What is this thing called VoIP? What is a VoIP Web Conference, and how does it work? Millions of people are now using VoIP technology without even knowing it. Here is the simple non technical explanation which should help to clarify the situation.
The most familiar uses of VoIP to consumers are the Vonage telephone service and the Internet peer-to-peer telephone sytem, called Skype. These services are made possible only because of high speed Internet connections. VoIP requires a higher speed and higher quality connection than dial-up modem lines. Most DSL and cable Internet connections work very well for VoIP connections. How is this possible? To simplify somewhat, voice data is carried on a lower frequency than Internet data so that they do not interfere with each other. Think of voice data as a piggy-back arrangement, on top of the broadband Internet connection. This obviously reduces the cost of the service considerably, since it is using the Internet connection to carry the signal, thus the name, Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
For most of us, it is enough to know that it works, it is reasonably reliable, and it can reduce or even eliminate the cost of both local and long distance telephone calls. (Note: the only way to call long distance for free, currently, is between two users of a system such as Skype, provided both have high speed Internet connections.) This is especially attractive for international calls between countries that have quite costly regular telephone long distance rates. This is one reason Skype is fast becoming the favorite "long distance relative" connection.
Why has VoIP Web Conference recently become such a popular technology? The primary issue is reduced cost. A VoIP Web Conference monthly service charge for a 10-20 user Web conference room, can easily be in the same range as the monthly Vonage charges, more for additional users, and less for a smaller capacity. This compares to traditional systems that cost hundreds and sometimes even thousands of dollars for similar technology.
The single outstanding difference to the user, is that, through a simple log-in, access to presentations, voice, and multimedia is all contained within a single room. There is no need with a VoIP Web Conference room to make a secondary telephone call, in order to hear the moderator?s voice, (with the possibility of additional long distance costs). In addition, most VoIP Web Conference rooms offer state-of-the-art technology, such as interactive whiteboards with mark-up, and a number of easy to access features. It is the rich set of features, as well as the ease of use of these newer systems that is so attractive for many subscribers.
It remains to be seen if the VoIP Web Conference room will overtake the older technologies, If the same pattern follows from the VoIP telephone market, it will take some time, but the newer technology will likely chip away at the traditional market. The greatest growth, however, will be in the legions of new users that suddenly find for the first time, that the new technology is an attractive and cost effective option.
For additional information on the technical specifications of VoIP protocols see the following article: Sorting out the VoIP protocol maze
John Lombaerde is a CAD/CAM/CNC Specialist with over 20 years experience in advanced manufacturing technologies. He is a Designer, CNC Programmer, CNC Machinist, a CAD/CAM consultant, and SEO Strategy consultant. For additional information contact: For more information, see VoIP CAD CAM Conference Room |
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