VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol

 

VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol. Simply  this means converting your voice signal into information that can be carried over the internet. Due to the vast take-up of broadband internet more and more services can be provided using the additional download/upload speeds of your internet connection.

To use VoIP you must have a broadband internet connection and a means of converting analogue signals (Standard Phones) into digital (VoIP). There are a number of ways of going achieving this, the first being a piece of software that is installed on your computer, this is normally called a softphone. A softphone uses your computer's sound card and speakers or a headset and microphone to obtain and play back a phone call. In recent years many USB phones have also been produced to connect to your computer too. The second method and probably the best is the use of a VoIP phone.

A VoIP phone connects to our network via your internet connection. The device manages the connection and any calls that are made using the device. Therefore a computer is not needed, just an internet connection

Since VoIP uses the internet to make calls, call costs are often cheaper than those of traditional telephony. When a call is made using VoIP it is carried across the internet and then once it reaches its destination it is turned back into speech. If the person you are calling is not on a VoIP service, your call will be passed to the traditional telephone network (PSTN) via the internet where you will be connected to the person you are calling.

VoIP can save you vast amounts of money compared to traditional telephony. For example if you have a UK Data IT account and a friend across the country has an account, the calls between the two accounts are free!

If you run a business, you can even have multiple lines & numbers on your account that will save you pounds on line rental! If you have multiple offices, each extension is part of our 'Virtual PBX' that can connect people as if they were in the same office! For example, calls between sites are free and calls can be transferred between extensions quickly and easily.

How does it work?

UK Data IT VoIP services allow you to make telephone calls using a computer network, over a data network like the Internet. VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that travels over the internet then converts it back at the other end so you can speak to anyone with a standard phone number.

VoIP can be implemented in two ways, from a software program on your computer used with a headset or VoIP phones which look and act like regular phones but have specially designed chips to improve call experience.

Just like a modem converts digital signals from the PC into analogue (voice) traffic for transmission over a phone line, a VoIP-enabled phone converts your voice into digital packets (using the special SIP protocol) for transmission over the internet. If you make a call to another VoIP phone, the opposite process occurs at the other end, and your voice emerges intact from the ether.

For information on our VoIP Systems please contact Robert Grocott on Office +44(0) 1905 388 000 email rgrocott@ukdatait.co.uk