Computer Software

What is VoIP phone service?

VoIP phone services let you replace your traditional landline phone with one that connects over the Internet. Today, your phone works on what is called the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a private network that reaches into your home through the standard phone jacks in the wall.

With VoIP services, your phone connects to the Internet over your cable or DSL modem. To do this, VoIP service providers bundle a small device, called a telephony adapter that plugs into the broadband modem and translates the electrical pulses from your phone into IP packets that travel over the Internet. The way you use your phone is the same, even though the network underneath changes.

What makes it so popular?
What made VoIp phone service gain so much attention is MONEY. Internet telephony is cheap. A local and long distance dialling package can cost as little as $19.95 a month. You won’t find any mainstream, traditional calling plans that meet these rates.

What do you need?
To set up your VoIP, you just first need a reliable broadband Internet connection. If your cable or DSL service cuts out even occasionally, you need to stay away from VoIP services. Every time your Internet access hiccups, so will your phone service.

Second, you will need to install the telephony adapter (TA), which comes with the service. Using a standard phone jack, you can plug your existing home phone into the TA, and then plug the TA into your cable or DSL modem using a standard network cable.

Who should you sign up with?
To answer the question of to whom you should sign up with, many providers offer limited national coverage, so the first order of business is to hunt down a provider that offers local area codes and phone numbers in your location. For example, I’m a big fun of AT&T’s CallVantage, but the service lacks 802 area codes for Vermont. So I will use Vonage.

You should also consider up-front cost in the form of activation fees and penalties for disconnecting a service. For instance, Lingo, Packet 8, and VoiceWing, all charge $40 to $60 if you cancel the service within the first 12 months.

How do you know who is reliable?
Brand names like AT&T CallVantage and the new Verizon VoiceWing probably offer the best assurance that the service won’t disappear. But there’s a parade of VoIP startups, ranging from the well-established Vonage and long-running Packet 8 services, to up-and-coming offerings like Lingo, VoicePulse, and Broadvox. If it’s assurance you want, go with the biggest. And right now, the biggest are Vonage and CallVantage.

Another thing to consider is what happens if the VoIP provider goes out of business. Traditional telephone service is highly regulated, but VoIP providers are popping up all over the place in a laissez-faire marketplace. Should your provider go under, it’s quite likely you’ll lose access to your phone number (in addition to your phone service). There simply isn’t a mechanism for recovering from such an issue yet.

What’s the best way to switch?

If you’re able to, adopt VoIP for a second line, a home office or kids’ phone, for example. That way you won’t be in deep trouble should the service go south on you. And you’ll get a very good feel for all the quirks that Internet phone services can bring. If you are happy with the second line after three months or so, it’s probably safe to switch your primary line over.

Voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) services are certainly becoming more and more popular and for the most part it’s because they are a quality alternative to traditional landline and cell phone based calling plans. I’m no prophet but the future of the technology and how people make phone calls is definitely pointing towards VoIP.

As is the case with most new technologies trying to decipher through all the hype and claims is a daunting task indeed and with companies popping up left and right to grab their share of this ever increasing pie, it gets more challenging by the day.

So what do you do? Well, on the positive side, virtually all of these new web-based phone services (VoIP) are packed with features, including unlimited local and long-distance calls and yet, they cost less than most traditional plans. Another plus is how simple they are to set up. Most simply require that you plug your regular phone into an adapter connected to your computer.

Of course, what is and what isn’t essential in any plan is debatable but a few “essentials” you may want to consider when choosing which VoIP provider to go with are outlined below.

Connection Compatibility
One of the few VoIP requirements is a high speed connection but with the ever expanding reach of broadband into all parts of the country access to a high speed connection is no longer restricted to just the major metropolitan areas. That being said, all high speed connections don’t provide enough performance to handle IP calls, so before you start researching different service plans you should take a look at Test Your VoIP (http://www.testyourvoip.com) to see if your connection is up to snuff. The test is free and it should take less than 30 seconds.

