How to Choose a VoIP Phone?
Even though software phones are usually cheap compared to hardware phones they offer the best options for Computer Telephony Integration (CTI). Hardware phones are easier to use and they don’t necessarily require a Computer. In this article, I am discussing the various hints to be considered when choosing a VoIP phone.
The following are Factors to Consider when Choosing a VoIP Phone:
Get to know the VoIP control protocols that are supported by the phone, this may include:
” H.32:3 – This is a standard multimedia with a conference protocol that comprises of voice, video and data conferencing. It
” SIP – Session Initial Protocol is an IETF standard multimedia conferencing protocol which comprises of voice, video and data conferencing that is used over packet-switched networks.
” MGCP – Media Gateway Control Protocol is a protocol used within VoIP system, it is an internal protocol which was primarily developed to address the demands carrier-based IP telephone networks.
” IAX2 – Due to the IAX having much bandwidth efficiency than the competing VoIP call protocols it is enabled to support more concurrent VoIP calls over the same amount of bandwidth.
It is also advisable to know the type of VoIP codes that are supported by the phone. Here are some examples of the VoIP Codes; they are the G.711, G.722, G.723, G.726, G.727, G.728, G.729, ILBC, Speed, GSM-Full Rate, GSM-Enhanced Full Rate, GSM-Half Rate and DoS FS-1015.
Other factors to be considered may also include:
” It is good to check whether the phone supports 3-way calling.
” You are also advised to check whether the phone supports DND (Do Not Disturb).
” It is good to know whether the phone can support the custom ringtones.
” You are advised to check whether the phone can provide a method to work behind routers and NAT (Network Address Transaction).
” Check whether the phone supports STUN.
” You should also check whether the phone can support Symmetric Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP).
” The phone should also be able to support a SIP outbound proxy.
” The phone should be compliant with the Quality of Standards (QoS).
” Check whether the phone also supports encryption.
If it is a Hardware VoIP Phone:
” Check the connection that the VoIP phones support that is whether it can support the Ethernet connection (Power over Ethernet).
” Check whether it supports IPv6.
” Check whether it supports videoconferencing.
” Check the phone handset whether it is coded or is codeless.
” Check whether it is a handset phone or a headset type of phone.
” Confirm whether it has a speaker phone.
” Check the display whether it is an LCD display and whether the display is backlit.
” Check the ergonomics to be good or perfect.
” Confirm whether you like and you are comfortable with the style.
If it is a Software VoIP Phone:
” Check and confirm whether the phone software is compatible with your Operating System.
” Confirm and check whether the phone software is easy to use by either you or the destined operator.
” Check whether it supports various skins that are customized.
” Confirm whether the software support videoconferencing.
” Check to confirm whether the software support shared white boarding.
An overview of Google Labs – Part 2
Labs.google.com is a great place to visit! There is always something new brewing on related to information and helping everyone to search and get the best out of their Internet experience.
Google labs is a brilliant idea because it let’s you use the new idea and you can give your feedback and any suggestions to people who are figuring out how to make the search function work to the full potential.
Many great Google function’s are already so called graduates from the lab. Google Notebook is very popular. You can share and create documents and spreadsheets on the web from the graduate. Google video helps you search the exact clip you are looking for. You can personalize your google search to automatically find the results most relevant for you. The list goes on and on!
I was very impressed by the Google Maps, I first came across it when we were looking for Santa Clause’s journey around the globe last Christmas! My children were so into seeing were he landed and were he was heading to. Awesome geographical lesson for them in the most fun way! Google crew really did a super job with a Santa and his reindeer flying around from country to country and you could see it all in true maps! Very cool!
But back to the labs. On top you’ll find a link to Experimental Search. On top of this there is timeline and map views. What a great tool if you are writing an essay or school project about any subject. So easy way to gather information. Loved it! I’m sure my kids will be using the function in near future.
Google wants you to give your feedback and there is a forum were you can discuss about any new functions.
Another great function they are working on is Google Voice Local Search. There is a toll free number you can call and just by saying “Giovanni’s Pizzeria” or just “pizza” you’ll get connected to a local business for free! The page states that this is still in experimental stage and may not work at all times or for everyone. But still, what a cool idea!
There is plenty more, like search for visually impaired and trip planner and music trends. So go take a peek and make most of your online experience!
Voip – Future Developments for Users
VoIP is a telephony term for a set of facilities for managing the delivery of voice information using Internet Protocol (IP) and is the future of communication.
Here we will look at changes that are coming that will increase what is already substantial growth in the industry.
With Voice over IP — businesses have the ability to manage calls at the IP layer which enables operational and productivity benefits that have never been available before at such affordable price.
Worldwide revenues from Internet voice technologies are expected to grow from about $13 billion in 2002 to nearly $200 billion by 2007.
The Future Of VoIP Projected Growth
When it comes to VoIP technology already available long-distance phone calls, conferencing, e-mail, and other communications are now affordable and flexible.
VoIP technology however is developing and some of the developments that will ensure the future of VoIP are outlined below
The Future Of VoIP SIP
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) retrieves server responses and handles client requests.
