Sep 21, 2011 | All About VoIP
Online and offline, you’ll find dozens of VOIP plans—a huge advantage of you. After all, you shouldn’t be making any mistake in choosing the most ideal. Yet many people still do, and a huge percentage is stuck with plans with unnecessary features or sky-high charges.
To make sure you don’t end up being part of the sad statistic, take note of these tips:
1. Assess existing communication technologies.
You don’t have to say good-bye to your present communication devices to give way for VOIP. The setup is actually very flexible. Moreover, simply integrating VOIP to your telephone lines, fax machines, tablet PCs, or laptops allow you to make the most of both the infrastructure and your devices.
2. Have at least 3 to 5 initial options.
Perhaps you can blame it on excitement or the compelling marketing ad of a VOIP provider. In the end, you bite the first offer you see online. That should save you a lot of time, but it doesn’t really mean you have the best deal. Worse, it could be the most expensive, most nonsense VOIP plan there is.
When you’re picking a good VOIP plan, consider around 3 to 5 of them. Check out and evaluate every feature. You also have to factor in the cost of the VOIP, as well as the track record of your provider.
3. Don’t immediately look at the price.
VOIP is usually affordable, but dirt-cheap plans are another story. Always remember: you get what you pay for. Cheap plans may mean poor customer support, bad audio and video quality, or inconsistent features and other services.
4. Know your needs.
VOIP plans normally include an almost-never-ending list of features that are sure to whet your appetite: auto attendant, video conferencing, multiple greeting, automated distribution list, dashboard PBX, and CRM integration, to name a few. But do you really need all of them? If you don’t, then you’re still wasting your cash, even if the plan is already cheap.
5. Find a provider with good reputation.
The features may be impeccable, the price affordable, but if you deal with a crappy provider, everything is in vain. It’s not enough it offers customer support. Read reviews and get feedback from existing VOIP users before you make a decision.
Sep 20, 2011 | All About VoIP
Though VOIP is extremely useful, you cannot really operate it unless you have the right hardware devices. Fortunately, if you have your own VOIP provider, knowing what hardware to use is no longer a problem. But just in case you are planning to run your own VOIP, or you want to avoid hiring an expert for maintenance, here are the different hardware systems:
Telephone Sets
There is a variety of telephone sets you can pick, depending on the infrastructure or type of VOIP you prefer. These include desk phones, conference phones, video phones, and WiFI phones. Regardless, it is essential that you have your own telephone set. This will serve as the bridge that closes in the gap between the VOIP service provider and you. Of course, you are going to need the telephone set so you can receive and make a call.
Headsets
A pair may be necessary if you prefer calling via the Internet. This also comes in handy when you need a video chat. Headsets these days come in a wide range of sizes and forms. Some of them are ideal for PCs or laptops, while others are made for mobile devices such as tablet PCs. One of the things you have to keep in mind when choosing headsets is the audio quality. A mediocre choice always makes a poor VOIP audio worse. You can also pick a headset that cancels out noise.
Analog Telephone Adapters
If you plan on using your traditional telephone line as a VOIP device, then you are going to need an ATA. It helps convert the analog signal of your telephone to digital, a signal produced by VOIP. You can buy the adapter yourself, or you can choose a package that already includes it. If you do not know how to set it up, you can always ask help from an expert.
Router
The VOIP router is not much different from the typical router available in stores. It simply allows you to take advantage of VOIP features using your Internet connection. With it, you can make a call or participate in a web conference. The kind of router you are going to use depends on the Internet connection setup in your home or office. For example, if you have cable Internet, you also need a cable router.
Sep 20, 2011 | All About VoIP
Through the years, the cost of communication has gone down, thanks to intense competition. But that doesn’t mean there’s no more room for more savings. Take, for example, VOIP.
Voice over Internet Protocol has become such a huge hit among private and business users, primarily for one good reason: cost savings.
Usually, VOIP is bundled with other well-known services such as broadband and cable. Today you’ll find smart phones also offering mobile VOIP, which allows you to stay connected with your loved ones no matter where you are in the world. Simply, put you can hit two birds—or even more—with one stone.
In order to beat competition, VOIP providers are also willing to offer incredible features in their packages, with no extra cost. These include the following:
A)Voice mail
B) Call forwarding
C) Three-way calling (or virtual conferencing)
D) Auto attendant
E) Multiple greetings
F) 1800 or toll-free numbers
G) Call routing
If you’re using mobile VOIP, you may download the VOIP-based apps without any fees. You can also use the infrastructure to save a lot of money from long-distance phone calls.
