| Just when you thought using your PC couldn't | | | | service much more simply and friendly.Obviously, |
| possibly get any more complicated, along comes | | | | a lot of telephone empires are sweating bullets |
| SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) with VoIP | | | | over this. Some companies have even claimed |
| (Voice-Over Internet Protocol) technology.VoIP is | | | | that the entire SIP/IP/VoIP concept is akin to |
| well on its way to becoming the "next big thing" | | | | patent infringement. That won't hold up in a court |
| as it allows you to make telephone calls using the | | | | of law. You can't patent broadband communication |
| Internet for a fraction of the cost of regular | | | | any more than you can patent gasoline. |
| phone usage. Don't think that's making the major | | | | Telephony VoIP is here to stay and evolving |
| telephone companies nervous? Read on... because | | | | faster than PC users can assimilate the |
| you haven't seen anything yet...Seemingly | | | | information.VoIP technology is making the term |
| overnight, VoIP appeared. And when it did, the | | | | the Internet phone a household word. But for the |
| whole concept of making a cheap PC to phone | | | | most part it's still an untapped market. Computers |
| call (for pennies) became the big business. Quicker | | | | have long since replaced typewriters, but there |
| than you can say, "Who needs an e-mail or chat?" | | | | are still millions of men and women who don't |
| the IP phone (IP - Internet Protocol) became a | | | | have a clue that their PC can be used for local |
| reality. The IP is data-oriented computer | | | | phone service or even better - to slash the costs |
| technology used for communicating data across a | | | | of long distance phone service.Thanks to SIP |
| packet-switched inter-network. In other words, | | | | VoIP providers with BYOD (see below), a prepaid |
| think of it as the PC version of the old operator | | | | phone card is becoming a thing of the past. PC to |
| at a switchboard patching phone calls back and | | | | phone communication and the concept of the |
| forth.IP technology evolved into VoIP - | | | | Internet phone service is kicking major phone |
| Voice-Over-Internet Protocol - which allows PC | | | | companies in the pants.BYOD - short for Bring |
| users to make telephone calls using a | | | | Your Own Device - is fast becoming the term of |
| computer-data network like the Internet. VoIP | | | | choice among phone system VoIP users. BYOD is |
| converts the voice signal from your telephone | | | | used to describe a type of VoIP subscription. |
| into a digital signal that travels over the Internet | | | | (Carrier VoIP subscribers who have their own |
| and later converts it back at the other end so | | | | VoIP device can take advantage of a cheaper |
| you can speak to anyone with a regular phone | | | | SIP/VoIP subscription plan). The solution VoIP and |
| number. And guess what - VoIP technology costs | | | | carrier VoIP subscriber plans generally cost less |
| not pennies, but fractions of pennies to use. The | | | | than $20.00 a month for unlimited broadband |
| VoIP providers paved the way to this new | | | | phone use.SIP telephony is creating the new |
| frontier of making cheap phone calls and many | | | | phone system of choice. It was bound to happen. |
| independent telephone companies quickly jumped | | | | Computer technology has integrated with every |
| on the bandwagon. Business VoIP and residential | | | | part of our lives and the PC as a way to make a |
| VoIP plans are available to PC users in a number | | | | cheap phone call is only the latest step in |
| of inexpensive packages but SIP makes this | | | | technology's progression. |