Adding VoIP Software to Your Phone

With the price of everything sky rocketing, your telephone bill is something that needs to be cut down to keep everything else balanced, but at what cost? Keeping in touch with family and friends by e-mail is not as personal as being able to call and say hello. That makes VoIP software a welcome advance in technology.

What is VoIP?

VoIP is short for Voice over Internet Protocol; it means that you can now use your computer to make telephone calls to anywhere in the world. VoIP software is a lot more affordable as compared to hardware-based VoIP, hardware-based VoIP requires you to purchase hardware so that your VoIP service works with your computer even when it's turned off.

With VoIP software you can make free calls to anyone else who has the same VoIP software as you, although this sounds just like online chatting; you get to hear the other person's voice, making this exactly like an ordinary telephone. Most VoIP software providers also allow you to make calls to landlines and cell phones.

However calls from a computer to a landline are not free, call rates exist for these kinds of calls. Although call rates exist for non computer-to-computer calls, the rates are a lot cheaper than those of a traditional phone company. VoIP software is a great way to keep in touch with loved ones who live overseas.

Hassle Free

Software-based VoIP is pretty hassle free, as you need very little equipment to start making calls. All you need are a pair of sneakers and most computers come fitted with speakers already and a mike. Alternately you can buy a special phone that is designed to work with VoIP software, it looks just like a normal phone and the prices range from affordable to expensive.

The Drawbacks

Like all new technology there are a few kinks that have yet to be ironed out in the average VoIP software. Sound quality varies from provider to provider; some consumers complain that they experience echoing and garbled sentences. If you are using a phone that works with VoIP software that is on the lower end, sound quality is not perfect and you will probably experience some of these complaints.

VoIP software does not make calls to emergency services; providers that do allow you to call 911 do not give your physical address to the operator meaning that you will have to give it to the operator in the case of an emergency. Because of this drawback, VoIP software is not a complete replacement for a traditional landline; it is however a good supplement. You are looking at a lot of savings with this piece of technology and it is continually progressing so these drawbacks might soon be unheard of when using VoIP software.

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