you

the sa5e 3asic results. It sounds easy6 right? It really is that si5ple.

+o$, Technology With the help o. VoIP technology6 you can co55unicate o(er your internet lines6 4hich 4ill also happen to 3e a no costing 4ay to do so. To do this6 se(eral &ey things 4ill 3e necessary. 1. ou 4ill need to connect your standard telephone to an adapter unit that is VoIP 8uali.ied. -r6 you 5ay instead use a 5icrophone e8uipped co5puter to 5a&e your calls instead o. a phone. 2. When you pic& up the phone to dial your .riend across the ocean6 the VoIP adapter realiBes 4hat you are doing and turns the (oice signals you are sending into your phone into digital 3ased signals. These are then sent across the ocean through the Internet6 instead o. tra(eling through any phone line. $. our .riend recei(es your call in the sa5e 4ay. =e or she 4ill pic& up the phone 4hen you call and

then VoIP goes to 4or& again. This ti5e it translates the digital li&e signals 3ac& into a standard (oice trans5ission. When your .riend uses their phone6 they hear your (oice6 nothing 5ore.

's you can see6 it really doesn7t 5a&e 5uch o. a di..erence in the e:perience that you ha(e using the telephone. ou7ll 3e doing the sa5e thing that you are already doing. =ere7s ho4 it 4or&s: Phone Call CTo9 'dapter9 Internet 9 'dapter CTo9 Phone 'lthough it 5ay see5 li&e this process ta&es ti5e6 it really does not. It 4ill ta&e little to no ti5e to con(ert you (oice into a digital signal to go o(er the internet ser(ice that you ha(e and 3ac& into your (oice so your .riend 4ill hear you. In .act6 the process happens so .ast you 5ay not e(en realiBe 4hat is happening at all and not realiBe you are using itD

&omputer &ommunication

'nother option that you 5ay ha(e co5es in the .or5 o. using the co5puter in your ho5e to 5a&e your long distance calls. /or e:a5ple6 i. you 4ould li&e to call your .riend6 instead o. using your telephone to 5a&e the call6 you could use your co5puter. In order to do this6 you 4ill need to ha(e a co5puter that has a 5icrophone located in it. This 5icrophone 4ill ser(e as your co55unication tool. When you 5o(e to 5a&e a call6 you 4ill si5ply use the so.t4are that is installed on your co5puter to call your .riend. When they ans4er6 you can tal& to the5 4ithout any type o. handset. Instead6 you7ll use the 5icrophone to tal& into. The process is still the sa5e. The co5puter 4ill ta&e your (oice and translate it into a digital signal 4hich is then sent o(er the internet to your .riend7s co5puter. They can either use the phone or their o4n co5puter to tal& to you. The (oice once again changes .ro5 a digital signal into an actual (oice and you hear your .riend6 ;ust as you 4ould i. you had dialed their phone nu53er into your phone.

ou can also do this 3y using a co5puter that is e8uipped 4ith a headset that allo4s you to spea& into it .or 5ore pri(acy. 's you can see6 VoIP technology is 8uite easy to use. ou7ll 3e a3le to install it into your co5puter and phone syste5 8uic&ly and easily. it in and using it 8uic&ly. ou7ll 3e a3le to get

In a 3usiness en(iron5ent6 VoIP 4or&s a3out the sa5e 4ay. In 5ost cases6 though6 it is e(en 3etter 3ecause it call allo4 any siBe o. 3usiness to stay connected to their clients6 suppliers and 3usiness associates around the 4orld. I. you are considering VoIP technology .or your 3usiness6 you7ll .ind additional in.or5ation a3out that in later chapters. What you should &no4 no4 is that it is an ideal tool .or co55unication in any .ield and in any use. It 4ill help you to stay in connection as 4ell as let you to sa(e on costly long distance. The 3ene.its o. using VoIP are easy to spot. It is easy and it sa(es you 5oneyD +ut6 3eyond this6 there are additional 3ene.its in ha(ing the a3ility to connect to others around the 4orld. I. you are ready to pic& up

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your phone and order it6 don7t do it ;ust yet. 4hy it 4or&s.

ou

need to understand a 3it 5ore a3out ho4 it 4or&s and ou also need to understand 4hat you need to 5a&e it 4or& in your personal ho5e or in your 3usiness en(iron5ent.

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&hapter .: What /ou 0eed To 1se +o$,

In order .or you to ta&e ad(antage o. VoIP6 you 4ill need to ha(e so5e e8uip5ent. The good ne4s is that it is not co5ple:6 di..icult to install and its not generally that e:pensi(e. The one re8uire5ent that you si5ply can not go 4ithout is 3road3and or high speed internet connections.

What $s 2roadband"nderstanding 4hat 3road3and internet ser(ice is happens to 3e i5portant. I. you don7t ha(e this type o. connection yet to the internet6 you 5ay 4ant to use it. I. you don7t7 ha(e it6 you are pro3a3ly using dial up access to connect to the 4e3. While there isn7t anything 4rong 4ith dial up6 the 4ay that 3road3and 4or&s 5a&es connecting to the internet .aster and e(en si5pler. When you use this 5ethod o. connection6 you7ll 3e a3le to get online

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.aster and e(en sur. through the pages you 4ant to go to 8uic&er. That allo4s 5any 3ene.its in and o. itsel.. +road3and is 8uite .ast and it is the 4ay o. the .uture in technology .or internet access. It 5ay 3e a 3it con.using to understand ho4 3road3and technology actually 4or&s6 as it is so5e4hat co5ple:6 it is easy to understand ;ust ho4 3ene.icial it can 3eD +road3and 4or&s 3y allo4ing .or a larger a5ount o. data to 5o(e .aster all at one ti5e. ' good 4ay to understand it is to consider your 4ater pipes. I. you replace your old pipe @dial up internetA 4ith a larger6 4ider pipe @3road3andA you are no4 allo4ing 5uch 5ore in.or5ation to get through and there.ore allo4ing the 4ater to 5o(e through it easier. The larger that the pipe is6 the 5ore 4ater can go through it. The sa5e is true 4ith 3road3and. With the higher 3and4idth that it uses6 3road3and can get you around the internet .aster and e(en gets you o.. the telephone line you are currently using 4ith dial up access. The 3ene.its o. 3road3and include the a3ility to do4nload in.or5ation .aster6 the a3ility to connect to

13

4e3sites6 to (ie4 5o(ies and yes6 e(en to tal& to other people using your internet connection. That7s 4here VoIP co5es in. VoIP technology si5ply could not 4or& 4ell o(er dial up access to the internet 3ecause it is not .ast enough and it can not carry the signals .ast enough. In order .or you to use VoIP6 you need to ha(e 3road3and internet access. ou can use this type o. internet access through your current ca3le 5ode56 through your ),< or e(en through a local high speed ca3le net4or& o..er. !o 5atter 4hich o. these you ha(e6 VoIP technology is li&ely to 3e a3le to 3e used 4ith it.

/our 'daptation
+e.ore you can get the VoIP technology6 you7ll also ha(e to ha(e the right tools to co55unicate o(er the internet. 's 4e 5entioned earlier6 you can use your co5puter 4ith a 5icrophone or a headset 4ith a 5icrophone as 4ell as an adapter .or your telephone. They also 5a&e specialiBed phones .or VoIP too.

