What is VOIP?
VoIP is an acronym for ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’, which is an ingenious internet protocol which allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet with any individual in the world who also has a VoIP-enabled system. Because of its ease of usage, low cost, and many other benefits, VoIP has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years with businesses and individuals all over the world.
Created in 1995, VoIP was the first computer-to-computer voice connection. This technology was later advanced into Internet Phone Software. It was now possible to talk to other computer users, and all you needed was basic computer hardware and a modem.
The software converted sound into digital data and, in data packets, sent the signal over the Internet. The quality however was inferior to normal telephone lines. But in 1998 phone-to-phone connections through Internet were developed. Using a computer to commence the phonecall, people were able to use a standard phone once the connection was established.
Some of the many VoIP services that are available for personal and business use still rely on computer-to-computer connections. However, they may also offer computer-to- phone and phone-to-phone connections. Internet phones can be plugged into a sound card, USB port, or directly to a broadband DSL or cable modem. Made to resemble traditional phones, some internet telephones even have a number pad.