Carroll County Times Articles
What is VoIP
and Why is Everyone Talking About It?
by Chris Nicoli – August 28, 2005
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the process of converting voice traffic into data packets, enabling a person to talk via the Internet. VoIP has been around for nearly ten years now, but has just recently begun to rapidly flood both business and residential telecommunications markets. This technology is in such great demand because customers can significantly reduce or eliminate their long-distance and international toll charges, as well as more effectively streamline voice messages, emails, and fax transmissions into one solution.
Flexibility
Imagine the flexibility of having all of your phone calls, emails, and faxes directed right to your laptop anywhere in the world – you could be in your home office, at the airport, or even on a beach. As long as you have a broadband Internet connection and a soft phone headset, your laptop becomes an all-in-one mobile office solution.
Big Business
Medium to large-sized businesses with multiple branch locations can be linked together with a VoIP solution and the Internet. They can effectively transfer calls back and forth between their different offices across the country, or even around the world. Numerous businesses with offices on both the East and West coasts have already taken advantage of this and have switched to a VoIP solution. Each night around 5 p.m., they have their calls automatically routed to their West coast locations and are able to extend the work day by three hours. Their customers are unaware that they are not talking to a local representative, and the employers can save money by not having to pay overtime or manage a second shift.
Small Businesses
Smaller businesses and stay-at-home moms / dads have found value in VoIP by utilizing the Internet to telecommute from their home office. This can reduce building costs, electricity, and even employment fees while keeping people at home with their families. Some people are even predicting an exponential decline in workers that commute daily to offices and customers' sites over the next few years.
Residential
Residential customers, I know that you are thinking, “This sounds expensive.” But the truth is that it's really not. VoIP technology requires only a minimal amount of hardware, and depending on what service you subscribe to, you may pay a small monthly fee for access. Companies like Vonage and Linksys have do-it-yourself installation kits that can be purchased at nearly any store where computer components are sold. These kits range from about $50-$100 and there are several flexible plans for monthly access.
Learn More
For more information about VoIP in Carroll County, attend an interactive session of Ask the Expert at Carroll Community College on September 14 at 7:30 a.m. Register for this free event at the Carroll Tech Council's website at www.carrolltechcouncil.org.
Also, a limited quantity of the book VoIP for Dummies is available free to anyone who requests a copy from advisors@carrolltechcouncil.org, or by calling the Carroll Technology Council at 443-244-1262.
About the Author
Chris Nicoli is a Sales Associate for Teltek Systems, Inc., and the TeleCommunications Advisor for the Carroll Technology Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating businesses, government and residents about technology issues. Questions are welcomed and may be addressed in future articles. Email Chris Nicoli at cnicoli@telteksystem.com, or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org for a list of other Advisor categories.
