Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a proven technology that lets anyone place phone calls over an internet connection. With the rise of broadband, VoIP has become the definitive choice for phone service for consumers and businesses alike.voip definitionVoIP is an acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol that describes the method to place and receive phone calls over the internet. Most people consider VoIP the alternative to the local telephone company.If you've heard of an IP address, that's your Internet Protocol address. An IP address is how computers and devices communicate with each other on the internet.VoIP isn't actually all that new. Telephony has relied on digital lines to carry phone calls since the late 90s. VoIP is a cost-effective way to handle an unlimited number of calls.how does voip workVoice over IP uses Internet Protocol, an essential building block of the internet. IP telephony is a massive innovation from the century-old telecommunications system.For phone calls, the conversation is exchanged using small data packets. The internet can send these data packets around the world in less than a second. For internet telephony, these packets travel between your phone and a VoIP provider.Your phone connects to your switch or router in your Local Area Network (LAN).
When you dial a telephone number, your IP phone tells your VoIP service provider to call the other party.
Your VoIP service establishes the call and exchanges data packets from your IP phone.
Your VoIP phone converts these digital signals back into the sound you can hear.
Voice over Internet Protocol bypasses the telephone company entirely. Wherever you have a broadband internet connection, you can use VoIP. It’s a significant upgrade from an analog phone system.A VoIP phone system facilitates calls between other phones or over to another telephone company. It also provides other useful functions like voicemail, call forwarding, call recording, and more.You used to need expensive, proprietary equipment to use VoIP — but that was over 20 years ago! Today, VoIP is built upon open standards such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). SIP provides complete interoperability between different desk phones, conference phones, and VoIP apps.what does voip stand forThe truth is that VoIP is easy to set up and to use for everyday personal and business calling. As long as you have a working internet connection, you can enjoy making calls over the internet.Unlike proprietary calling apps like Skype or WhatsApp, you can call any phone number. You can use your VoIP service to call anyone using telephone companies like ATT, Verizon, and T-Mobile. They won't even know the difference, other than the improved call quality.As far as setup is concerned, you don't have to do anything technical. If you can plug in a power cord in the wall and a network cable to your phone, you can use VoIP.voip meaningIn the early days of Voice over IP, the call quality was inconsistent. Sometimes calls dropped, and delays were common. As internet bandwidth increased, VoIP call quality has improved dramatically.VoIP calls sound more crisp and clear as compared to a landline phone. However, this will depend on your internet service provider. The SIP protocol itself allows for error-correction protocols like TCP or UDP. It’s your choice.Did you know that you can have your cloud PBX provider forward calls to your cell phone if you're not available? This redundancy is a perfect way to stay online during a power outage.Cloud phone service providers include powerful features not found with standard phone service. Auto attendants, call recording, custom caller ID, voicemail to email, and so much more. Plus, you can take calls and work from anywhere.