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The style o. these ser(ices that you need or can use 4ill depend on the type o. VoIP that you select. ,ince VoIP is not a 3rand na5e6 so to spea&6 there are actually se(eral ser(ices that you can purchase it .ro5. That 5eans that there are di..erences in each o. the carriers that you use VoIP through. ,o5e VoIP technologies 4or& through the co5puter only. /or this type o. application6 you7ll need to 3e a3le to use a 5icrophone or a headset to co55unication. ou 5ay 3e a3le to use this ser(ice 4ith the help o. a specialiBed phone as 4ell. %any other ser(ices allo4 you to use a standard phone 3ut 4ith the help o. an adapter. =ere6 you7ll need to purchase the adapter that 4ill plug into your phone and into your 5ode5. I. you are using a co5puter to use VoIP ser(ices6 you 4ill need the right so.t4are installed into your co5puter. ?enerally6 this co5es to you 4hen you purchase VoIP ser(ices. The 5icrophone that you need can 3e 8uite ine:pensi(e6 generally under E2#. I. you go 4ith the specialiBed phone to connect to VoIP ser(ices6 you7ll 3e a3le to purchase a phone that 4ill plug right into the 3road3and connection that you

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ha(e. It doesn7t need to plug into the phone ;ac& or your co5puter in any 4ay. The specialiBed phones 4or& ;ust li&e a traditional phone in that you7ll pic& up the recei(er6 dial the nu53er and instantly get the person on the other line to tal& to. /inally6 i. you use VoIP through a standard telephone 4ith an adapter6 you 4ill 3e a3le to dial the sa5e as you do right no4. The only di..erence is that your phone 5ay not ha(e a dial tone @in 5ost cases.A and ho5e users easily. ou should &no4 a 3it 5ore a3out the adapter that you 5ay 3e using. It is called an 'T' or 'nalog Telephone 'dapter. In order to pro(ide ser(ice to you6 this de(ice connects to your 3road3and internet ser(ice connection using a router6 the third co5ponent in using VoIP. To do this6 it 4ill use an 2thernet @>F4*A ca3le and it 4ill connect to your phone using a telephone ca3le @>F11A to co5plete the circuit. our ser(ice pro(ider generally pro(ides this type o. ser(ice to its clients

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The 'T' is necessary .or trans.erring your analog in.or5ation into the usa3le digital 5edia that can 3e carried o(er the internet so that you can chat 4ith others. The adapter 5ust then send this digital signal to the router o. you co5puter 4hich then 4ill deter5ine the right route to ta&e to get to the right net4or& and .inally to the person that you 4ere planning on calling. This happens instantly6 though

/our 3outer
%any people that ha(e 3road3and internet ser(ice already ha(e a router in place. That7s 3ecause it is necessary .or you to i. you ha(e 5ore than one co5puter that you 4ish to connect to the internet. I. not6 you7ll need to purchase one. They do not usually co5e 4ith your VoIP pac&age6 3ut can .or an additional charge. The router7s ;o3 is to connect 5ultiple net4or&s together. Its ;o3 is to connect your ho5e7s net4or& syste5 4ith the internet6 4hich technically is the 4orld7s largest net4or&ing syste5. I. you only ha(e one co5puter that7s connected to your ser(ice to the internet or any type o. de(ice connected to the internet6 then you 5ay not need a

17

router at all.

ou could si5ply attach your VoIP

ser(ice right to the 3road3and ser(ice that you ha(e. et6 this is si5ply unco55on today. Those that do ha(e 5ore than one de(ice that 4ill connect to the internet6 then a router is a 5ust. ' router 4ill help you to connect to the internet at each point that you ha(e the need. >outers ena3le you to share one connection to the internet 4ith se(eral de(ices at the sa5e ti5e. This allo4s you to log into your internet connection .ro5 5ore than one location. In order to do this6 your router 4ill use !et4or& 'ddress Translation6 4hich is also called !'T. This technology allo4s you to share one IP address 4hich is assigned to your co5puter 3y your internet ser(ice pro(ider as a distinction o. 4ho you are. -ne 3ene.it that a router can pro(ide to you is the a3ility to pro(ide a .ire4all to your net4or&. ' .ire4all can protect your co5puter users .ro5 all sorts o. things li&e spy4are6 5al4are and (iruses .ro5 getting in. ' .ire4all can help to &eep pro3le5s li&e this .ro5 in.ecting your co5puter and ulti5ately 3ringing do4n your co5puter net4or&.

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2(en i. you do only ha(e one co5puter6 or one de(ice that re8uires internet connecti(ity6 you still need a .ire4all to protect your internet access. Those that ha(e the need .or a router 4ill also .ind it to pro(ide 5any other use.ul .eatures in regards to internet usage. /or e:a5ple6 you can 3loc& speci.ic 4e3sites .ro5 3eing tra(eled to6 4hich is 4onder.ul ad(antage .or a ho5e 4ith children. -r6 you can deter5ine a ti5e to cut o.. usage o. the internet in the ho5e. This is help.ul to those that 4ant to turn o.. their connection @e(en their VoIP ser(iceA at any ti5e. 2(en 3etter6 routers are e:cellent tools .or the 4ireless technology you ha(e. ou can use routers to help you to connect your P)'6 your %P$ player6 or your laptop @any de(ice that 4ants and can get online .or that 5atterA to the internet. It can do this 4ithout ha(e to deal 4ith 4ires 3ecause o. the 4ireless technology 4hich it pro(ides to your ho5e.

4um 1p
In other 4ords6 you 4ill need:

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 +road3and internet access 2ither: ' standard phone 4ith a VoIP adapter -r6 a co5puter that .eatures a 5icrophone. -r6 a specialiBed VoIP phone >outer That7s itD There are no costly 4iring pro;ects to 4orry a3out and you 4on7t need to do craBy con.igurations 4ith your internet ser(ice either @or your co5puter .or that 5anner.A In the 4ay o. tools .or VoIP6 there is nothing else you need. <ater6 you7ll learn so5e tools that you 5ay 4ant to consider adding to your ser(ice as 4ell. -nce you ha(e su3scri3ed to the VoIP ser(ice6 they 4ill help you to decide the right type o. technology .or their ser(ice and .or your needs. It is also i5portant to point out that 5uch o. 4hat you 4ill need to get VoIP up and running in your ho5e 4ill co5e to you 4ith the help o. your VoIP pro(ider. %ost pro(iders 4ill present you 4ith the VoIP adapters that you need .or your phone. ou7ll also 3e a3le to get the necessary so.t4are .or your co5puter.

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There are so5e tools that you need to get or ha(e on your o4n6 though. /or e:a5ple6 your headset or 5icrophone .or using VoIP o(er the co5puter is up to you to purchase. That goes .or your router too. These things are not all that e:pensi(e6 though. ' router 5ay cost you under E*# depending on 4here you li(e and your needs .or it. our 3road3and ser(ice is so5ething you also need to su3scri3e to 4hich does o..er an additional cost per 5onth to use. +ut6 depending on the type o. ser(ice that you ha(e right no46 you 5ay actually sa(e 5oney 3y s4itching .ro5 dial up internet to 3road3and internet access. <oo& into co5panies that o..er internet access to co5pare prices and speed.

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&hapter 5: 6aking &alls 1sing +o$,

's 4e ha(e 5entioned6 using VoIP is easy to do. When you are loo&ing to 5a&e a call to so5eone ne:t door or so5eone on the other side o. the planet6 the process is 3asically the sa5e thing. There are so5e di..erences that range 4idely .ro5 one carrier o. VoIP types o. ser(ice and the type o. product that you ha(e to 5a&e calls. !e(ertheless6 it is an easy to understand process.

Local 'nd Long Distance

The 5ost co55on 8uestion that is as&ed o. indi(iduals that are considering s4itching to VoIP is that o. ho4 it 4or&s .or local calls as 4ell as long distance calls. This changes so5e4hat .ro5 one (endor to the ne:t6 3ut in 5ost cases6 VoIP doesn7t charge a per rate call on custo5ers that use their VoIP ser(ice to contact other indi(iduals that ha(e VoIP. In 5ost cases6 the pro(ider

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o. the VoIp ser(ice 4ill allo4 you to use this ser(ice to call others that ha(e it. ,o5e pro(iders o. VoIP 4ill allo4 you to 5a&e calls to indi(iduals that li(e in another area code other than 4here you li(e. In addition6 you should realiBe that although you 5ay 3e not charged .or 5a&ing long distance calls6 those that call you that do not ha(e VoIP 4ill still incur the charges o. a long distance call6 3ased on 4hat their long distance pro(ider re8uires. ,o5e VoIP ser(ices are di..erent. /or e:a5ple6 so5e pro(iders 5ay charge you 5uch li&e your current long distance plan charges6 ;ust at a large discount. This 5ay 3e that you are charged a long distance call 4hen you call indi(iduals that li(e outside o. your calling area. This 4ould 3e set up 8uite li&e the standard6 4ire line telephone ser(ice currently is. 'dditionally6 VoIP pro(iders are so5eti5es o..ering their calling ser(ices at a .lat rate6 again6 li&e 4ire line telephone ser(ices. ou 5ay ha(e a selected nu53er o. 5inutes to use per 5onth6 too.

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+e.ore you sign up 4ith any type o. VoIP ser(ice pro(ider6 you should .ind out 4hat they ha(e to o..er as 4ell as the costs .or each option they o..er so that you can co5pare.