There may be some that are available at a premium, but you can definitely guarantee that they are going to be worth it. What’s more, you may receive upgrades for free.
VOIP is a setup that’s so easy to implement and maintain. Thus, even if you don’t have a lot of knowledge about communications technology, you’ll be able to run VOIP with great confidence and convenience. There’s no need to hire an expert to help you troubleshoot basic issues. If it’s web-based, you’ll have your own dashboard, where you can keep track of VOIP status in real time.
The system is very flexible, and you can customize it according to your needs. Besides the savings, you’ll also enjoy excellent value for your money. Flexibility also permits you to use VOIP in your existing devices such as telephone sets and fax machines.
Since there are already plenty of VOIP providers to choose from, you can now find one that offers the most affordable and ideal plan for your needs or preferences. (Remember, however, that to maximize comparison, choose at least 5 VOIP providers or plans.)
Most definitely there are downsides in using VOIP, but it’s obvious that the advantages outweigh the cons. The above-mentioned points are already proof of that.
Sep 20, 2011 | All About VoIP
A lot of people know the benefits of VOIP and may be considering getting one for themselves. However, they haven’t taken the necessary steps yet because they are not sure what to choose: should it be consumer VOIP or business VOIP.
Is There Really a Difference?
The truth is there is not—in terms of concepts and a little bit of infrastructure, anyway. The main objective of VOIP stays the same. Both consumers and business owners would like to save on communication costs, especially in long-distance fees. Moreover, VOIP can be had in different ways, such as cable, Internet, and mobile.
Nevertheless, based on statistics, there are more business VOIP subscribers than consumer VOIP for 2 reasons:
1) Consumers already have other options for communication.
The main logic is this: why would they spend more money when they can simply use free tools such as Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, and even Facebook to communicate to their loved ones? There are also plenty of cheap mobile plans to choose from.
2)Their needs are entirely different from those of business owners.
Typical VOIP users will find no use of 1800 or toll-free numbers. They also don’t require auto attendants, as well as web or telephone conferencing options, though call forwarding or voice mail features can be helpful to them.
Meanwhile, it’s possible for business owners to rely on consumer VOIP, especially if they’re starting out and they don’t want to shell out more money for capital. Nevertheless, the following pointers may eventually convince you to acquire business VOIP ASAP:
1)There are several business-oriented features you can take advantage of.
We already mentioned some of them. The bottom line is they allow you to run your business more efficiently. Also, with business VOIP, global expansion is achievable.
2)You can guarantee better-quality audio and video.
VOIP providers should provide an SLA or service-level agreement, which specifically defines the kind of service they offer. However, they give more emphasis on business VOIP because it demands more on infrastructure. Business owners should rarely experience downtime, and quality of both audio and video should be spectacular. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing valuable leads or existing customers.
Don’t hesitate to call your VOIP provider if you need more information about consumer or business VOIP. This way, you can choose the most ideal option for you.
Sep 19, 2011 | All About VoIP
You have probably heard the long list of benefits of VOIP: it is cheap, easy to set up, and flexible. It may even be the most perfect communication technology in history if not for one thing—you are not sure if it runs in iPad.
Why should this bother you? IPad is probably the best tablet PC there is on the planet. Created by Apple, it literally allows you to bring all your well-loved apps anywhere you go, anytime. Just imagine yourself carrying along your own desktop PC, only that it is shrunk several times over.
Simply put, the iPad is your choice if you want to be more productive and mobile. Thus, it would become more functional and powerful if you can set up VOIP in it.
Thanks to the ingenuity, determination, and collaboration of several developers, you can now install a wide variety of VOIP apps into your mobile device. The only thing that you need, besides the iPad, is an Internet connection, which you can obtain through WIFI or 3G.
Some of the best VOIP apps you can use are the following:
Skype
Skype is the most popular app-based VOIP, with millions of subscribers all over the world. The good news is you can already download it for free straight to your iPad. You also do not have to create another account or export your contacts. Like its desktop version, however, you may have to spend a few pennies for Skype credits.
iCall
Another VOIP app for your iPad, iCall allows you to call all your friends, business partners, and family members for free, as long as they are in the United States and Canada. It also sends you notifications whenever there is an inbound call, giving you full control on who you want to talk to.
Fring
Fring is one of the coolest VOIP apps out there. Unlike the above-mentioned options, this one promotes video chat through WIFI. It is also free to download and is not discriminating to Android-based mobile device users.
If you want more choices for VOIP for iPad you can visit Apple iTunes store, where you can download them. Note that not all of them are free. Do not forget to test the product too, as some may not possess decent audio and/or video quality.
