A telephone service alternative that has been growing in popularity over recent years is Voice Over Internet Protocol service, more commonly known as VOIP. A number of popular brands of VOIP service are already on the market, providing telephone service to individuals and businesses alike for flat monthly fees regardless of local, long distance, or even international usage. Most major VOIP providers even allow you to utilize standard telephones, and you are able to call any phone that you would be able to reach via a telephone that was connected to a landline public telephone system.

Defining VOIP

There are actually three different types of VOIP service which are commonly used, though the type that is most commonly used for business purposes is VOIP that is accomplished through the use of an analog telephone adapter (also known as an ATA.) The use of an ATA allows you to use a standard telephone for your VOIP service (instead of the specially-designed "IP Phones" that are used with one of the other forms of VOIP and must be plugged into a computer router, or the microphone and speakers which are required for computer-to-computer VOIP service), and you simply plug the phone into the adapter instead of a wall telephone jack. The ATA converts the analog signal into a series of digital packets which are sent over a broadband internet connection, where they are then distributed to the appropriate telephone exchange in order to complete your call.

Advantages of VOIP Over Standard Phone Service

The advantages of Voice Over Internet Protocol service are many, and it is because of this that a number of businesses are choosing VOIP over standard public telephone access. Most VOIP providers include common premium telephone services such as caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling, and voicemail free of charge with a monthly subscription, and charge only a flat rate for all calls placed within the month instead of separate local and long distance charges. In most cases voicemail can be checked via the internet as easily as e-mail, and messages can even be saved and sent as e-mail attachments. Because the ATA that most VOIP providers use simply plugs into a broadband internet connection, business travelers can even take an ATA and telephone with them to hotels or other locations and still have access to their business phone and VOIP service simply by plugging in to an available connection. Software known as a "softphone" can also be installed on any laptop with a microphone, speakers or headphones, and a wireless internet card so that VOIP calls can be placed without the need to travel with an ATA and physical telephone.

Choosing the Right VOIP System for Your Business

There are a number of Voice Over Internet Protocol service providers who could compete for your business, so it's important that you choose the right service provider for the needs of your business. Stop to consider the size of your business and the services that you will require, and begin shopping around to see which provider offers you the best deal on the features that you want. Make sure that you are watchful for gimmicks or services which require additional provider-specific hardware to be purchased in order to expand your service; ideally you should be able to include existing business phones in the network with little or no difficulty. The VOIP system that you choose should feature all of the telephone services that you desire, an easy method of upgrading your VOIP network with little or no additional equipment, and a reasonable rate for all of your local and long-distance calling. Check to see what features different providers offer for travelers if you plan on sending phones and analog adapters with individuals on business trips, or if they have wireless handsets available that work like cellular phones anywhere there is a WiFi signal. By asking questions and comparing service providers, you should be able to locate the VOIP system that best meets your business needs for a reasonable price and very little trouble.

You can find out all about VoIP Phone Systems and the advantages of using VoIP in your business at http://www.conference-bridge.net