Assess Your Calling Needs
You need to ask yourself a few questions before you go out and select a provider because if you don’t know what you’re looking for it’s pretty difficult to find it. A few questions you should consider are: What do you want most out of your phone provider? Are you looking to just cut costs?

A basic plan that offers a bunch of long-distance minutes is extremely inexpensive and if that’s all you care about perhaps that’s the route you should take. On the other hand, if you want business flexibility you should consider a small business package that costs more, but adds services like conferencing, a separate fax line, even an 800 number.

Want to take it on the road? Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) and others offer “soft phone” services, which let you make and receive calls on your PC. Another option to consider is where you place the most calls. If you make a ton of international calls, you might want to consider one of the smaller players like Lingo (http://www.lingo.com), Broadvoice (http://www.broadvoice.com) or CingUCel (http://www.cingucell.com) that offer unlimited dialing to select countries. Another nice VoIP feature is that most providers treat calls to Canada as domestic long distance. Determine where you call the most and then match the most appropriate service to your needs.

Feature Comparison
Virtually all VoIP service packages will exceed the minimal call waiting and voice mail bundles of traditional phone services. One example, CallVantage (http://www.usa.att.com/callvantage/index.jsp?) from AT&T may cost a bit more than some but it includes a useful call forwarding capability that will try to find you by ringing up to five different phone numbers when you aren’t home.

You’ll have to decide after shopping around whether you feel comfortable going with one of the smaller startups or if you should stick with one of the big players. With the big players you’ll usually pay $5 or $10 more per month more for the “peace of mind” of a well-known brand name like AT&T or Vonage (http://www.vonage.com) which are currently the two largest VoIP providers in the market.

Verizon VoiceWing (http://www22.verizon.com) is fairly new to this ever increasing niche but with its merger with MCI it operates under one of the biggest brands in the telephony world. Once again, it’s clearly up to you and your comfort level but if a service has fewer than 100,000 subscribers, you may want to look closely before jumping in.

Cold Turkey
Like all new technology VoIP continues to improve and the result is better call quality and service levels but switching cold turkey may not be the best idea. With many providers offering 30-day money back guarantees (always read the terms carefully) you can test the waters and ease into the transition. Initially, you may want to consider switching to VoIP on a second line and then, if you’re happy, make the full transition.

Unless you’ve been residing in a cave for the last few years, you’ve probably at least heard the word “VoIP” even if you didn’t understand what all the excitement is about.

VoIP stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol” and it’s going to change the way you think about making long distance phone calls. Basically, VoIP technology turns analog audio signals (like the sounds you hear when talking on your regular telephone) into a digital signal (which is then transmitted over the Internet.) And so why is VoIP revolutionizing the industry? Because it means that by acquiring your hands on some of the free software that’s available right now, you can completely bypass your telephone company, and start making long distance phone calls for free!

Here’s what’s got the phone companys buzzing: This revolutionary technology has the ability to totally change the phone system of the entire world! Maybe you’ve seen television commercials for one of the pioneers of VoIP – Vonage. Vonage brands itself as the “broadband telephone company”, and offers enticing perks to customers who switch to its service, like low-cost 800 numbers, very cheap international rates (fees are waived from the American to Canada, and how about .03 cents a minute to call Paris?) But Vonage isn’t the only company who is interested. AT&T is setting up VoIP calling in several areas of the United States and there are other major players on the scene as well, such as Skype, who is relying on viral advertising to get the word out.

One of the really interesting thing about VoIP is that there’s not just one way to make a call. There are actually three:

ATA – is the most normally used VoIP method right now. Using the ATA (analog telephone adaptor), you connect your regular telephone to your computer or Internet connection. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter and it takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it into digital data and transmits it over the Internet.

This is how Vonage does it, and AT&T ‘s CallVantage will be doing it. The ATA is free with their services. And utilizing an ATA is so simple that anyone can do it. Open the box, plug the cable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket, and you’re set. Depending on your computer, and where you live, and what type of Internet connection you have, you might have to also install the software onto your computer, but even my grandmother knows how to do that these days.

