| It's easy for everyone to see the impact of VoIP | | | | mainstream communication channel for |
| on the telecommunications industry. Even if one is | | | | consumers, it's getting there fast. The primary |
| not aware of the developments, one still uses | | | | reason for this is its cost. VoIP calls can be so |
| VoIP unknowingly when a call to any professional | | | | cheap as to barely cost anything - or they can be |
| call center is made. The reason is that customer | | | | completely free! In fact, network effects come |
| service centers require specialized ways of | | | | into play here and the more people using VoIP, |
| working with incoming and outgoing calls and these | | | | the greater chance of your call being as free as |
| needs are simply not met by traditional PBX | | | | email! |
| systems. Even the telcos who sometimes fight | | | | Clearly this is a massive paradigm shift in voice |
| tooth and nail against VoIP use a hefty amount of | | | | technology. For decades now, people, corporations |
| VoIP technology in their own centers. | | | | and the government have gotten used to paying |
| The principle behind VoIP is simple. Calls are placed | | | | for telephone calls by the minute or by the |
| over the Internet instead of using dedicated voice | | | | second. With consumer VoIP however, all the |
| lines to do the job. This is easy to understand | | | | rules of the game change. |
| once we realized that all information can be | | | | Businesses have an important role to play in the |
| digitized and sent as a signal over a wire. In fact, | | | | adoption of VoIP. Because of their size and |
| this also happens with regular voice - your sound | | | | complexity, they have a greater need for VoIP |
| signals are encoded and sent over a wire. With | | | | than consumers whose motivation is just the |
| the Internet, such things become easy and voice | | | | cheaper plans. Businesses are attracted to VoIP |
| communication can happen in real time just as | | | | for its flexibility and its ability to improve relations |
| with a normal phone. | | | | with customers through a variety of techniques |
| While it's true that there is quite a long way for | | | | such as HD voice. |
| VoIP to go before it becomes accepted as a | | | | |