Who &an /ou &all With +o$,'nother aspect o. using VoIP is 4ho you can call. 2ach pro(ider o..ers a di..erent de.inition o. this and .or that reason you should loo& into this 5ore thoroughly to allo4 you to co5pare the options that you ha(e. =ere is a loo& at so5e o. the options out there. Limited: ,o5e VoIP pro(iders only allo4 you to call other people using VoIP that already ha(e VoIP the5sel(es. In this case6 i. you 4ere to call so5eone that doesn7t ha(e VoIP6 you 4ould ha(e to use a standard long distance plan or you 4ouldn7t 3e a3le to connect to the5. I. you call so5eone that has VoIP6 you 4ould connect to the5 through that ser(ice. 1nlimited: ,o5e VoIP pro(iders 4ill allo4 you to call anyone that has a phone nu53er. This 5ay not 3e li5ited to ho5e phones6 either. ou 5ay 3e a3le to call anyone that has a phone nu53er e(en those that ha(e

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5o3ile phoneGcell phone nu53ers6 long distance nu53ers and e(en international phone nu53ers. With unli5ited use6 you7ll 3e a3le to call others that do not ha(e VoIP. =ere6 they 4ould not need to ha(e any specialiBed e8uip5ent to tal& to you. They could use their standard ho5e phone. Pro(iders also range in the ser(ices that they pro(ide 4ith VoIP calling. /or e:a5ple6 so5e 5ay allo4 you to tal& to se(eral people 4ith VoIP ser(ice at one ti5e6 4hile others do not o..er this ser(ice. The .eatures and 3ene.its o. each pro(ider o. VoIP is so5ething you7ll learn 5ore a3out later. We7ll teach you ho4 to choose the right pro(ider o. your ser(iceD =ere are a .e4 other 8uestions that are o.ten as&ed a3out VoIP: )oes 5y co5puter need to 3e turned on to use it? !oD There is no need to 4orry a3out i. your co5puter is on or o... It 4ill 4or& .or 3oth needs. I. you need to 5a&e a call using your co5puter6 then it 4ill need to 3e one. I. your VoIP runs through your co5puter6 it needs to 3e on.

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Can I use 5y co5puter and 3e on the phone at the sa5e ti5e? es6 in 5ost cases6 you can 3e on 3oth the co5puter and your VoIP ser(ice. Can I ta&e VoIP 4ith 5e 4hen I tra(el? +elie(e it or not6 5any o. the 3est pro(iders o. VoIP ser(ice are o..ering these ser(ices. It depends greatly on your pro(ider. =o4 do I &no4 i. there7s a phone call co5ing in? I. you ha(e a traditional phone that uses an adapter .or VoIP6 your phone 4ill ring ;ust as it 4ould i. you 4ere using a standard6 analog phone. I. you are using your co5puter6 your co5puter 4ill alert you 4hen there is a call co5ing in using VoIP through the so.t4are that7s installed. )oes it sound good? While 5any 4orry that it 4ill sound choppy or it 4ill 3e too 8uiet to hear6 that7s not the case. VoIP 4or&s 4ell .or those that use it and you 4on7t 3e a3le to tell the di..erence. What a3out 4ireless co5puters and hot spots? I. you tra(el 4ith your laptop 3y your side6 and you ha(e VoIP ser(ice through that laptop6 chances are

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good that you7ll 3e a3le to use your VoIP ser(ice at hot spots located in co..ee houses6 in diners and e(en in airports. ser(ice6 though. !o46 let7s 5o(e on to 5ore topics a3out VoIP. our pro(ider 5ust o..er this

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&hapter 7: The 'dvantages 'nd Disadvantages )f +o$,

There are 3oth good and 3ad things a3out VoIP. %ost o. the ti5e6 it is an e:cellent tool .or acco5plishing the tas&s that you 4ant and need to do. In .act6 it 5ay ;ust 3e the phone o. the .uture in the ne:t decade6 3ut .or that to happen6 the need .or high speed internet access 5ust 3e 5et 3y all that desire it. 's you are considering VoIP6 you 5ust pay attention to the needs that you ha(e in it. There is 5uch to consider 3oth 4ith ad(antages and disad(antages.

The 'dvantages
It is al4ays good to start 4ith the positi(es6 and VoIP technology does o..er 5any o. the5. This is especially true i. you already ha(e your ser(ice set up in the 4ay o. already ha(ing a 3road3and connection and ha(ing the necessary e8uip5ent @5icrophone6 headset6 andGor router.A I. you ha(e this6 then you are already set to 3e 3ene.ited 3y all that can 3e o..ered to you.

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0o Land Line: -ne o. the .irst 3ene.its that you get

3y ha(ing VoIP is the need to re5o(e your land line telephone ser(ice. )on7t 4orry6 there7s no need to dig up the yard here. ,i5ply disconnecting .ro5 e:pensi(e long distance is one o. the 3est 3ene.its that VoIP 4ill o..er to you. Without the need .or a traditional landline6 you are a3le to stop paying .or it6 tooD

1nlimited &ommunication: ,o5e o. the 3etter

VoIP ser(ice pro(iders allo4 you to co55unicate 4ith people around the 4orld .or as long as you 4ant6 4ith little cost. /or e:a5ple6 i. you 4ere to purchase a .lat rate ser(ice .or VoIP6 you 4ould 3e a3le to connect to your .riend in Fapan that has it and tal& to the5 o(er the internet .or literally hours on end 4ithout the .ear o. cost. This is a 3ene.it that people ha(e 3een see&ing si5ply 3ecause o. ho4 de(astating it can 3e to not pic& up the phone and call a lo(ed one 3ecause it is too e:pensi(e to do so. !o46 you can easily do so 4ithout the 4orry o. cost 4ith a .lat rate ser(ice.

6ultiple &onnections: %ost VoIP ser(ice pro(iders

allo4 you to co55unicate to others as you see .it. +ut6 4hat i. you 4ant to tal& to se(eral people all at one

29

ti5e? This is called $4ay calling on traditional land lines and it can 3e a costly in(est5ent 4hich is 4hy 5ost people don7t e(en 3other to get it added to their phone lines. With VoIP6 you can connect and tal& to 5any people6 as 5any as you 4ant6 4ithout ha(ing to pay this additional .ee. That can lea(e you 4ith ;ust the 3ene.its that you are loo&ing .or in VoIP.

0o 2roadband &ost: With so5e o. the 3etter VoIP

ser(ice pro(iders6 you7ll 3e a3le to stop paying .or your 3road3and ser(ice 3ecause it 4ill 3e part o. your VoIP connection. This 5eans that you can lo4er your costs o. connecting to the internet signi.icantly ;ust 3y using VoIP technology. ou 4ill need to .ind out i. you can actually get this 3ene.it 3y as&ing your VoIP ser(ice pro(ider i. your 3road3and ser(ice is included in your VoIP pac&age.

Low &ost: 2(en 4ith the 5ost e:pensi(e VoIP ser(ice

pro(iders6 you still get the 3ene.its o. ha(ing a lo4 cost 4hen you use VoIP technology o(er long distance technology. The costs are lo4er 3ecause there are less people and co5panies in(ol(ed in your transaction.

30

,ince your connection is tra(eling through the internet6 it doesn7t need to go through landlines6 4hich continuously need to 3e repaired6 5aintained and ne4 lines need to 3e put in. Instead6 the internet7s 3ig net4or& allo4s you to connect to it 4ithout 5uch cost6 other than the cost o. the 3road3and ser(ice you ha(e. The cost to 5a&e a traditional call .ro5 your co5puter to a traditional land line is still 8uite ine:pensi(e in the real5 o. traditional long distance calls.

0o &ost: In so5e cases6 there is no cost to using

VoIP technology. ou 4ill 3e a3le to connect to the internet 4ith your 3road3and technology and tal& to so5eone else that has VoIP using your co5puter 4ithout cost. Co5puter to co5puter con(ersations 5ay 3e at no cost to you6 3y so5e VoIP ser(ice pro(iders. <et7s say that you li(e in Cali.ornia and you 4ant to call your good .riend in /rance. When you do so o(er the internet using your VoIP technology that you 3oth 5ust ha(e and 5a&e this connection o(er the use o. your co5puter6 you don7t ha(e to pay .or the interaction. In this regard6 your con(ersation6 e(en o(erseas6 is .ree.