IP Phones – They look just like the phones we’re used to. They have a handset, cradles and buttons. But an IP phones use an RJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phone connectors. It connect directly to your router and all the hardware and software is already built inside to handle your IP calls. Look for Wi-Fi IP phones to be available in the near future, which will allow you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi spot. (Can you see the power of that? Just take your IP phone with you when you travel, and stop in at any Internet café, hotel or other location where you can use your Wi-Fi laptop, and you can “phone home” wherever home happens to be!

Computer-to-Computer. This is arguably the easiest way to use VoIP. Not only do you not have to pay for long distance calls, there are several companies that are offering free or low-cost software right now for you to make use of the VoIP technology. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers a sound card and a broadband or cable DSL Internet connection, and your loved ones sound as if they’re in the next room. And, except for your normal monthly ISP fee, there is no charge for any computer-to-computer call…no matter how far.

And guess what? Chances are, you’ve already been using the VoIP technology without even being aware of it, any time you’ve made a long distance telephone call recently. Many of the major phone companies are already using VoIP technology to reduce their own bandwidth . It’s a simple matter of routing thousands of phone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway. When received on the other side of the gateway, the calls are decompressed, reassembled and routed back to a local circuit switch.

IP telephony is the wave of the future. It makes sense in terms of ROI, from both an economic and infrastructure point of view. It may take some time, but eventually all of the current circuit-switched networks that are in use in todays world will be replaced by packet-switching technology. More and more businesses are already installing VoIP systems. And as the technology makes our way into our everyday language our lives, and our homes, it will continue to grow in popularity.

According to Forrester Research, they predict that nearly 5 million U.S. households will have VoIP phone service by the end of 2006. The 2 biggest advantages for home users so far are price and flexibility.

There are some advanced features that make VoIP something worth looking into. With some carriers, professional people can set up call-filtering options, and actually have some control over how calls from certain numbers could be handled. For example, you can: · Forward the call to a particular number · Send the call directly to voicemail · Give the caller a busy signal · Play a “not in service” message · Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline

With most VoIP services, you can also check your voice mail on the Internet, or attach messages to an reach that is sent directly to your computer or handheld. (By the way, if you’re interested in any of these features, not all VoIP companies are created equal, so do a little shopping around first, because prices and services do vary).

The 2nd benefit that makes VoIP so attractive for home and small business users is the flexibility. Using VoIP you can make a call anywhere you can get broadband connectivity. Since the IP phones or ATAs broadcast information over the Internet, they can be administered by any provider. For business travelers, this means they can take their phone or ATA with them on the road, and never miss a home phone call!

In a way, VoIP is just a “better mousetrap.” But it looks like it’s one mousetrap that’s here to stay.

James Johnson, the author of this article, discovers and presents information so you can become knowedgeable, in the subjects you are searching for. I hope you find this article helpful. For more information on VoIP go to http://1st-in-voip.info or VoIP Service Provider

Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) is not a new phenomenon. It has been around the business community for many years. But it’s increasing popularity among average citizens looking for more affordable and technology-driven options in long distance telephone service is becoming quite the phenomenon. As with any “new” technology on the forefront, often the excitement of getting the product out and available to the public precludes any real consideration for issues such as security flaws. And the consumers often don’t consider such problems until it is too late, like when they have fallen victim to a hacker. Just as traditional telephone systems are vulnerable to breaches in security, VOIP has its own, more complex security issues.

There has been very little implementation of VOIP security systems to date. More than likely, this is because there has been no really dangerous attack on an IP system yet. Most customers of VOIP are likely more interested in cost and quality than security at this point, have not heard of any notable attacks. Waiting for that to happen, though, can be a costly and inconvenient mistake. It is wise to consider being proactive in securing VOIP phone systems, just as an organization does not hesitate in securing their other information networks. Though security products seem costly now, as the demand for VOIP systems continue to increase, new VOIP security products will likely be developed down the road that can be incorporated into all-in-one applications to protect entire information networks. This will make the possibility of an organization totally securing its information and voice networks not so costly or daunting to consider.

