VoIP isn’t the newest thing on the block. It’s been around for almost 20 years by now, but some people still don’t fully understand it.
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It essentially takes your voice and turns it into data for the internet rather than the phone lines.
There are a couple of different types of VoIP services out there, though. Some of them, which you’ve probably seen, are just computer programs. These are sometimes free, but not always, and require no external hardware to get going. You just need a microphone, which most laptops are equipped with by now, and you’re away!
The other kind are services which allow you to plug an external phone into a computer and use it like you would a normal phone. These almost always require some form of additional hardware, such as a phone adapter you plug into your computer’s USB port. These are not free but they’re usually not too expensive.
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Now to get more into the “how does this thing work” area of the article. They work in a similar way to your traditional phone lines do. They take your voice and translate it into a digital signal to be carried along your internet lines, not too unlike your home phone’s inner workings. Most of these services are able to make calls to land lines or cell phones at no extra charge if you pay for them. The free ones tend to charge money for land line or cell phone calling, though.
I told you it wasn’t too different from your home phone system! The only real difference is how the data is converted to be sent off. The big differences in these only come with businesses for the most part.
Clarus Communications is a leading, national provider of telecommunications technology. Clarus specializes in providing over 60 telecom provider options to businesses that need dependable, scalable and innovative technology solutions. Since 2001, Clarus Communications has been successfully helping clients make the best decisions regarding their phone service, phone systems, wireless and data needs. For more information about Clarus Communications, please visit www.clarusco.com or call toll free 855.801.6700.