31

Take $t With /ou: When you use VoIP as you

tra(el6 you literally can pic& it up and ta&e your connection6 and your lo4 long distance rates6 to a 5ini5u5. That7s 3ecause 5ost VoIP ser(ice pro(iders pro(ide you 4ith the a3ility to 5a&e VoIP porta3le 4ith you. /or e:a5ple6 i. you are tra(eling6 you 5ay ha(e had to pic& up the phone and call your spouse 4ith high6 (ery high6 costs. =a(e you noticed the in roo5 charges .or long distance li&e this? +ut6 4hen you use VoIP technology6 this doesn7t happen. ou can use your sa5e VoIP plan that you are using to connect to others 4hile you are tra(eling. To do this6 you do need to ha(e a 3road3and connection. That isn7t as 5uch o. a pro3le5 as you 5ay thin& 4ith co..ee houses and airports @e(en shopping 5alls .or that 5atterA o..ering Hhot spotsI or internet connecti(ity. To 5a&e this happen6 you 4ill need to use your headset or you 4ill need to ha(e a VoIP specialiBed phone that allo4s you to do this6 4hich 5ay co5e as part o. your ser(ice pac&age. Fust sign into your ser(ice and then you can instantly 5a&e your call. When you use VoIP to tra(el 4ith6 you don7t ha(e to

32

4orry a3out your cell phone 5inutes or e(en ha(e to 4orry a3out the roa5ing charges you 5ay 3e prone to i. you use your 5o3ile phone. There7s no need to 4orry a3out cell phone co(erage or long distance .ees 4hen you use VoIP in this 5anner.

,ortable With /ou: 'l5ost the sa5e as using VoIP

4hile you tra(el is the 3ene.it o. 3eing a3le to use VoIP .or all o. your porta3ility needs. ou can use VoIP technology to allo4 you to 5a&e phone to phone VoIP calls .ro5 (irtually any4here that there is a connection to the 3road3and internet. /or e:a5ple6 i. you are in >o5e and you 4ant to call so5eone either ne:t door or around the 4orld6 you can do so using your VoIP ser(ice6 e(en i. it is 3ased out o. your ho5e in the "nited ,tates. our VoIP ser(ice pro(ider 4ill gi(e you a VoIP phone nu53er that 4ill .ollo4 you around the 4orld6 4here(er you decide to go. +y doing this6 you can 5a&e calls any4here6 no 5atter 4here you are6 using your VoIP ser(ice. 'll you 4ould ha(e to do is to plug your VoIP ser(ice into any

33

3road3and ser(ice pro(ider. -. course6 it 4ould ha(e to 3e a VoIP capa3le phone that you are using.

Light ,hones: 'long 4ith this tra(eling and

porta3ility that VoIP can pro(ide to you6 4e should 5ention that the porta3le phones that you 4ill use to 5a&e this happen are ;ust li&e cell phones. They are light6 easy to use and they allo4 you to 5a&e VoIP calls6 4hich 5ay e(en 3e .ree. What7s not to lo(e a3out the5?

%ree %eatures: 'nother 3ene.it to using VoIP is that

you get all o. your .a(orite .eatures in using traditional calling 4ithout cost. This includes things li&e call 4aiting6 caller identi.ication6 call .or4arding6 three 4ay calls6 and (oice5ail and so on. ou can use these ser(ices 4ithout any type o. pro3le5 too. It is part o. the ease that VoIP 5a&es 5a&ing calls. %any traditional phone lines 5a&e you pay .or these ser(ices either as an additional ser(ice or as a cost per use .eature. In either case6 the costs can 3e high and are not necessarily all that 4orth4hile 4ith a traditional phone line. +ut6 4ith VoIP6 it7s .ree.

34

4end Data: With VoIP6 you can also co55unicate

through data 4ithout a cost to it. /or e:a5ple6 you can send data .ro5 one 3usiness to the ne:t 3usiness6 4ithout an additional cost in doing so. ou can send photos to your .a5ily and .riends6 send 5essages to your .a5ily6 using te:t ser(ices6 and e(en do4nload and send pictures too. There is 8uite a lot o. 3ene.it to doing this as the costs o. doing so other4ise6 such as 4ith a .a: or ha(ing to use postage e(en6 are 5uch higher.

's you can see6 there are 5any di..erent 3ene.its to using VoIP technology. ou7ll easily 3e a3le to plug into this ser(ice and get the 5ost out o. it. I. you are interested in any o. these things6 li&e 3eing a3le to tal& .ree6 to tra(el and tal& 4ithout roa5ing charges or e(en ;ust to 3e a3le to send pictures 4ithout ha(ing to pay an ar5 and a leg .or the56 then VoIP is de.initely so5ething you should consider.

The Disadvantages
+eing .air to you6 it is i5portant to pro(ide you 4ith a loo& at so5e o. the pro3le5s that co5e .ro5 using VoIP

35

technology. While 5any o. these pro3le5s 4ere .irst 3rought out 4ith great concern6 there ha(e 3een ne4 ad(ances that can help you to o(erco5e so5e o. the 4orry that you ha(e o(er the5.

,owers 0eeded: -ne o. the largest pro3le5s that

.ace those that are s4itching to VoIP technology is the need .or electricity. While you ho5e is currently up and running 4ith it6 you don7t thin& a3out it. +ut6 4hat happens 4hen the po4er goes out? ,hould the po4er go out on you 4hen you ha(e VoIP ser(ice6 you 5ay lose your connection to the internet 4hich 5eans that you 5ay lose your a3ility to pic& up the phone and all others. In a ti5e o. crisis6 this is an i5portant ser(ice that you need to ha(e. ,o5e VoIP ser(ice pro(iders are allo4ing you to ha(e or are e(en pro(iding the5sel(es6 so5e type o. po4er 3ac&up. I. the po4er 4ere to cut o..6 you 4ould ha(e the a3ility to use the 3ac&up i. it 4as necessary to do so. +ut6 not all pro(iders o..er this a3ility. In order to o(erco5e this pro3le56 you do need to in(est in a 3ac&up or you need to insure that your VoIP pro(ider is o..ering it to you.

36

0o White ,ages: 'nother o. the disad(antages o.

VoIP ste5 .ro5 the ina3ility o. 3eing a3le to use 4hite page directory. /or e:a5ple6 3ecause you are not using a traditional landline6 your telephone nu53er 5ay not 3e a3le to 3e used in a 4hite page listing. ou also 5ay not ha(e access to 4hite page listings 4hen you need to loo& up so5eone7s phone nu53er6 such as 4hen you are calling 411 .or in.or5ation. -n the other hand6 you should 3e a3le to do this 4hen you are ;ust searching .or in.or5ation .ro5 your co5puter ter5inal any4ay. This is also so5ething that is changing 4ith 5ore and 5ore co5panies that o..er VoIP o..ering 4hite page directory ser(ice to you. /ind out 4hat your VoIP ser(ice pro(ider has to o..er you in this regard.

+o$, 'nd 8**

-ne o. the largest concerns regarding VoIP is that it 5ay not connect to local J11 ser(ices. This is actually one o. the largest and 5ost i5portant considerations that you ha(e. +ut6 in recent 5onths6 ne4 technology has helped to 3ridge the gap at least so5e4hat.

37

=ere7s the pro3le5. When you pic& up the phone to call J116 you need help. I. you can not access J11 .or your pu3lic sa.ety and e5ergency preparedness needs6 you can 3e placed in trou3le and the /CC has 3een 4or&ing on resol(ing this pro3le5 .or so5e ti5e. When VoIP technology .irst ca5e onto the 5ar&et6 consu5ers 3egan contacting the /CC in the "nited ,tates in an e..ort to co5plain a3out not 3eing a3le to dial J11 and get their local police6 .ire or rescue ser(ices .ast enough to their ho5e. This ina3ility to contact e5ergency ser(ices has le.t people in a pu3lic sa.ety pro3le5 that7s critical in regards to the potential ris&s. The /ederal Co55unication Co55ission has studied and has co5e 3ac& 4ith ne4 re8uire5ents .or VoIP technology. It has i5posed the ne4 2nhanced J116 4hich is also called 2J11. With older technology .or VoIP6 you could ha(e pic&ed up the phone and dialed J116 3ut you 5ay or 5ay not ha(e 3een a3le to get in touch 4ith the right agencies. +ut6 e(en i. you did6 there 4as no 4ay .or those go(ern5ental protection agencies to help you unless you could gi(e your physical address.

