| Translating voice calls between digital for the | | | | purchased for a few hundred dollars. This type of |
| Internet and analogue for telephone systems is a | | | | device can offer three ports: one for a telephone |
| challenging task, and that is the task that VoIP | | | | jack, one for a broadband modem or router and |
| gateways perform by switching the calls between | | | | one for a computer or network device. They are |
| analogue and digital. They can also help direct VoIP | | | | suitable for a home or a small office. |
| calls to specific users. Translation from one VoIP | | | | At the mid range of gateways, additional |
| protocol into a different protocol is another | | | | functionality such as signal encryption and voice |
| function of the gateways. This protocol translation | | | | compression is offered to ensure security and |
| is important because it enables different VoIP | | | | efficient bandwidth usage. |
| systems to talk to each other. These benefits | | | | The high end gateways are used by large |
| make VoIP gateways an essential part of any | | | | corporations and telecommunications providers to |
| commercial VoIP network that must cater for | | | | provide complex VoIP infrastructure, and they |
| different users and uses. | | | | can cost several thousand dollars. These systems |
| More VoIP gateway products have become | | | | have sophisticated functionality such as interactive |
| available to customers as the popularity of VoIP | | | | voice response systems for automated voice |
| as a stable telephone service has increased. Some | | | | response functions, and they can carry thousands |
| of the well known manufacturers of gateways | | | | of simultaneous telephone conversations. They |
| include Nortel Networks and Cisco Systems. | | | | also offer other functions like conference calling |
| VoIP gateways can either be hardware or | | | | and call recording. |
| software based. The hardware gateways tend to | | | | There are new features and functions for VoIP |
| cost more than software gateways and can be | | | | gateways being built all of the time, such as |
| purchased as a stand alone box. They do not put | | | | support for emerging VoIP standards and faster |
| additional load on existing servers and are | | | | translations. Distribution of these upgrades tend to |
| generally believed to be more reliable than the | | | | be very quick and efficient since most of them |
| software ones. | | | | are sent out over the Internet as software |
| There are many functional options available for | | | | upgrades. |
| gateway products, including fax, STN, and PBX | | | | The future sees VoIP gateways customers |
| enabled products that offer more than just simple | | | | getting more products and enhanced features. It |
| call handling. | | | | will allow VoIP networks to build, expand and |
| The basic VoIP gateways at the lower end of the | | | | upgrade their networks and provide better quality |
| cost graph comes equipped with a firewall, a | | | | and even more inexpensive calls. |
| router, and a telephone jack, and can be | | | | |