All About the V Thing
Have you heard about VoIP? Most of us have but there are still many of us have used it but not know about it. If you ever use the internet to have voice conversations then you’ve used VoIP. Last week I bumped into a college friend of mine who clearly is not too aware of this new technology so we had a quick chat about it. I mentioned about using VoIP because my job requires me to travel and move a lot, and yet I managed to keep the same VoIP phone number in years. If I just stuck to a regular phone line, I might have lost touch with most of my friends.
True, calling card rates nowadays are almost as cheap as VoIP but you can’t use your phone card to make calls through the internet if a regular phone isn’t available. And if you are always on the move or traveling in another country then mobile roaming will just burn a hole in your pocket.
So I told my college buddy that VoIP is great, just great. It allows me to make inexpensive phone calls from my normal phone (using an ATA device) and anyone from around the world can call me for the price of peanuts, or sometimes even for free. Still, a fixed line is more reliable as you can still have your phone service in case of power failure or internet downtime. VoIP is a great back-up for landline, and a very affordable one too.
VoIP providers are like mushrooms, popping out here and there and vying for the cheapest rates, more features and what not. This is not good for the providers because most of these small VoIP providers will succumb to pressure and just belly up like the bygone Sunrocket. Even big players like Vonage are starting to find themselves in the wrong side of the fence after an early boom. But I am not complaining. This is good new for us consumers. More choices mean cheaper and hopefully better VoIP services.
And then you have a hybrid service like OneSuite, which combines calling card, VoIP, international roaming, internet fax all in one account. There you have it. Savings wherever I go, however I make the calls, VoIP or not. And that’s my happy ending.
Hey Michael, nice to hear from you again.
So is voip like an alternative to Skype then? Or is it the same thing? I use Skype to save money on landline calls, and it’s proved to be a lifesaver! I’d be interested to know if this service is any different..?
Hi,
It took us about 5 years to change the legislation to allow private comapanies to use and provide VOIP. It’s booming now.
@Anna Jane
Hi Anna,
VoIP is the technology behind transmitting voice over the internet. So
basically, any calls that go through the internet can be called VoIP. And Skype and OneSuite are both using the technology.
OneSuite’s VoIP service is a great alternative to Skype because it is SIP-based, which means you can use softphones (with a computer) or any unlocked ATA device (without a computer) to make long-distance calls. Also, it’s a pay-as-you-go service, so no fixed plans or minutes. You can see the comparison here: http://www.onesuite.com/comparisons_voip.asp
Also, check the blog entries below about ATAs and softphones
http://blog.onesuite.com/?p=530
http://blog.onesuite.com/?p=389
Please keep visiting our blog!
Regards,
Michael
I’ve used my iPod Touch with the Skype app as a phone and it’s great as long as I can pick up an Internet connection. I’ve found it a lot cheaper than mobile and Skype to Skype is free, so that is an added bonus if you have family and friends using it as well.
Nice to see you here, Sire.
I also have a friend who uses his iPod Touch as a VoIP phone. He got one of those apps so he can speak to his iPod Touch. BTW, iPod Touch VoIP isn’t limited to Skype. It can also be use for any SIP-based VoIP, including OneSuite, as long as you have the SIP application in your iPod Touch.
Regards,
Michael
No doubt VoIP phone is the future of long distance calls. People are very fond of using Skype nowadays, although I don’t use it much only to contact close relatives overseas. Sure is great to know there are a lot more choices other than Skype alone. By the time I need to use them, I know who shall I consult with. ^^ Thanks Michael.
@wchingya
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@Ching Ya
Hi Ching Ya,
I think the future has arrived as most people I know these days atleast use VoIP twice or more for calling long distance. The only drawback for using VoIP is their reliability over power interuptions and internet downtime plus of course the 911 feature.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if yuou got any questions regarding VoIP or long distance call topics.
Regards
Michael
Good read, concise but packed with infos. I’m using VoIP more and more these days because you can’t ignore the fact that’s its cheaper than regular landline calls.
I never heard of that before either. Great information..I am going to look into this.
Just like cynthia, I have never heard about that before. It’s an interesting information anyway, I’m going to take a close look at this. Thank you for sharing Michael!
@Cynthia and Benjamin: Thanks for dropping by. Don’t hesitate to ask if you got any questions regarding VoIP or anything related to it.