38

+ecause the J11 technology o. old did allo4 .or this a3ility to tell the e5ergency ser(ices 4here you 4ere and e(en ga(e the5 your call 3ac& nu53er6 they could get to you .aster6 sa(ing li(es. With 2nhanced J116 this is installed again. The /CC has instituted la4s that re8uire that those that ha(e interconnected VoIP ser(ices @4hich is 4hat you 4ould 3e usingA 4ill need to use the Pu3lic ,4itched Telephone !et4or& @called P,T!A to pro(ide your in.or5ation. This net4or& 5ust include 4ireless net4or&s6 too. This 5eans that i. you are to originate or ter5inate a call6 it 5ust 3e used on this net4or& in order to insure that indi(iduals can still gain access to e5ergency ser(ices. The 2nhanced J11 5a&es sure o. this 3y auto5atically pro(iding your call 3ac& nu53er as 4ell as your location in.or5ation6 in 5ost cases6 to e5ergency personnel.

1nderstanding $nterconnected +o$, 4ervice 'nd ,ublic 4afety

Interconnected ser(ice is a ter5 that the go(ern5ent uses to descri3e VoIP. When it 4as .irst 5ade a(aila3le6 VoIP did not ta&e into consideration such pu3lic ser(ice pro3le5s6 3ut today this has changed.
39

With a standard telephone ser(ice6 the phone nu53er that you ha(e is associated 4ith your address. This 5eans that your phone and your location are loc&ed in6 5a&ing it easy .or e5ergency 4or&ers to &no4 4here you are located in case o. e5ergency. +ut6 4ith VoIP6 this is not necessary possi3le in that regard. VoIP ser(ices allo4 you to ta&e your phone 4ith you6 no 5atter 4here you go. While this is a huge 3ene.it .or the VoIP user6 it still presents a pro3le5 in that you could 3e any place that there is a 3road3and connection. That 5eans that there is not one set location .or your phone nu53er to 3e connected 4ith your location.

Within the last .e4 5onths6 VoIP technology has 3een ad;usted6 so to spea&6 to insure that the person that dials J11 can 3e a3le to ta&e ad(antage o. pu3lic sa.ety ser(ices. 2(en still6 there are things you need to &no4 as the consu5er using VoIP.

Traditional ,hone:

ou pic& up the phone to call

J11 3ecause you hear so5eone 3rea&ing into your ho5e. 's soon as your call is pic&ed up6 the e5ergency

40

4or&er on the other end already &no4s your location and the phone nu53er you are calling .ro5. This is 3ecause the Pu3lic ,a.ety 'ns4ering Point @the location in 4hich your call is recei(ed 4hich is generally assigned to one particular areaA has the a3ility to trac& your call.

With +o$,: Calling your e5ergency personnel using

VoIP is di..erent. "nli&e 4hat 4as descri3ed a3o(e6 VoIP ser(ice has so5e challenges that you6 the consu5er needs to realiBe. ,o5e o. the pro3le5s that users can anticipate and 5ay ha(e a pro3le5 4ith6 according to the /CC include these pro3le5s 4hen you dial J11: 1. our VoIP ser(ice 5ay not connect to the P,'P @your local e5ergency dispatch syste5.A 2. our VoIP ser(ice 5ay call the ad5inistration line o. your P,'P instead o. calling the e5ergency connection nu53er. This nu53er 5ay not 3e sta..ed 4ith personnel to aid you. -r6 trained J11 dispatchers 5ay not 3e a(aila3le. $. ou 5ay get through to the e5ergency ser(ice pro(ider6 3ut it 5ay not pro(ide the5 4ith your

41

location in.or5ation or your phone nu53er in.or5ation. 4. ou 5ay need to pro(ide your location and other (ital in.or5ation to the e5ergency pro(ider i. you are using VoIP ser(ices. I. your location changes6 you7ll need to update the5 on this change6 too. This is the in.or5ation they7ll need to .ind you. *. VoIP 5ay not 4or& during a po4er outage. I. there is no internet connection6 or that internet connection .ails .or so5e reason @e(en i. it gets o(erloaded 4hile you are using itA you lose your a3ility to connect to VoIP ser(ices and there.ore to the e5ergency 4or&ers. In an e..ort to stop these pro3le5s6 there ha(e 3een a nu53er o. updates and re8uire5ents put in place .or VoIP ser(ice pro(iders. 1. J11 ser(ices 5ust 3e pro(ided as part o. the standard ser(ice o. VoIP. It 3eco5es a 5andatory .eature6 not so5ething that you 5ay not ha(e or ha(e to re8uest to ha(e. co(erage either. ou can7t opt out o. J11

42

2. +e.ore you can get your VoIP ser(ice6 the /CC has 5ade the re8uire5ent o. pro(iding your physical address o. 4here the pri5ary ser(ice 4ill 3e used. This 4ill help e5ergency tea5s to .ind your pri5ary location. VoIP pro(iders 5ust also insure so5e easy 4ay that you can report your current location i. it should change .ro5 this location. $. our VoIP ser(ice pro(ider 5ust pro(ide in.or5ation a3out 4here you are. 'll J11 calls 5ust 3e sent to the right location 4ith e5ergency ser(ice pro(iders in your local area. This includes all call3ac& nu53ers and your location. 4. I. there are any li5itations on you using J11 4ith your VoIP ser(ice6 the pro(ider 5ust pro(ide this in.or5ation to you 3e.ore you sign up .or the ser(ice. That 5eans presenting all ris& that you ha(e .or not 3eing a3le to connect e..ecti(ely to J11 .or any reason 5ust 3e disclosed. ou 5ust also sign o.. saying that you understand the ris&s o. using VoIP ser(ice as your only 5eans o. co55unicating 4ith e5ergency ser(ices in your local area.

1nderstanding 9ow This 'ffects /ou

43

What does all o. this 5ean to you6 the su3scri3er to VoIP 4ho 5ay one day need to call on e5ergency ser(ices? There are actually 5any things that you7ll need to realiBe and do i. you are to &eep yoursel. sa.e and still ta&e ad(antage o. 4hat VoIP can o..er to you. /irst and .ore5ost6 you should 5a&e sure to pro(ide your physical address to your pro(ider o. your ser(ice6 so that they can co55unicate this 4hen it 3eco5es necessary. Keep your address updated too. I. you lea(e and ta&e VoIP 4ith you .or a 4ee&end trip6 report this to your VoIP pro(ider. ou should also understand ;ust 4hat your li5itations are regarding VoIP. ou need to realiBe that others using your phone also need this in.or5ation. This includes the 3a3ysitter and your &ids6 too. ou7ll need to install and 5aintain a 3ac& up po4er supply so that your VoIP ser(ice can run 4hen there is a po4er .ailure. /ind out i. your VoIP pro(ider o..ers any type o. 3ene.it li&e this. I. you ha(e a 5o3ileGcell phone6 this can act as a 3ac& up6 3ut only i. you &eep it .ully charged so that it can 3e a(aila3le in an e5ergency.

44

With an understanding o. so5e o. the li5its that VoIP presents to you6 you can actually get an understanding o. 4hat you need to do in order to get the ad(antages o. VoIP 4ithout 3eco5ing o(er4hel5ed 4ith the (arious pro3le5s that can arise. /or those that are considering VoIP6 understanding the ad(antages and disad(antages o. VoIP is essential. I. you are unsure o. 4hat it can pro(ide you6 or you are concerned a3out one o. the disad(antages6 contact your VoIP pro(ide to .ind out ;ust 4hat they can o..er you in the 4ay o. in.or5ation. >e5e53er too that VoIP technology is di..erent .ro5 each pro(ider o. it. ou7ll need to see ho4 each o. these pro(iders has interpreted the /CC rulings on VoIP and ha(e installed sa.eguards .or the5. The good ne4s is that 5ost pro(iders ha(e 5ade sure to pro(ide you 4ith the in.or5ation and tools to &eep you sa.e and protected e(en in the 4orst o. ti5es. Chec& out 4hat the pro(iders o..er as sa.eguards to J11 and other pro3le5s. ,ee 4hat additional 3ene.its they 5ay 3e a3le to o..er to you6 tooD

45

&hapter :: The 2usiness 4ide )f +o$,

'lthough 5ost o. the 5ar&eting o. VoIP is directed at the in ho5e consu5er6 one o. the largest 3ene.its that this ser(ice can o..er is to the 3usiness o4ner. Fust consider your 3usiness phone 3ill. )o you pay hundreds i. not thousands o. dollars each 5onth to &eep your e5ployees connected 4ith clients6 shippers6 suppliers and the rest o. their needs? )o you pay long distance charges that are e:ceedingly high? 're you a.raid to e(en loo& at the international charges on your phone 3ill? VoIP is designed to allo4 3oth the personal and the ad(anced 3usiness o4ner to ha(e all o. the interconnecti(ity that they need at the a..orda3le rates that only VoIP can o..er to you. I. you are a 3usiness o4ner6 VoIP 4ill cut your costs do4n considera3ly. It can e(en pro(ide additional ser(ices to you to enhance your e:perience 4ith VoIP.