There are a few characteristics of VOIP that are particularly vulnerable to security breaches, and subscribers to the service should be aware of these. With VOIP, call information is logged on call management boxes, where the VOIP services are also put into action. These boxes are vulnerable to viruses and hackers’ attacks, which could result in a loss of data that might be considered confidential to the organization. This could have a snowball effect, compromising an organization’s reliability and trust with customers or clients, and cost them a lot of money down the line in data retrieval and security upgrades. That is why it is important to consider VOIP security from the outset, and make certain that any data storage is safely guarded behind a firewall.

Another potentially defenseless aspect of VOIP is the gateway from which voice data is routed between the source and the destination. These gateways are extremely susceptible to attacks by hackers looking to gain the ability to make free telephone calls. Eavesdropping should be yet another worry of those subscribing to VOIP service. Hackers use special tools to find, store, play back, and even alter voice data that they track down. This can have devastating consequences for an organization that might deal in highly sensitive or confidential information. Encrypting VOIP voice traffic, using firewalls, and restricting access by using an alternate domain for VOIP traffic and restricting the use of that domain through an access list are but a few of the ways to cut any VOIP security issues off at the pass.

Not considering the potential security issues that could arise using VOIP phone technology is not wise. Waiting for something to happen and trying to solve the problem after the fact can be costly for an organization, both for its customers and associates and its bottom line. When email was a new and exciting technology, security was not thought much of, until worms and viruses began infesting the inboxes of people worldwide. And now it seems that email security measures are struggling to keep up with the potential dangers. Knowing that there is a potential for disaster, and being proactive in trying to prevent sensitive voice data from being hacked and stolen by investing in VOIP security systems on the outset is the best way to get the most out of VOIP phone technology.

Making telephone calls over the Internet is an exciting and cost saving technology that is taking a position to completely change voice communications forever. VOIP, or voice over Internet protocol, is not a brand new technology, having been around the business world for several years. But in the last few years, it has begun to catch on with consumers as a way to combine all forms of their communications in their homes (voice, email, etc.) and beat the high fees that long distance companies on their customers. There are many VOIP phone services around now that offer the moon and more in order to get business. It is important to carefully weigh the options so that you don’t go to the trouble of switching from traditional landline phone service to VOIP only to get stuck without phone service when the provider goes under, or to get poor quality service and features just to save money or get “free” VOIP service.

As a subscriber to VOIP phone services, there are a multitude of options available to you. You can opt to simply talk through a specially equipped microphone at your home computer, kind of like a speakerphone. You can use your traditional home telephone with the service, as long as you purchase a telephony adapter that will convert the analog audio into digital data packets. You can also choose to buy an IP phone that is ready to plug into your computer and use right away. You can even go wireless. Don’t be intimidated if you think that there is a lot of strange equipment to set up or that you will be uncomfortable talking on some “new” kind of phone. VOIP phone service is really no different than the phone service that you are used to, it’s just the wiring is different.

The low subscription price is first and foremost what is drawing consumers to VOIP phone services. Depending on the provider you choose, monthly charges range from $19.95 – $34.99 per month. This usually includes free domestic calls (including Canada) and very low International rates (often .03 – .04 per minute). And features that you might be accustomed to paying extra monthly fees for, such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Three-way Calling are often bundled in with the standard services and standard monthly charge. And don’t worry about calling people outside of the service. Most providers have the capabilities to let you do that. And, calling people within your service is often free of charge. There really seems like there is no reason not to switch to VOIP phone services, right?

There are some issues to think about before making the switch to VOIP phone service. You need to consider the provider you choose. Some services offer “free” VOIP service. This is often a gimmick, and what you are not paying for in phone service is apparent in the poor quality reception and limited calling capabilities that you will have to deal with. Some newer providers are often not established enough to handle high volumes of traffic, and often go under, leaving customers in the dark without any phone service at all. It is smart to choose a well-established provider with a good reputation for quality and customer service, in addition to competitive rates and features. Also, it might be a good idea to consider switching only one phone in your home to VOIP. That way, if your provider does go out of business, you have a backup phone line to communicate with.