This technology is able to determine the end system that will be used for a communication session, automatically sets the relevant parameters of the communication at receiver and user ends and then manages call transfer and call termination.
In addition, SIP allows users to initiate and receive communication from any location and networks are also able to identify users, wherever they are.
This technology is an alternative to H.323, which is the protocol, used for IP videoconference transmissions for VoIP up to now.
SIP has taken VoIP technology forward in terms of operational efficiency and many VoIP vendors are now including SIP as standard, bringing SIP to a growing audience.
VoIP The Future – VoIP Gateways
Another influential element in the future of Internet-telephony is improvements VoIP gateways.
Gateways are developing from PC-based platforms to more robust embedded systems, which will be able to handle an increased amount of call traffic.
The economies of scale of placing all traffic- data, voice, and video-over an IP-based network is highly attractive to corporate users.
The reason for this is:
IP will act as a unifying agent, regardless of the actual underlying architecture (i.e., leased lines, frame relay, or ATM) of a companies network.
VoIP The Future – Corporate Intranets & Commercial Extranets
Currently, the most promising areas of development for VoIP are corporate intranets and commercial extranets.
Their IP-based infrastructures enable operators to control who can use a network.
Commercial extranets, based on conservatively engineered IP networks, will deliver VoIP and facsimile over Internet protocol (FAXoIP) services to the general public, by guaranteeing specific parameters, such as packet delay, packet jitter, and service interop.
Companies are already looking to remove fax traffic off the PSTN and relocate it on to the Internet and corporate Intranet, through FAXoIP gateways and via IP-capable fax machines.
Video conferencing
Another area of growth will be video conferencing.
Video conferencing (H.323) with data collaboration (T.120) will become a popular method for corporate communications in the future, as network performance and interoperability increase.
VoIP The Future Expanding Services & Lower Cost
More user-friendly devices and increased promotions are starting to be seen by wider audience and this education, combined with ease of use of VoIP technology is needed for any new technology to gain trust and grow.
For instance, new VoIP telephones are being offered at cheaper prices in a variety of colours, with touch screens that are getting easier to use.
Prices in all VoIP services will continue to drop, as the market grows and competitivness increases.
The future of VoIP as a major communication method over the coming years is therefore assured. VoIP Telecommunications are here to stay.
An Honest Review Of Lingo, “The Talk Of Broadband”
Lingo is establishing itself as a VoIP service in the same space as its competitors AT&T, Verizone, and Vonage. Despite tough competition, Lingo has emerged as a real contender because of the dynamism of the features they offer and, equally important, at a price that is easy on the pocket. Lingo is the most competitively priced, and this is the deciding feature for many subscribers.
Lingo works on the same principles as any VoIP service. It comes with a software and hardware package that converts sound signals to data and transmits this data through shared lines, thus getting around the charges applicable to the regular telephone network. In simple terms, it enables you to receive or make calls through the Internet. The Lingo functionality sends your calls through the Internet to your modem, and then directs the call to a regular telephone through your Lingo phone adaptor. Your Internet connection remains uninterrupted, so Lingo works seamlessly with your regular Internet tasks such as email and data access.
Lingo is widely available, with unlimited calling plans for residents in Europe and Asia. It offers an unlimited monthly business plan at $49.95, in which you can call anyone in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe, an unlimited international business plan at $99.95, an unlimited Asia plan at $34.95, and an unlimited international plan at $79.95. Lingo carries all the features that you normally associate with a traditional phone line, and has the following Lingo-specific benefits:
• An emergency call service
• Portability of your local phone number
• Flexibility of selecting phone numbers from across the US or the world
• Free Lingo-to-Lingo calls
• Online account management, and one convenient monthly bill
• A connection booster
• Money-back guarantee
The Lingo Website lists the countries for which telephone numbers are available. Unfortunately, this list is limited now, and one hopes that Lingo will build this further.
With its impressive list of features, Lingo sounds like a good option. However, if your need is to ensure consistent voice quality rather than save money, you need to look beyond Lingo because most often Lingo will give you only average sound quality. The Web interface is not particularly friendly, and the menu design leaves room for improvement.
These disconcerting factors notwithstanding, Lingo is still the lowest priced VoIP with its set of advanced features. If you are making a large volume of international calls, particularly to Europe and Asia, it is time to switch to Lingo because you will lower your telephone bill to a miniscule amount. For example, the call rate from the US to Mumbai (India) is $0.13 and to the UK (personal) $0.28.
To top it all, you have the flexibility of the Lingo money-back guarantee to fall back on. Moreover, like Vonage, there is an incentive for recommending friends and family to Lingo: you will both get a $25 credit to your account.
Callcentric and Skype – a Comparative Study
In the world of internet phone service, Callcentric and Skype could be very well considered the toughest competitors. Both have a relatively big customer base and an equally big reputation in the industry. Both offer lots of value added services to their customers and are considered very cheap when compared to traditional international phone calls. Despite these similarities, there are a few things that can be compared between Callcentric and Skype to highlight certain features that separate one from the other.