46

=ere6 4e7ll sho4 you only so5e o. the tools and 3ene.its o. using VoIP 4ith your 3usiness.

&osts Drastically Lowered

The largest 3ene.it to the 3usiness o4ner in using VoIP is the cost sa(ings. There is no dou3t that the long distance costs that 5ost 3usiness interact 4ith on a daily 3asis are going to 3e outrageous 4ith a traditional phone line6 especially 4hen 3usiness associates and custo5ers are located around the 4orld. With VoIP6 your calls are trans5itted into data 4hich is then sent o(er the internet. It 4or&s ;ust in the sa5e 4ay that it 4ould in a ho5e user en(iron5ent. With this also co5es the 3ene.it to ha(ing the lo4 costs o. 5a&ing calls and sending in.or5ation. =ere7s an e:a5ple. <et7s say that you are on your 4ay to a 5eeting and running late. ou get a 3usiness call on your laptop telling you a3out an i5portant update. ou ta&e it then head out to the airport. When you get there6 you get an urgent (oice5ail that 4as directed to your 3usiness phone. The good thing is that it 4as ;ust sent to your e5ail in3o: and no4 that you7(e got a hotspot6 you7(e got the in.or5ation.

47

'lthough you are tra(eling .ro5 !e4 or& to <os 'ngeles6 you didn7t ha(e to ha(e your custo5ers6 your clients or e(en your 3usiness associates change the place they call you. ou ta&e your phone nu53er @4ith !e4 or& area codeA 4ith you to <os 'ngeles and don7t 5iss a single 3eat in the process. +ecause all o. your in.or5ation and data is sent o(er the internet6 the costs are lo4. +usiness accounts are readily a(aila3le to the 3usiness o4ner .or VoIP ser(ices. ou 4on7t ha(e to 4orry a3out getting the 5ost .or your 5oney6 especially 4ith .lat rate ser(ice. Fust co5pare .or one 5inute the di..erence in cost .ro5 a standard or traditional long distance plan to 4hat you can get 4ith VoIP. ou7ll 3e a5aBed.

'nother 5oney sa(er that the 3usiness has 4hen they use VoIP is that they don7t ha(e to 5aintain separate net4or&s .or their data trans5issions and their phone syste5. ou don7t ha(e to incur additional costs .or 4hen an e5ployee 5o(es6 changes or is added. This can easily cost a E1## or 5ore per e5ployee 4hen it happens on a traditional line. This 4ay6 it costs you nothing. ou ;ust

48

ta&e the phone and 5o(e it to 4here they are going and plug it in.

,roductivity
Fust i5agine all that you can do and &eep on doing 3ecause there is the a3ility to stay connected no 5atter 4here you go. There are .eatures that allo4 you to do all o. the things that you 4ould 4ant to do and then so 5uch 5ore along 4ith it. -ne o. the largest 3ene.its that co5e .ro5 using VoIP .or increased producti(ity has to do 4ith the 4ay that your phone nu53ers are con.igured. /or e:a5ple6 you can con.igure the syste5 so that a call that co5es in 4ill 3e si5ultaneously ringing on se(eral de(ices. /or e:a5ple6 it could go to the des& or to the cell. That 5eans that 3e.ore it heads to your (oice 5ail account6 it7s 3een a3le to 3e ans4ered .aster and 3y 5ore locations. There.ore6 you don7t 5iss i5portant calls. ou stop the pro3le5 o. phone tagD

49

This ser(ice along 4as sho4n 3y one research .ir56 ,age >esearch6 to ha(e increased producti(ity in the 4or&place 3y adding al5ost 4 hours per 4ee& per e5ployee to your role. That is a huge signi.icance to 5any 3usiness o4ners today 4orrying a3out producti(ity. There are additional 4ays that it can 3ene.it you and your e5ployee producti(ity6 too. /or e:a5ple: Plan a 3usiness 5eeting 4here you and your associated are located around the 4orld. The good ne4s is that they are right there in the sa5e roo5 4ith you using (ideo phone technology. The cost is the sa5e as a phone call using your VoIP ser(ice. In the 5iddle o. the night you can get your 5essages 4ithout lea(ing your ho5e. !o need to 4orry a3out the piece o. in.or5ation that you .orgot to 3ring ho5e. Its a(aila3le right on your VoIP ser(ice. !eed to send a 5essage to your e5ployee? )on7t 3other 4ith pic&ing up the phone to call the56 ha(ing to do all the .or5alities or e(en 4aiting .or

50

the5 to 3eco5e a(aila3le. Fust send the5 a 5essage that arri(es right in their e5ail 3o:. ou don7t ha(e to 4ait .or a line to 3e a(aila3le. 's long as you ha(e a VoIP ready phone or a co5puter 4ith a 5icrophone6 you can tal& to the5 in seconds. 'ccess your 3usiness phone any4here6 anyti5e as long as you ha(e a connection to the 3road3and ser(ice. In airports6 at ho5e6 or at the hotel around the 4orld that you are staying 4ith. Tal& 4ith your laptop. With the right so.t4are installed on your laptop6 you can send and recei(e all o. your calls using a 5icrophone or headset. Ta&e your laptop 4ith you and gain the 3ene.its. Voice5ail and .a:es can easily 3e sent and recei(ed through VoIP. They 4ill end up in your e5ail in3o:. That 5eans that you ha(e on easy place to get the56 and you can easily .or4ard the5 to others. "se (irtual phone nu53ers to connect 4ith your custo5ers. I. you 4ant your custo5ers to 3elie(e that you are in one location and that they are

51

dialing a local co5pany6 select a phone nu53er 4ith that locations area code.

;etting +o$, $nto /our 2usiness

,o6 4e7(e con(inced you that there are 3ene.its to adding VoIP into your 3usiness6 3ut ho4 do you do that? The 3usiness syste5s that you ha(e in place are all co5ple: and 4hile VoIP really is si5ple .or you to install and start using6 e(en in the 3usiness 4orld6 there are things to consider 3e.ore installing it.

-ne thing you should consider right a4ay is hiring a pro.essional to handle the process o. installation o. the ser(ice. 2(en using a VoIP ser(ice pro(ider7s e:pert installation pro.essionals is a s5art 5o(e to 5a&e .or a nu53er o. reasons. +ut6 this isn7t necessary i. you ha(e a s5all 3usiness and are using a standard VoIP product. ou7ll 3e a3le to install this type o. syste5 4ithout a pro3le5 in 5ost cases. I. you do ha(e 5ore dedicated plans6 though6 you should consider hiring a pro.essional.

52

' larger VoIP syste5 is ;ust as 3ene.icial and can e(en pro(ide 5ore to you than a standard ser(ice. +ut6 hiring a pro.essional is al5ost al4ays necessary ;ust 3ecause o. the details. ou can also ha(e your ser(ice tailored to .it your speci.ic needs 4hen you ha(e a pro.essional install the5. It7s not that costly and it 4ill pay o.. 4ithin the .irst .e4 5onths o. use.

Testing, Testing<
ou should also i5ple5ent your VoIP technology slo4ly at .irst. +y ta&ing the ti5e to test one area o. your 3usiness 4ith VoIP 4ill 4or& out and glitches or concerns that people 5ay ha(e. +y testing VoIP on ;ust a .e4 users 4ill help you to 5a&e sure that you are happy 4ith using VoIP and that you ha(e the syste5 set up to pro(ide you 4ith the tools that you need. +y testing the VoIP ser(ice 4ith ;ust a hand.ul o. e5ployees6 you can insure that the process is going to 3e 3ene.icial to you. The good ne4s is that in 5ost cases6 4or&ing out the 3ugs ta&es 5inutes i. that and you7ll 3e a3le to start 3ene.iting .ro5 it right a4ay.