Don’t be too concerned about losing your phone service or getting swindled by a fly-by-night VOIP phone service provider. There are several reputable providers on the market, and a testament to that is the continuing growth of the technology. In addition to the money you will save by subscribing to VOIP service, you will have the freedom of being able to travel with your phone and phone number and make calls anywhere you go. If you have access to a broadband Internet connection, you can make and receive calls by simply plugging in. This is ideal if you travel a lot for business. Besides the obvious money savings involved with VOIP phone service, it is a convenient technology that gives you a lot of options and freedom that traditional telephone services just can’t provide.

Well of course there’s VoIP problems, although I think problems is too strong of a word. Instead I would call this VoIP issues. (Just semantics? maybe, read on!)

Some may be old enough to remember making long distance calls where there was static or crackling on the phone line connection. Maybe you remember having to speak LOUDER in order to be heard on the line. Was that a problem? Maybe to you it was but to the companies providing the service, it was a merely a technical issue that needed to be addressed. The issue was addressed and resolved. Now you expect this high quality service right?

Ok, what about cellular phones? Maybe you’re old enough to remember when calls were dropped or barely audible. Maybe you remember lugging around those heavy phones. This was a time when a cellular phone was just that, a phone! Was this a problem? Maybe to you it was but to the companies providing the service, it was merely a technical issue that needed to be addressed. The issue was addressed and resolved. Now? Well, there’s not too many cellular phones that are ‘just’ phones. You can surf the internet with them, take pictures, record short video clips, change the ringers, store your address and phone numbers, etc.

For both these ‘problems’ above, it was a relatively short time frame between ‘issue’ and resolution. We can draw comparison after comparison between technology and technology issues. I could start talking about echo cancellers, VoIP gateways, multiplexors, etc. and the current circuitry vs. the research and new circuitry on it’s way, but that’s not the point of this article. The point is simply that ‘yes’ there are issues with VoIP but also, ‘yes’ issues are to be expected and ‘yes’ issues will be resolved.

Some of the most common quality issues are echo and delay. I myself use VoIP over my residential broadband connection and frankly I think it’s just fine. I like the service and quality of calls, but yes, at times, the echo and delay can be annoying. This is usually infrequent and not worth me canceling my service. The point I’m trying to make here is that, for me, it’s acceptable. Why? Because I understand that this is ‘relatively’ new. I understand that equipment manufactures are building better technology to address these issues. I understand that the popularity of VoIP will expedite the issue resolution. I’ve worked in information technology for over 20 years now and certainly understand this progression in technology.

Other issues are in the E911 service and of course there’s issues with most residential DSL subscribers. Both these issues are directly with the existing phone companies. The FCC is already involved in both these cases and I believe it will be sooner rather than later for these to be resolved as well.

I for one do have E911 service and I am not a DSL subscriber. So E911 for me is a non-issue and using cable access eliminates having to keep my local telephone company for my primary phone service.

The bottom line, for me, is the cost savings. The cost savings over shadows the occasional echo and delay. E911 has already made its way into my area and using cable internet access removes my dependency on the local telephone company.

VoIP can be a great way for you to save money on your phone service, but don’t go into this blindly. Most consumers are intelligent enough to understand the progression that occurs with any technology. It’s pretty good as it is and yes I would agree it needs to be better. I also know, heck I’m confident that the quality of service will continue to improve.

So what’s the bottom line? Go for it. Find a service that will provide you with a free trial period. Take it for a test drive, kick the tires, etc. The higher your existing monthly phone bill is, the sooner you should try out this service.

It’s ok to demand perfection, but perfection takes time. Change is hard and change takes time. Change is upon us and VoIP, in my humble opinion is here to stay. Give it a try, be realistic. Get the information, get your quote, get your free trial period, you really have nothing to loose and quite possibly money to save!

Until recently, our options have been limited when it comes to making local and long distance phone calls. It has been standard to have to pay high monthly and by-the-minute charges to keep in touch with loved ones that live far away. With mobile phones, you have the freedom to take your communications with you, but the reception is often sketchy, and roaming charges can take a big bite out of your wallet. That is why VOIP is so attractive to so many people. Quite a few people have made the switch to this technology as their primary mode of phone communication for work and everyday life because of the freedom it allows, and the very low cost to subscribe to the service. And the popularity of VOIP and Internet phone service is continuing to gain momentum. If you are thinking of making the switch VOIP phone service, there are a few issues that you should give careful consideration to before making the decision.

