| By :
Mark Etinger
Many people have heard the term "VoIP," though they're not entirely sure what it is. As it becomes more and more popular, however, that will most likely change drastically. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a way to take analog audio signals and transform them into digital data that can be sent via the Internet. This means that VoIP can be used to place calls online that would normally be made with a regular copper-wire phone -- by which you can completely bypass the involvement of the phone company. Suffice it to say, VoIP has the capacity to completely revolutionize the way businesses communicate with each other. More and more businesses are starting to recognize this and are subsequently adopting VoIP business phone systems in favor of copper-wire systems. The roots of VoIP has been in the works since the mid-1970s, but it didn't start becoming prolific until about 2004. Since then it's expanded greatly, and offers several different methods of use: -IP phones, which look like regular phone with handsets, cradles and buttons, use Ethernet cables rather than a phone connector, and connect right into the Internet router. This is a commonly-used VoiP procedure in business phone systems. -ATA, or Analog Telephone Adaptor, is another very common VoIP method. An "analog-to-digial" converter, it connects regular phones to computers and/or Internet networks, and converts phone signals into digital data that can be sent online. Some ATAs come with configuration-based installation software, but most are simply "plug-and-play." -Computer-to-Computer (also known as a "softphone") is the easiest and most convenient to use. All you need is the software, speakers and a microphone, a sound card and Internet connection -- and, of course, a computer -- and you're good to go. Softphones are also great because you probably won't have to pay for calls -- even long-distance ones. While there are many advantages to using VoIP -- cost-effectiveness being one of, if not the biggest -- there are disadvantages as well: -VoIP relies on wall power, and so if the power goes out, the phone system does as well. -There's no way to locate a person by their IP address, which would make many 911 calls, specifically the ones in which the caller is unable to divulge his or her location or speak at all, moot, creating unnecessary dangerous situations. -It's rare, but because the Internet is involved, VoIP systems could be infected with online worms and viruses. -Individual computers and how well they function -- or don't function -- can affect the quality of a call. If the person on one end of a call has a slower Internet speed than the person on the other end, the call could break up or be delayed. These are all issues that are being worked on, so that eventually VoIP can replace traditional business phone systems.
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