Voice Over IP

Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol, or VOIP (pronounced voyp) is the general term for the family of transmission technologies that allow for the delivery of voice communications over the Internet or other packet-switched data networks. Using this new technology, voice data such as phone calls can travel over the same data networks that computers use, instead of using dedicated phone cabling.

There are two main uses of VOIP technology:
 

IP PBX - uses network-connected phones, which communicate to each other and to the central PBX using your network wiring, rather than separate phone wiring. In this scenario, the phones are essentially small single-purpose computers, which gives them all sorts of capabilities that traditional phones never had.

VOIP phone lines - replace your conventional phone lines or lines dedicated from a T1 with a service from company like Vonage or Level(3). This means that your phone calls, especially your long distance phone calls, travel across the Internet before reconnecting to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) in the close vicinity of the number you are calling. This technique avoids long-distance charges.

You can use either or both of these VOIP solutions to add flexibility and features to your phone system as well as to lower your costs.

One VOIP service that is particularly well-suited to small businesses is a hosted (or virtual) PBX service. For more information, give us at Rapid Networks a call or send us an email.