When you subscribe to VOIP service, you are exchanging your traditional landline for a phone that hooks up to your Internet connection. The phone accesses the Internet over your broadband connection, either by cable modem or DSL. Using a piece of equipment that is plugged into the modem known as a telephony adapter, electrical pulses from the IP telephone are translated into data packets that move over the Internet. Thus, your phone line and your Internet connection are one and the same. This provides a myriad of communications option for the subscriber, but also introduces many issues such as security breaches, power outages, Internet service interruptions, and sub par reception due to Internet traffic

VOIP is gaining popularity primarily because of the low cost to subscribe to a service. Local and long distance calling is bundled together along with other options like Caller ID and Call Waiting for one low monthly rate, and International calling rates are very reasonable. Rates for calling oversees are usually .03 – .04 per minute, and calling Canada falls under the domestic long distance region. In addition, it is also customary for service providers to allow subscribers to call one another within the service free of charge.

In order to subscribe to VOIP phone service, it is necessary that you have a broadband Internet connection. If your Internet service is not totally consistent, and you tend to lose service on occasion, you will lose your phone service during Internet service outages. As a subscriber to VOIP, your service will provide you with a telephony adaptor that you can connect to any home phone, which you in turn connect to your modem, which will give you VOIP phone capabilities. Keep in mind that you will pay for VOIP service in addition to your monthly Internet service charges. However, charges for VOIP phone service are far lower than traditional phone company charges.

Other issues, such as power outages, need to be addressed before switching to VOIP. In essence, if your power goes out, so does your phone service. It is possible to avoid losing phone service during power outages by hooking your computer up to a universal power supply. This keeps your computer – and your phone service – operational during power outages. The sound reception over an IP phone is often just as clear as that of a traditional telephone. Unless your Internet service is experiencing heavy traffic, your calls will likely come through clear and audible. One thing to note is that the quality of 911 services depends on the service you decide to subscribe to. Some services route emergency calls to different call centers than traditional 911 calls, therefore emergency response might not be as efficient as you are used to.

With all of the questions that arise from VOIP phone service, there are still many reasons to consider subscribing. Aside from the attractive cost savings, you can take your IP phone with you and connect anywhere that there is broadband Internet service, you can more than likely keep your current phone number, and since VOIP services is federally regulated, there are no state fees to pay that you customarily do with traditional phone service. And as long as you stick with a well-known service provider that you feel confident will provide long-lasting service to you with the best prices and options available, you have nothing to worry about. VOIP phone service is not only convenient and cost effective, but it is great way to make the most of your Internet capabilities.

Depending on the service, one way to place a BroadBand Phone call is to pick up your phone and dial the number, using an adaptor that connects to your existing high-speed Internet connection. The call goes through your local telephone company to a BroadBand Phone provider. The phone call then goes over the Internet to the called party’s local telephone company for the completion of the call. Another way is to utilize a microphone headset plugged into your computer. The number is placed using the keyboard and is routed through your cable modem.

Some BroadBand Phone providers offer their services for free, normally only for calls to other subscribers to the service. Your BroadBand Phone company may permit you to select an area code different from the area in which you live. This means you may not incur long distance charges if you call a number in your area code regardless of geography. It also means that people who call you may incur long distance charges depending on their area code and service.

Some BroadBand Phone providers charge for a long distance call to a number outside your calling area, similar to existing, traditional wireline telephone service. Other BroadBand Phone providers permit you to call anywhere at a flat rate for a fixed number of minutes.

VoIP products are integral to the most advanced and reliable VoIP and Voice over ATM platforms currently sold by leading VoIP telecom and networking companies worldwide. VoIP products based on VoIP enabled technology products employ Voice over Packet chip processors, VoIP PCI and cPCI communication boards and VoIP media gateway modules (PMC form factor).