&all %orwarding 2enefits

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'nother thing to ta&e into consideration is call .or4arding ser(ices. /or e:a5ple6 the largest pro3le5 4ith VoIP is that i. the po4er goes out or you so5eho4 other4ise end up 4ith no internet ser(ice @as i. that7s e(ery happenedDA you7ll need so5e 5ethod o. still 3eing a3le to use your phone syste5. There are t4o solutions you should install to pre(ent this pro3le5. /irst6 consider ha(ing a 3ac& up po4er source a(aila3le. )epending on your desired need6 ha(ing a generator @the siBe that 4ould e8uip your 3usiness 4ith 4hat it needsA 4ill help you to actually &eep your internet up and running e(en 4hen the po4er goes out. Installing a generator or other 3ac& up syste5 doesn7t ha(e to 3e too costly or too ti5e consu5ing either.

,econdly6 you should consider using a call .or4arding set up. That 5eans that .or 4hen the po4er goes up6 you ha(e your VoIP syste5 set up to 5o(e calls to a landline phone @the traditional typeA or they can 3e .or4arded to a cell phone or e(en a ser(ice. +y instilling these things into your syste56 you7ll sa(e yoursel. .ro5 not ha(ing the a3ility to co55unicate 4hen you need to.

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4ecurity 'nd +o$,

-ne thing that you 5ust do 4hen it co5es to using VoIP is securing your net4or&. I. you 4ill 3e using VoIP .or any i5portant considerations6 or your internet connection is i5portant to you and your 3usiness6 then you need security. This should not 3e so5ething that is ne4 to you in that there are countless products and reasons to use security i. you ha(e an internet connection at all. +ut6 4ith VoIP you 4ant to insure that not one can get into your 3usiness through your internet connection. Technically6 4ithout the right .ire4all and protection on your syste56 a hac&er could get in and 4rea& ha(oc on your 3usiness phone ser(ice. +ut6 3e.ore you thro4 VoIP out the 4indo4 3ecause o. this ris&6 realiBe that 4ith the right protection6 you can co5pletely sa.eguard your internet connections. In .act6 you are no 5ore at ris& 4ith the VoIP technology as you are 4ith the internet you are using. 's a 3usiness o4ner6 it is i5portant to consider all o. the tools that are a(aila3le to your 3usiness to 5a&e it run as s5oothly as possi3le. Without ta&ing ad(antage o.

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so5ething that potentially could sa(e you thousands o. dollars in pro.its e(ery 5onth6 you are si5ply 4asting your 5oney. VoIP is good .or 3usiness. It cuts costs. It increases your e5ployee7s producti(ity. It helps your 3usiness to stay connected. It pro(ides you 4ith high 8uality6 a3o(e standard 8uality phone ser(ice. It ;ust 4or&s .or 3usiness needs. When shopping .or a VoIP pro(ider is a 5a;or concern. <ater in the e93oo& you7ll 3e a3le to understand the options that you ha(e as 4ell as 4hat to loo& .or. ,hopping .or a pro(ider is (ery easy to do 4hen you ha(e all o. the 3ene.its o. doing so on the 4e3. -. course6 you7ll 4ant to co5pare se(eral co5panies to .ind out 4hich VoIP pro(ider o..ers you the (ery 3est option .or your 3usiness needs.

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&hapter =: %inding ' +o$, ,rovider

ou ha(e 8uite a 3it o. in.or5ation at hand6 no4. ou

pro3a3ly ha(e realiBed that the 3ene.its o. using VoIP incorporate 5any things .or the ho5e user as 4ell as .or the 3usiness o4ner. !o46 you need to .ind the right VoIP pro(ider. !ot all pro(iders are the sa5e6 as you can tell .ro5 other areas o. this e93oo&. It pays a great deal to loo& at 4hat each pro(ider has to o..er to you and then decide 4hich one is the ulti5ate right choice .or your needs. The good ne4s is that you are li&ely to .ind 5any 3ene.its a(aila3le to you 3y co5paring the pro(iders o..ering ser(ice in your area. In this chapter6 4e 4ill loo& at the things that are essential .or you to i5ple5ent into your pro(ider choice. <uc&ily6 4ith this in.or5ation you can co5pare 4hat is a(aila3le 3y pro(iders easily and 5a&e a decision 3ased on it.

&osts
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The costs o. VoIP ser(ice (aries .ro5 one pro(ider to the ne:t 5ore so than anything else. ou can sa(e up to 1# percent o. your phone 3ills using VoIP6 in 5ost cases. ,hopping around 4ill help you to .ind out 4ho has the lo4est rates and the plan that .its you the 5ost. /or e:a5ple6 you 5ay 4ant to consider an unli5ited ser(ice plan6 4hich allo4s you to 5a&e calls as o.ten as you 4ant6 4hen you 4ant to. This can start at under E2# per 5onth 3ut e:tended up to nearly E6#. Luality6 .eatures and the nu53er o. custo5ers your pro(ider has deter5ines the cost o. the sa5e ser(ice options that you ha(e. >e5e53er to co5pare apples to apples in that you should co5pare your VoIP unli5ited options to your local calling plans6 etc.

%eatures
The second largest consideration that you ha(e in ser(ice pro(ider options is that o. .eatures. 's 4e ha(e 5entioned6 you7ll .ind that the .eatures that a VoIP pro(ider o..ers are e:cellent in co5parison to a traditional phone ser(ice. +ut6 not all pro(iders o..er the sa5e ones or e(en co5e close to deli(ery the sa5e nu53er o. .eatures.

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)epending on 4hat you need and 4ant in .eatures 4ill depend on 4hich pro(ider you select. 'gain6 though6 4hile these .eatures 5ay ha(e cost you a per use or a 5onthly charge6 they are included into the price here.

/our ,hone 0umber

/or 5any6 &eeping the sa5e phone nu53er is a 5ust. Fust li&e changing your cell phone nu53er or &eeping it the sa5e 4hen you change co5panies6 the sa5e happens 4ith VoIP pro(iders that o..er it. ,o5e pro(iders 4ill o..er this 3ene.it o. allo4ing you to &eep your nu53er 4hile others 4ill not. ou shouldn7t 4ant to s4itch your phone nu53er right o.. the 3at 4hen s4itching to VoIP. This is especially true i. you are not .a5iliar 4ith the ser(ice and 4ant to gi(e it a test run .irst. !e(ertheless6 it should 3e a consideration that you ha(e 4hen it co5es to choosing a VoIP ser(ice pro(ider. /ind out 4hich ser(ice pro(iders 4ill actually allo4 you to &eep your old nu53er and 4hich 4ill not.

&alling $nternationally

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'nother i5portant consideration that you ha(e is using your VoIP calling internationally. )epending on your need .or this6 3oth 3usiness and personal use6 you should ta&e into consideration your needs. I. you 5a&e a lot o. calls to international nu53ers6 then you need to actually in(est the ti5e in .inding out 4hat international rates are .or the locations that you call. ,o5e VoIP pro(iders o..er di..erent rates .or international calls than they do .or local calls. In addition6 there 5ay 3e so5e restrictions on 4here you can call. There are so5e carriers6 .e46 though6 that o..er unli5ited calling plans to certain countries6 4hich can 3e an ideal 3ene.it .or those that are loo&ing .or a 4ay to stay connected. ,till6 3y .ar the rates o. international calling using VoIP are .ar lo4er than the costs o. using a traditional phone calling plan.

