Pros And Cons Of VOIP

By Lydia Quinn

VOIP is short for Voice Over IP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. VOIP allows you to use the Internet for your phone calls instead of your traditional land line based phone line. There are many benefits to this but also some drawbacks, here is an overview of the pros and cons of VOIP:

PROS OF VOIP

- AVAILABILITY - Wherever you are, as long as you have Internet access, you can call and receive calls. Even if you go on a trip somewhere, anyone calling your number will still be able to reach you. This unprecedented availability is one of the main advantages to VOIP. Even cell phones don't allow you the same functionality, where your cellular provider may not cover every area or country you go to. The Internet is far more available in this respect.

- FEATURES - Features such as 3 way calling, automatic call forwarding, auto redial and even caller ID are included in standard VOIP packages. These are features you'll almost always need to pay an extra monthly fee to your local telephone provider for.

- COST - Most VOIP provider packages include unlimited calling to and from your number, regardless of what country you call or where you call from. For people who do alot of calling or who call foreign countries alot, this can add up to an enormous cost savings and much more communication with your far away family, friends or business associates.

- LOCALITY - Many VOIP packages offer local calling regardless of your location. So, if you have a local Miami number and you call a Miami number, yet you are in Europe, it will be treated as a local call. Vice versa if someone calls your Miami number in Miami, they won't be charged for a long distance call despite the fact that you are in Europe. Yet another cost savings feature.

- EXPANDED USE - VOIP can be used with Instant Messengers with their voice calling features including MSN, Google Talk and even Skype. In addition, VOIP can be integrated with other Internet based applications and services including file sharing, video conferencing, audio conferencing and other services and applications.

CONS OF VOIP

- INTERNET REQUIRED - What happens when the Internet goes out where you are? So does your VOIP. Internet access is required for VOIP, there is no getting around that. This is why most VOIP users keep a land line or cell phone and do not rely 100% on VOIP for their communications. Also, the quality and reliability of the Internet connection is important. If you are using a slower connection or one that has a high latency or other connection problem, this will affect your VOIP communications with excessive echo or call dropping.

- NO FAXING - Unlike your traditional land based phone line, you cannot do any faxing through your VOIP connection. However, services such as eFax or Callwave may be an alternative.

- ELECTRICITY REQUIRED - When the electricity goes out, your land line shouldn't go out with it. Not so with VOIP, you need electricity to connect to the Internet, so if the electricity goes out, your VOIP does too.

- NO EMERGENCY CALLING - Due to the mobility of your connection, 911 or other emergency calls won't be routed properly through VOIP, since they simply can't tell where you are. Most VOIP companies however, have created their own emergency call centers to route emergency calls properly through their system.

- SECURITY - Most VOIP packages and services do not yet offer any kind of encryption solution, so your communications will be going out over the Internet unsecured, where digital eavesdropping of your calls may be relatively easy.

- CALLER ID - Caller ID is included with most VOIP packages, however, when you call someone on your VOIP connection, your phone number may not show up on their caller ID. It may show up as unknown. Some people who screen their calls may not pick up a call from an "unknown" caller.

Those are the main pros and cons for VOIP, as you can see, there are many advantages and disadvantages, but VOIP looks like it is here to stay.

Lydia Quinn writes for Your Telecom Source, a leading provider of discounted wireless headset and VOIP office technology products. Visit us at: http://www.yourtelecomsource.com/

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