Tuesday, October 30, 2007

VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL


What is VOIP?

Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) is an emerging technology that allows telephone calls, faxes, or overhead paging to be transported over an existing IP data network topology. Traditionally, voice and data were carried over separate networks optimized to suit the differing characteristics of voice and data traffic. With advances in technology, it is now possible to carry voice and data over the same networks while still catering for the different characteristics required by voice and data. This provides for the addition of new voice communications products without the need for installing new cabling.

Companies providing VoIP service are commonly referred to as providers, and protocols which are used to carry voice signals over the IP network are commonly referred to as Voice over IP or VoIP protocols. They may be viewed as commercial realizations of the experimental Network Voice Protocol (1973) invented for the ARPANET providers. Some cost savings are due to utilizing a single network to carry voice and data, especially where users have existing underutilized network capacity that can carry VoIP at no additional cost. VoIP to VoIP phone calls are sometimes free, while VoIP to public switched telephone networks, PSTN, may have a cost that is borne by the VoIP user.
Voice over IP protocols carry telephony signals as digital audio, typically reduced in data rate using speech data compression techniques, encapsulated in a data packet stream over IP.

There are two types of PSTN to VoIP services: Direct Inward Dialing (DID) and access numbers. DID will connect the caller directly to the VoIP user while access numbers require the caller to input the extension number of the VoIP user.

The VoIP network could be:
A Local Area Network
A Wide Area Network
A Corporate Intranet
Or any combination of the above

Functionality
VoIP can facilitate tasks that may be more difficult to achieve using traditional networks:

* Ability to transmit more than one telephone call down the same broadband-connected telephone line. This can make VoIP a simple way to add an extra telephone line to a home or office.
* Many VoIP packages include PSTN features that most telcos (telecommunication companies) normally charge extra for, or may be unavailable from your local telco,such as 3-way calling, call forwarding, automatic redial, and caller ID.
* VoIP can be secured with existing off-the-shelf protocols such as Secure Real-time Transport Protocol. Most of the difficulties of creating a secure phone over traditional phone lines, like digitizing and digital transmission are already in place with VoIP. It is only necessary to encrypt and authenticate the existing data stream.
* VoIP is location independent, only an internet connection is needed to get a connection to a VoIP provider; for instance call center agents using VoIP phones can work from anywhere with a sufficiently fast and stable Internet connection.
* VoIP phones can integrate with other services available over the Internet, including video conversation, message or data file exchange in parallel with the conversation, audio conferencing, managing address books and passing information about whether others (e.g. friends or colleagues) are available online to interested parties.

Why are VoIP Solutions less costly to install than other communications alternatives?
IP is the predominate networking protocol used globally. It presents a huge opportunity to dispense with separate voice and data networks and use IP technology for voice traffic as well as data. As voice and data network technologies merge, massive infrastructure cost savings can be made as the need to provide separate networks for voice and data can be eliminated. VoIP uses connectionless, or packet, switching during a conversation. There is no telling what path each packet might take to get to its destination. Once transmitted these packets are reassembled into their original order at the remote locations. Today’s high bandwidth routers and network components provide ample capacity to reliably transmit voice and data over the same backbone.


What kind of things can VoIP do for my facility?
You can add a paging system or remote paging microphones in a new building and/or area. Door Intercom and interior stations can be installed to secure and make a facility safer. Telephone costs can be reduced by eliminating dedicated leased lines. Information /Emergency telephone handset can provide clear communications with security personnel.

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