Voice over IP (internet protocol) is an ever increasing area of online services. Because of the cost savings that VoIP provides as well as the convenience it offers, VoIP is gaining a great deal of popularity around the globe. Voice traffic traveling over internet connections are making point to point communication incredibly convenient.
- Say goodbye to the land line. Why live tied to a land line when your VoIP connection is wherever you go. Traditional land lines are becoming a thing of the past, and with it, all the expensive charges. No need to pay your local phone company for a telephone with a simple VoIP connection, you can cut the cord and say good bye to all those extra monthly charges.
- Free long distance calls. Because Voice over IP transfers data over the internet instead of using real copper connections through physical telephone switches, long distance charges can be very cheap, and sometimes free. Physical connections cost money and are only usable by one connection at a time, and thus come at a premium.
- Broadband is everywhere. With every coffee shop and hotel offering wifi to their customers, it is easier than ever to find a broadband connection to use. Just stopping in at one of many restaurants or other businesses that offer their customers free wifi is all you have to do to find yourself connected to the world.
- VoIP in a handset. Network appliance companies have begun making simple wifi handsets for VoIP connections. Imagine a cell phone that only worked with available wifi. That is a real possibility with VoIP.
- Corporations can slash communications costs. Large corporations spend thousands in long distance every month. Those costs can be slashed with a good VoIP agreement. Channeling all those long distance calls over the internet rather than Ma Bell’s copper will offer great convenience for companies large and small.
- Bring the family closer together. When kids move away, or family disperses across the country, with a simple VoIP connection, your loved ones can stay in touch easily and inexpensively. VoIP providers like Skype even offer completely free video chatting from computer to computer over the internet, so not only will you be able to hear the voices of your loved ones, but see their faces too.
- It can be free. With a little research and some patience, there are even ways of getting a VoIP account absolutely free. They are not as convenient as the pay offerings from companies like Vonage or Skype, but it is possible to set up a free VoIP service on your own. It usually requires some significant networking prowess and your own home server to accomplish, but it can be done.
- Your desk phone can travel with you. With a VoIP connection and a laptop computer, your desk phone is wherever you are. Your family, friends, and business associates will be able to contact you without having to try multiple numbers depending on where you might be.
- No need to ever port a number again. With VoIP, your phone number goes with you everywhere. You can be in a hotel in Atlanta, a resort in the Bahamas, or a cabin in the mountains, and never need to change your area code. Even if you move internationally, you can receive calls from anywhere. This is especially helpful for people who live abroad but have family in another country. With a VoIP phone number in their family’s homeland, they can be contacted as though it were a local call, even if they are separated by an ocean.
- Internet Voicemail. Most VoIP services include offerings for internet voicemail. There is no need to worry about a missed call, or your computer being off. When you reconnect, all your voice messages, and with some services even text messages, are waiting for you online.
Voice over IP connections are a great way to stay connected and save money. Between giving up a land line, cheaper long distance and the convenience of having your desk phone wherever you are in the world, considering a VoIP connection is worth while. It is easy to see why VoIP has become so popular today.
