As technology has moved forward so have phone services. Children from the 80s might be the last generation that will remember having a landline in their home. Nowadays, almost everyone has a smartphone, able to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time.
But what if that was taken even further? What if you didn’t need a phone plan to get in touch with the people you wanted?
That’s the wave of the future, and that’s exactly what you get with VoIP.
This article will discuss how the world of communication is changing, some of the things you can expect to see, and the benefits of voice over IP.
Introduction to Voice Over IP
What does VoIP stand for? VoIP stands for “voice over internet protocol.”
It is an internet service that allows you to make phone calls the same way you would with a landline or with a cellphone.
The difference between VoIP and a landline is that a landline is wired directly to a specific location, while VoIP can be used anywhere that WIFI is accessible. This is a total game changer for communication — especially in the workplace.
How Does it Work?
Instead of sending signals through a wire in the ground, VoIP takes your digital signal and compresses it into a file that is sent over the internet. Because of the advancement in technology, this process is instantaneous.
This is done using internet protocol. Internet protocol is a set of rules to regulate the data sent over the internet. Hosted voice services work within these rules to allow people to communicate freely, without being tethered to wires. Internet protocol, also known as IP, is a system where every device has an address so that other computers and users know where communication is coming from.
When you make a phone call, your VoIP provider sets up and allows you to make the call. The phone call itself is broken down into tiny bits of data and sent instantaneously through the web. Those of you who have made long-distance phone calls in the past may remember a lag in communication, but that is no longer a concern with VoIP.
It’s a truly remarkable process, as it all happens in a split second. Instead of signals having to travel between wires, everything is done digitally.
When you speak, that snippet of data is compressed into its own micro file and sent to the person you are talking to. The conversion is so fast as if no time has passed at all. This is one of the great benefits of voice over IP.
Nothing New
This didn’t just happen overnight. Like so many technologies we have these days, you can trace the beginning of VoIP back a couple of decades ago.
But, as with other technologies of today, accessibility wasn’t feasible until recently. While you could have access to VoIP twenty years ago, you would have had to pay a fortune to have the privilege. With the ubiquity of the internet, things have changed, and the way we communicate has as well.
Benefits of Voice Over IP
Aside from the instantaneous nature of voice over IP, there are other reasons to be excited.
Long-distance phone calls are a thing of the past. Much like your kids will never have an idea of what a compact disc is, they’ll probably never know what it is like to get a phone bill and see how much it cost you to talk to your aunt in Mexico for five minutes.
One of the other exciting features is what it is capable of when you can’t answer the phone. Voice over IP gives you access to features like auto attendants, call recording, and call queues. For businesses, this is a huge plus. VoIP through a third party for businesses is called hosted VoIP and there are many services that provide this. It can help you manage when times get busy, and you don’t have enough hands or ears to manage the phones.
And, lastly, it just sounds better. This is especially important for people who may have trouble hearing. No longer are there any pesky lags or weird fuzzy phone calls.
VoIP is truly the phone call of the future, and when coupled with computer technical support services, it becomes an even more powerful and efficient communication solution.
If you are interested in having VoIP set up for you, please contact Sissine’s today!