Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Dispelling Some Myths About VOIP

A lot has been written about VOIP. This time, let's dispel the myths.

1. VOIP is not widely used in business.

VOIP take-up is growing rapidly. Many small businesses worldwide are adapting the use of this technology. The evidence is the progression of many BPO businesses worldwide.

2. VOIP is only cheap when calling people using VOIP

The majority of people first look at VOIP services because of the cost savings that are available, but this isn’t limited to calling other VOIP users. Many services offer reduced local and national call rates, along with capped prices for domestic, fixed-to-mobile and international calls.


3. VOIP calls can only be made from in front of a computer

Although this was the case when VOIP first emerged, the development of telephone adaptors, VOIP-enabled routers and wireless VOIP handsets, now mean that users have more flexibility than fixed-line phone users and can make internet telephone calls from wherever they are – whether in the office, at home, or traveling.

4. VOIP calls are not very good quality

One of the criticisms that has been leveled at VOIP service is that it is still a relatively new technology and voice quality isn’t quite as high as on conventional fixed-line telephone services. However, paid-for-services from reputable suppliers are very much the same as fixed line and can be better than mobile reception.

5. VOIP is unreliable.

As with any new technology, in the early days VOIP services could be unreliable. However as the technology has matured, reliability has increased and is now at a level that is appropriate for business use.

6. VOIP is complicated

If you are implementing your own customized system then VOIP can be complicated, but that is only something that large organizations like corporate companies would consider. For small and medium-sized companies, there is a range of hosted options that offer easy access to the latest internet calling services without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

7. Using VOIP in a business requires a large investment

There are now a lot of hardware manufacturing companies that offer equipment at competitive prices. Asterisk cards are now being offered at a more competitive price and are as good as the first ones who developed it.

8. VOIP requires a special digital phone

There are special digital VOIP phones on the market, but believe it or not, you may also use your old analog phones to receive VOIP calls. This is possible with an analog card with an FXS module, VOIP-enabled routers and adapter boxes.

9. VOIP just gives you a cheap alternative to standard fixed-line telephones

VOIP services do offer a cost-effective way to get additional lines, but they also offer much more. Three-way calling, call forwarding, voicemail, caller ID and many more come as standard features available.

10. You can’t have a geographic number if you use a VOIP service.

VOIP services are not linked to a local exchange in the same way as traditional telephones. As a result, VOIP numbers do not have to be specific to a town or region, which gives companies the ability to choose the type of number they want to use, whether that is a geographic, VOIP, or a national number.

With this article, have we already erased some of your doubts about using VOIP? For your VOIP equipment needs, Pbxeq is the one-stop shop for all your Asterisk Cards, VOIP Hardware, IP Phones, and more. Pbxeq offers the widest choice of VOIP products at the most competitive prices in the market today.

About Pbxeq

Pbxeq provides Asterisk© compatible hardware, ready to be used with leading open source telephony projects. Visit www.pbxeq.com, we have everything you need in VOIP hardware in one shop.

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