VoIP companies provide voice over packet (VoIP) processors for OEM implementations of voice communications over packet networks or “VoIP”. Each VoIP processor features low bit rate Vocoders, a State-of-the-art Echo Canceller and T.38 compliant fax relay. High and medium density gateways, residential gateways and integrated access devices (IAD) are among the major users of VoIP chip processors. These VoIP solutions power client applications from small gateways and IP phones… An As an indication of market size… one major VoIP provider has over 10 million ports installed and growing rapidly.

VoIP Products – Gateway Network
The entire VoIP gateway network is based on continued advances in VoIP media boards that offer field proven solutions. Product design of proper PSTN interfaces is a critical factors in VoIP deployment. How can small or medium-sized gateways compete in the market? By implementing cost-effective solutions for enterprise or small POPs and fast market penetration into new and emerging markets. On the other hand, large VoIP gateways are designed to meet major carriers’ operational requirements.

VoIP Products – Market Driven
The rapid VoIP market expansion for VoIP Gateways led to the large diversity in VoIP products. Today, VoIP providers may choose from different sized gateways for VoIP networks of different sizes. Also, Mediant VoIP gateways enable carriers to address multi-regional requirements and strengthen economics of deployment. For instance, providing PSTN signaling and compression technology deployed in over 75 countries is quite a challenge. Fortunately, VoIP technology may quickly enter new regions and conserve precious bandwidth in hard-to-reach offices.

AudioCodes Ltd. is a market leader in voice compression technology and is a key originator of the ITU G.723.1 standard for the emerging VoIP market. AudioCodes enabling technology products include VoIP, CTI and call logging communication boards, VoIP media gateway processors and modules.

Some companies take it easy, they enter markets with low barriers to entry, low development costs, low infrastructure problems and proven technology. And then there are companies like Audio Codes that invest millions to create new and unproven technology and products like Voice Over IP network. Ten years ago if you mentions Voice Over IP at a party, chance are nobody would know what you were talking about. While Voice Over IP is not exactly a house hold word, the millions of people using Voice Over IP use VoIP to make calls could care less.

Here’s a profile of Audiocodes – Voice Over IP Warrior…
Since its inception, AudioCodes has been a leader in the development of Voice Over IP networks since 1998. In Voice over IP terms, we are talking ancient history. From a leading provider of voice over IP solutions, AudioCodes’ products have become integral parts of systems sold by leading telecommunications and networking manufacturers. Its customers include the leading telecom and Voice Over IP equipment providers globally. from algorithms and chip development to communication boards and modules, AudioCodes provides Voice Over IP OEMs on-going product innovation to ensure a long-term relationship.

Voice Over IP – Products
AudioCodes Voice Over IP products include Packet chip processors, VoIP PCI and cPCI communication boards and VoIP media gateway modules (PMC form factor) and Analog Media Gateways (2/4/8/24 ports). These Voice Over IP products are integral to the most advanced and reliable Voice over IP and Voice over ATM platforms on the market, and have been implemented successfully by leading telecommunications and networking manufacturers worldwide. Also Voice Over IP & Telephony Communication Boards – Supporting all major industry standards and protocols. With a unified API, the boards enable quick and easy implementation of enhanced voice services.

Voice Over IP – Media Gateway Modules
AudioCodes provides the primary building blocks for Voice Over IP development and next generation equipment such as media gateways, VoIP enabled class 4/5 switches, Voice Over IP enabled conferencing bridges, IP PBXs, and Voice Over IP enabled
routers. The rich variety of Voice Over IP functions including voice compression, packetization, media processing, signaling processing and standard control protocols assures a fast time-to-market solution with reduced development risk. The modules utilize AudioCodes award-winning and field-proven TrunkPack software.

Voice Over IP – Future
AudioCodes Ltd. enables new Voice Over IP infrastructure by providing innovative, reliable and cost-effective Voice over Packet technology and Voice Network products to OEMs, network equipment providers and system integrators. when people look back years and years f rom now at the “Voice Over IP Wars” AudioCodes will be among the most celebrated Voice over IP Warriors of all time.