What is VoIP? 

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. This means an internet infrastructure is used to set up a call connection. This does not necessarily have to be the public internet. It can also be a fixed line, but the internet protocol should be 'spoken' here. The best known example of a VoIP application is Skype. Skype can be installed on the PC by two persons, both having a internet connection.  These two persons then can call eachother; Skype takes care of this by using his own protocol and uses the internet to setup the call and communicationchannel.

What is the difference between VoIP and traditional telephony?
Traditional telephony does not use an underlying internet protocol. Instead a route will be reserved temporarily over the telephony network. During the telephone call this route (or circuit) will be used until the call terminates. One or more fixed telephone lines are needed to make this possible. Voice over IP does not make use of fixed routes; instead, speech is divided into small packets that find their way to their destination over the internet. It can happen that two packets take a complete separate route, but the internet protocol makes sure that the packets reach their destination.

VoIP has the advantage that no telephone lines are needed anymore for a telephone call, if an internet connection is available. Costs can be saved here: you do not need a telecom provider anymore to rent telephone lines and to pay for telephone calls.

Sounds interesting, but what do I need for this?

For personal use Skype will probably be a good choice for VoIP. You can call for free with other Skype users over the internet. The only thing you need is your PC and a headset with a microphone or a special USB phone. If you want to call persons with a normal or mobile phone, you can take a subscription on Skype Credit. Skype Credit makes international and mobile calls possible from your account. You need to pay per minute to Skype, depending on the destination of the call.

Do you want to use VoIP in your company? Then you can drastically cut communication costs by making smart choices. We will mention a few possibilities:

- Exchange your depreciated traditional Private Branche eXchange (PBX or PABX) for a Hosted PBX. There is no need to buy a new expensive PBX. Instead you pay a small amount monthly for a remote PBX in a datacenter with high speed internet connections. This PBX has all functionality built in, is always kept up-to-date and can be managed easily through a webbrowser. Did you know that your IP PBX can communicate with your backoffice systems? This opens numerous possibilities for more efficient communication with your customers and suppliers.

- Connect your home workers and branches to your new Hosted PBX.
Give your home workers an IP telephone which they can connect to their DSL line at home. The IP phone will register with your remote Hosted PBX over the internet. From that moment your home worker will be reachable by phone for you and your colleagues for free. The same applies to colleagues in a branche office. If needed you can also setup a separate Hosted PBX for larger branche offices and connect that PBX to your central PBX.

These are some examples with which you can reduce your telephone costs, while staying future proof with the latest developments in telecommunications. You can contact PBXcomplete to discuss your needs.