Callcentric offers four plans that could be considered the cheapest in the market. They are Callcentric IP Freedom Plan, Callcentric Pay per Call, Callcentric North America Unlimited, and Callcentric World Select. All of them offer unlimited PC to PC calls to other Callcentric members for free, wherever in the world they are. IP Freedom Plan is considered the cheapest of them all, as it provides free calls to other members, wherever they are. At no monthly charge, no surcharge, no hidden fees, no per-call rate, and no other commitment, this is considered the best bargain. All you need is an adapter or software and you are good to go with Callcentric IP Freedom plan.
Skype also has a similar structure, as calls made to any Skype customer are free all over the world. In fact, Skype became extremely popular due to this feature, as free PC to PC calls were something really rare at the time when Skype brought in this feature. So, basically this plan works the same way for Skype and Callcentric. Free PC to phone international call and phone calls from PC are something everyone looks forward to while using Skype and Callcentric, and this is the area where Callcentric scores over Skype.
Callcentric has plans such as Pay per Call, North America Unlimited, and World Select which offer tremendous value for the money you pay. At a miserly monthly rate around $19.95 per month, you will be able to make unlimited phone calls to the USA and Canada. With this plan, they will be able to make hundreds of calls in a month and still pay an incredibly low $19.95.
In World Select plan, Callcentric goes a step ahead of its competitors and offer unlimited calls to people all over the world for a monthly rate of $29.95. Thanks to the wide network of Callcentric with over 35 countries across the globe, you can call any of your near and dear ones any number of times for just around $30 a month.
Skype has an offer called Skype Credit which asks you to pay some amount and you also need to pay a connection fee. Once you log in, the credit you have will appear next to your name. Then you can start calling any part of the world. But the catch here is the rate per call. The rates range around 1.7 Euro cents per minute, which is considered costlier than Callcentric, as you can make unlimited calls to any part of the world in case of Callcentric for just under $30 per month. This is where Callcentric scores over Skype and is considered the better option when it comes to PC to phone calling.
Voip Predictive Dialers A Technical Legacy
Placing outbound calls is an inseparable part of call center operations. For years now call centers have been leveraging predictive dialers for easy automation of their enormous outbound calls. But the trends of technology and science are ever-changing. So are the needs of proliferating call center industry. The recent such technological leverage that has hit the market is VoIP predictive dialers. As the name inflicts VoIP predictive dialers work on the same platform as predictive dialers but with VoIP technology operating at the back. VOIP has created quite a buzz of late. VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. More and more people and businesses are switching to VOIP from the standard PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks). VOIP transmits the data via the internet versus a PSTN which uses an electrical circuit established between two callers. There are a few reasons why people are switching to VOIP. The first is quite simple: Price. The price for most VOIP services is significantly lower than a landline system or PSTN. There are free pc to pc services and even the services that tie into the regular phone system are much cheaper than the same service plan for regular telephone service. It is not unusual to find unlimited calling anywhere on a pc to pc basis and most of the major services have a variety of plans. These can include local overseas numbers. The second big reason for changing is the ability to bundle services such as caller id, call forwarding, voice mail, call block, etc as part of the same package without the additional costs you would expect to pay with a landline system. Increased mobility is another big advantage of VOIP. You can have your local phone with you where ever you are as long as you have broadband internet access. Plug in your converter to an internet connection; add your phone and you can have your regular phone service on the other side of the country. Not as portable as your cell phone but if you travel a great feature. You can have the ability to have a number within the local area of your friends and family or customers so that they may call you locally. Imagine, you can have a local presence in numerous areas all from the same phone for only a few dollars a month for each one. VOIP will also allow you to integrate voice and data and has been used for conferencing and desk top sharing. If both parties have VOIP it is possible to share video, audio and even share a desktop view of their pc. Finally, VOIP can allow you to easily set up three way conferencing or other conferencing set ups at a much lower price than a land line system. In conclusion if you are looking for savings and more options VOIP can be the cornerstone of your communications program.
VoIP predictive dialers are based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) that runs smoothly with all communication infrastructures and VoIP environs. Besides, reducing expenses on dedicated communication infrastructure it put call automation and routing at ease.
The exclusivity of VoIP predictive dialers lies in its keen prudence to distinguish amid an answering machine or live call, network crunches or out of order numbers. A blend of all these leverages deliver a perfect solution for multi campaign handling, efficient call routing, minimized operating expenses plus a highly customizable software to match up diverse business needs.
What more, with VoIP predictive dialers one can cut maintenance and infrastructural costs to almost half.
With VoIP support it enables agents to work and coordinate from remote location as well. This means, now the agents have the liberty to work from home and yet deliver maximum output.
VoIP predictive dialers has opened new gateways to success and profits. Leveraging the enormous benefits of VoIP predictive dialers is a sure shot way to victory.
Planning your own call center? For more solutions and ideas on VoIP predictive dialer log on tohttp://www.yoursautodialer.com” target=new>
VoIP – Is It For You?
Related articles by Zemanta
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://artrl.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/54e6a3db43b098ecbf5db09e027cb1c1.png)
