Internet Calls: Voip technology for cheap calling

For those who may not be aware, the latest technology to revolutionize the world of communication is VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Internet calls based on VoIP are routed over the IP networks and users can avail a host of value-added features without having to spend much. With the ushering in of a free market economy and large scale liberalization, communication has become increasing critical.

Today, people are required to make far too many calls to people within their own country and in countries across the globe. Calling over Internet has proved to be the best solution to avoid exorbitant monthly telephone bills, as Internet calls can save up to 40 to 60 percent when compared with PSTN services.

The voice over or IP or Internet telephony solutions is steadily gained in popularity as all those who were worried about bills and limiting their calls are now frequently making long-distance and international calls for free or by paying very less. The reasons behind this upsurge in Internet telephony is both for its low cost and easy use. As calls over the Internet drastically reduces the communication expenses, many individuals and business enterprises are opting for this system worldwide.

To make Internet calls one needs a high speed Internet connection, a computer, a sound card, speakers, head set with a microphone and special software used for setting up an Internet phone connection. However, if you want, the service provider of VoIP will provide you an adapter which will be connected to the traditional telephone or the broadband modem and it will be turned into a VoIP phone.

To make calls using VOIP technology, the headphones are plugged into the computer and both the caller and called parties need to be present online at the same time. Popularity of making calls over Internet has led many users to switch to VoIP services. If you are interested in trying VoIP, then you should check out some of the free VoIP software available on the Internet. You should be able to download and set it up in about three to five minutes. The reasons for people opting for Internet telephony are many:

The users can make international calls free or paying very little – leading to a significant saving in their monthly telephone bills. It is reported that by switching over to Internet telephony, the users can save around 40 to 60 percent each month on their phone bill. When using VOIP technology, if you are making calls PC to PC, it will be completely free of cost whereas while making calls to landlines or mobiles, it will entail some low cost. Because of this advanced technology, the users can share the data, video, images and text with their recipients. The Internet calling provides unified communication with others as it is backed with packet switching technique. Unlike traditional PSTN services, the Internet telephony offers value added calling features including voice mail, caller ID, call conferencing, call waiting and call forwarding. The service providers offer users cheap calling rates than the normal telephone calls. The facilities include unlimited PC to phone calling, PC to PC and so on. Internet calls also improve productivity as it ensures excellent voice quality without any latency.