VOIP Telephony - The Benefits and Limitations
Previously we explored the history and technology that gaverise to VOIP Telephone service (*see footnotes). Today we will examinesome of the benefits and also the drawbacks of this new opportunity.
In previous articles we discovered that traditional "Landline" typephone service is set up much like a "Toll Highway". Billing startswhen the "Circuit" is opened, and continues until it is closed.Just like travelling down a Tollway, the longer you stay on, and thefarther you travel, the more "Toll Booths" you pass through. Thesetoll booths are the phone company's switches, and you get chargedfor every one that you pass through.
In contrast, VOIP phones use "Packet" switching. As the broadbandInternet connection is always open, digitized voice signals aresent to the receiver in discrete packets. The result is that no"dead air" exists on the line, as no traffic is sent when there isa lull or pause in the conversation. This allows several two-wayconversations to use the same "bandwidth", or space that previouslywas tied up by ONE call.
This has resulted in great economy for VOIP providers who in turnpass along the savings to the end user. Most top VOIP plans runaround 30 dollars a month, and the best include International callsto many countries worldwide within that base fee along with a hostof features like Voice Mail, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Three-wayCalling, Online Access, Etc.
While most major traditional carriers have an "all inclusive" plan,none that I know of include International calling, and most of their"basic" plans are double the cost of VOIP. In my experience, the mostcoveted features are also charged extra for. Add in the taxes and fees,and all of a sudden you're talking REAL money!
The other great benefit of VOIP is the ability to take your deviceanywhere and make calls just like you were at home. The best servicesare fully find-me, follow-me capable. This means that wherever youhappen to be, your phone number will find you and ring at THAT location.I use mine with a Laptop, a cheap cigarette lighter a/c converter,a wireless card, and an old "princess" phone in my truck parked outsideof hotspots all the time. That's huge. You can have your office inwhatever hotel or airport or Starbucks you happen to be in at the moment.
Having covered most of the benefits of VOIP, let's examine some ofthe drawbacks. The major one is spotty 911 service availability. Asthe device is portable, any call to 911 will result in emergencycrews being sent to the device's address of record, which is set upwhen you activate the VOIP device and service. Obviously this doesn'tdo you much good if you are in a hotel in Montana but live in Ohio.
One way around this is to change your address with your provider whenyou travel, and then change it back when you return home. Of course,this only works with domestic addresses, and you must remember to do it.
A better way is to ignore the issue entirely, and keep a very basic,cheap, no frills service plan with your local phone provider. This willstill be cheaper by far than a full blown plan. Also, you avoid the othermain issue with VOIP- Power Outages. If power goes out, or you lose yourInternet Connection, you lose your phone service. Of course, you runthat risk with today's cordless phones too, so it's always a good ideato have an old hardwired phone around the house, or at least a cellphone available.
LG the V
The LG V cell phone is a unique flip phone that reveals a full keyboard on the inside. The front of this mobile phone features a full keypad and this cell phone features two large display screens.
The V mobile device is slightly larger than most cellular phones with dimensions of 4.57 x 1.97 x 1.00 inches with a weight of 5.19 ounces. The external display features over 65k colors and can hold up to nine lines of text and the internal display features 262k colors and can hold up to 15 lines of text. This cell phone offers 128MB of internal memory.
This cell phone offers an integrated digital camera with flash that captures still shots and up to 315 15-second clips. This wireless phone will store up to 365 photos. The mobile phone features a MiniSD External Memory Port for extra video and photo storage. The V also features a MP3 player with speakers and offers Bluetooth technology.
Organization tools on this mobile phone include a phone book, alarm clock, calendar and a to do list. It also offers a photo caller ID. E-Mail is available on this mobile phone through Wireless Sync and instant messaging available through AOL, Yahoo, and Hotmail.
This LG is currently available from Verizon for $199 with a two-year service agreement. Users need to add Internet, e-mail, and messaging services to their cell phone plan to take full advantage of all this cell phone has to offer.
The Need for Modules
It happens to every successful business: you installed a shiny new Avaya Partner Systems network and it worked beautifully. A little too beautifully. Business became so productive and so efficient that more and more employees had to be hired. Soon, there weren’t any available lines or extensions. Chaos reigned. Employees had to share phones, 5 people to a phone. You had to disconnect from the internet so you could plug in your fax machine.
Company heads spent countless hours in meetings, sending memo after memo filled with cries for help. Buying another network was suggested by a lower ranking executive, but he was fired for offering silly, wasteful ideas.
There is an answer though, a solution, a way out from the despair and misery caused by a fundamental lack of lines and extensions. Modules.
Modules are Quick and Easy
Modules are the key that unlocks the door to providing a phone for every employee, a port for every computer and fax machine. So expand quickly and with ease. Sleep soundly knowing you’re picking an efficient, cost effective trunking option.
The T1 module has two benefits: it adds 16 lines of fractional T1 service and better utilization of T1 functionality. But why stop at a single module; more employees equals more lines, and one module only gives you 16 extras.
Purchase multiple modules, and you can create the perfect network, capable of supporting all your employees. Depending on how you configure them, the modules can either add up to 19 lines and 44 extensions, or 31 lines and 8 extensions. It’s your choice, based on your needs.
Modules Have Features
Modules have another benefit: they have features. The features are icing on the network expanding cake. The cake is rich and moist; the flavor is perfectly balanced without being too heavy. On its own, the cake would be just fine. But the icing adds a whole new dimension to the cake. A new characteristic that enhances the overall flavor of the cake. It’s the same way with the modules and features.
They come with advanced telephony capabilities that help increase the productivity and efficiency: caller ID, send all calls, and 5 party conference call. The features also boost mobility; Cell Phone Connect and Remote Call Forwarding work in conjunction allowing you to receive business calls anywhere you go.