8** 4ecurity
ou7ll .ind a lot o. in.or5ation a3out ho4 J11 4or&s 4ith VoIP in earlier sections o. this e93oo&. +ut6 4hat you need to &no4 a3out choosing a VoIP ser(ice pro(ider is i5portant. %ost pro(iders do o..er 2nhanced J116 3ut

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not all do. .or.

ou need to 5a&e sure that this is so5ething

that is o..ered or that you ha(e a 3ac& up plan in place

Trail 3uns 'nd Warranties

'nother thing .or you to ta&e the ti5e in considering is that o. guarantees and trial o..ers. %ost o. the VoIP pro(iders are o..ering so5e type o. trail run to insure that you ha(e the necessary ti5e to deter5ine i. VoIP is right .or you. I. you ta&e the ti5e to insure this in.or5ation6 you7ll 3e 4ell on your 4ay to testing out the ser(ice and 4hat it can o..er to you. ou should also loo& .or the 5oney 3ac& guarantee. Chec& to .ind out 4hat the pro(ider o..ers in the 4ay o. a 5oney 3ac& guarantee. ou 4ant a product that is going to pro(ide you 4ith 8uality ser(ice6 3ut since VoIP is (ery ne46 ha(ing this type o. guarantee helps considera3ly. Choosing a VoIP pro(ider isn7t di..icult since 5ost o..er their ser(ices right on the 4e3. +ut6 you should in(est the ti5e in searching .or se(eral pro(iders until you .ind one that .ills all o. your needs accurately.

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&hapter >: The $nstallation )f +o$, Technology

There are so5e (ery si5ple steps that are re8uired 4hen you go to put VoIP into your ho5e. ou ha(e a couple o. di..erent options as .ar as installation as 4ell e8uip5ent that you can use to co5plete your installation.

Different )ptions )n 'ccessing The +o$,

ou can hard4ire your VoIP syste5 to your ho5e through the use o. a VoIP adapter. This is as si5ple as plugging the adapter into your e:isting phone ;ac& and allo4ing the other lines to .eed through it. ou can purchase a 5ulti handset cordless phone syste5 4hich 4ill allo4 all o. the phones to ha(e the access to the VoIP syste5 since they 4ill all 3e connected through one phone ;ac&.

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 The last option is a 4ireless ;ac& 4hich uses the electrical 4ires in your ho5e to trans5it the VoIP signal to all o. the phones in your ho5e. 'ny o. these options 4ill 4or& 4hen trying to get your initial signal to your phone or phones 4hile using the VoIP syste5. When considering any o. these syste5s you need to ta&e into consideration 4hat your needs are as 4ell as ho4 5uch that you are loo&ing to spend on your syste5.

,ros 'nd &ons )f ?ach $nstallation 6ethod

=ard4iring is your 5ost relia3le option as it 4ill pro(ide a central location .or the access o. the syste5 .ro5 all o. your points. It is also the 5ost econo5ical as it does not re8uire the purchase o. any ne4 phones .or your ho5e. This syste5 also has lo4 noise and inter.erence le(els. ' 5ulti handset cordless syste5 is the easiest o. the three 5ethods as it re8uires si5ply plugging your 3ase station into the VoIP recei(er. not inter.ere 4ith your 4ireless recei(er. Wireless recei(ers are the least relia3le o. the three 5ethods as they rely on your electrical lines to act s the phone lines .or your syste5. 2ach telephone ou need to 5a&e sure ho4e(er that the phone signals 4ill

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5ust 3e connected to its o4n 4ireless recei(er as 4ell as the 3ase.

4teps %or &onnecting To /our +o$, 0etwork

1. Purchase a surge suppressor to insure relia3ility. 2. Connect your VoIP adapter to your 3road3and pro(iderM 5a&e sure to (eri.y ho4 this should 3e done 4ith your indi(idual pro(ider. $. !e:t6 you should disconnect your old phone 4iring syste5 .ro5 your e:isting phone lines. 4. /inally connect and distri3ute your VoIP syste5 throughout your ho5e. %a&e sure that you chec& 4ith your indi(idual pro(ider .or the speci.ic installation instructions as each pro(ider has their speci.ic stipulations and re8uire5ents as .ar as ho4 to install and distri3ute your syste5.

'ccess To The +o$, 0etwork

our access to the VoIP !et4or& is 3rought into your ho5e through your 3road3and connection. In 5ost cases this can 3e 3rought into your ho5e through your e:isting phone line or through your ca3le pro(ider. In order to use the VoIP technology you 5ust ha(e 3road3and access to your ho5e. This can 3e pro(ided
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3y either your local or you 5ay e(en 3e a3le to access it through your VoIP pro(ider i. they are 5ulti.aceted.

&hapter @: 1sing +o$, %or ?verything

There are 5any options that you no4 ha(e a(aila3le to you through the VoIP syste5. ,o5e o. these 3ene.its include call recording6 telecon.erencing and e(en porta3ility.

&all 3ecording
With 5any VoIP syste5s there is no4 the a3ility to record calls that you ha(e placed to so5eone. This can 3e used 4ith your 3usiness or i. you 4ould li&e to listen to a call you are ha(ing 4ith so5eone that you 4ant to sa(e. This is not ho4e(er an anony5ous ite5M 5eaning that the person on the other line 4ill 3e 5ade a4are that the call 4ill 3e recorded. This is done 4hen you
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clic& the record 3utton on your syste5 a 5essage 4ill co5e o(er the other parties handset that 4ill tell the5 that recording has 3egun. When you are done recording a 5essage 4ill play telling the other party that the recording has ended. This can 3e (ery 3ene.icial in ter5s o. 3usiness as it 4ill allo4 you to record dealings or negotiations as 4ell as to 3e a3le to go 3ac& and correct any 5isin.or5ation that you 5ay ha(e entered i. you are entering in.or5ation .or shipping or .or legal reasons.

Teleconferencing
This is a (ery use.ul .eature that is a(aila3le through your VoIP syste5. It is (ery easy to access as you only need t4o s5all ite5s to 3e a3le to use this. The t4o ite5s that you 4ill need are a 4e3ca5 and a 5icrophone. This allo4s you to use your co5puter as a (ideo telephone 4hich helps create a 5ore personal at5osphere as creating 3etter interaction 3et4een the parties in(ol(ed in the con(ersation. This si5ple process ta&es ad(antage o. the e8uip5ent you already ha(e and allo4s you to use it to 5a&e phone calls 4ith your VoIP syste5 o(er your 3road3and connection to your co5puter. The VoIP (ideo phone

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.eature can co5e in (ery handy in regards to long distance relationships as 4ell as allo4ing di..erent parties to se each other and 3etter understand through pictures and de5onstrations right through your phone.

,ortability
When you add the VoIP ser(ice to your 3usiness you are creating a ne4 3ene.it .or you and your e5ployees. ,ta3ility6 at least as .ar as phones are concerned has 3een created. With the VoIP syste5 you are a3le to trans.er phone lines .ro5 one o..ice or one station to another 4ithout the need to reroute or 4ire. It is (ery si5ple. ou ;ust ta&e your handset 4ith you. The handset that you are using 4ill ha(e your designated nu53er assigned to it. ou are then a3le to go and ta&e your phone 4ith and plug it into the VoIP ;ac& at your ne4 station or o..ice. This little .eature 4ill not only create continuity in your o..ice6 3ut 4ith your client 3ase as 4ell. This 4ould 5ean the end to 5isrouted calls as 4ell as getting a hold o. the 4rong person 3ecause their o..ice 5o(ed.

In all these .eatures can 3e (ery 3ene.icial to ;ust a3out any 3usiness and in so5e cases e(en your ho5e. I. you

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are 4illing to ta&e ad(antage o. the5 and learn ho4 to use the5 properly to enhance your pro.ita3ility as opposed to ha(ing technology6 3ut not &no4ing ho4 to use it. "se the5 to the .ullest and see 4hat these .eatures can 3ring to you. In(estigate the ser(ice you 4ill use .ully to see 4hich .eatures they o..er 3e.ore settling on one. This 4ill allo4 you to ta&e ad(antage o. 4hat 5ay 3e o..ered instead o. 5issing out co5pletely.

&onclusion
ou ha(e had the opportunity to consider all that VoIP can o..er to you. ou7ll .ind constant additions to the products and ser(ices that VoIP can o..er to you as this product continues to gro4. %any 3elie(e that VoIP 4ill ta&e o(er the calling a3ilities o. the 4orld6 5a&ing it easier and signi.icantly less e:pensi(e to call others. +ut6 until high speed internet connecti(ity is a(aila3le readily around the 4orld6 that7s not going to happen. et.

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The good ne4s is that there are 5any 3ene.its to VoIP at this point. ou7ll 3e a3le to install it 4ithin a .e4 hours and start 3ene.iting .ro5 it right a4ay. I. you 4ant options in your phone use and you realiBe the 3ene.its that VoIP can pro(ide6 there7s nothing to stop you .ro5 really getting 4hat you 4ant.

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