What is VoIP?

Voice Over Internet Protocol, also referred to as VoIP or IP Telephony, is a way to place cheap phone calls using the Internet. Depending on which type of VoIP service you use, the 'phone' portion may no longer be necessary. New services, such as Skype or Google Talk, allow users to place phone calls from their computers.

One of the real selling points of VoIP service is its cheap cost. Long-distance calls can be made inexpensively to most places. However, if you have a computer with a decent Internet connection, a microphone and a set of speakers, you can use VoIP to make free phone calls.

So basically, you have three ways of placing calls using VoIP. They are:

Free VoIP Calls

How can this be true? Well - there are a bunch of free VoIP services available on the web that let you do this. Typically, however, if all your calls are placed to another computer, you don't pay a dime. Fees come into play when you want to make calls from your computer to a regular telephone. You will have to pay the cost of your Internet connection.

Cheap VoIP Calls

As mentioned earlier, VoIP is not free when you want to call from phone to phone. However, chances are VoIP is much cheaper than a regular telephone line. Most people see savings of 50-75% after switching to VoIP service. There are several ways to use a phone with VoIP service. The first way is to use an ATA and a standard telephone. The other is to use a VoIP phone.

So Where is VoIP Headed?

In a few short years, VoIP has gained wide acceptance and use. While VoIP is a somewhat reliable solution, there is still room for it to improve. Don't expect it to replace the standard Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) any time soon. There are still some issues that need to be resolved before that will happen. But don't forget that it has its many advantages as well!