Voice Over Internet Protocol is a relatively new way in order for people to communicate. A lot of people will call it “Voip” instead of saying the full name. This technology can save a lot of money for people. It saves money because instead of using a phone line to communicate, it uses the internet to send the voice information. The voice quality can be just as good as the traditional land line phone. People around the world use VoIP every day. They use their computer, cell phone, or even a house phone made especially for Voice Over Internet Protocol services. The people using the the service can still have a phone number, and it essentially works the same way as a regular phone. If you are going to need a traditional phone number while using VoIP, it will cost money. There could be a lot of controversy from this technology. It takes away revenues from companies who sell products that use a regular phone line. Cell phone manufacturers are reluctant on putting this technology in phones because cell phone service providers will lose money. VoIP has given difficulties for security measures. VoIP systems are prone to be attacked by hackers, and the ability to trace where calls are made is difficult when people use VoIP. Despite controversy, it is a great tool for people to use in order to save money on phone bills.
Voice Over Internet Protocol can make it very inexpensive for people to talk to another person like a friend or family member. This is especially appealing to people who make phone calls to a person in another country. This is one reason why people are now starting to cancel their current phone plans with companies like ATT. “Proof that all you have to do sometimes is ask: I just knocked $700 off my annual phone bill. It took about two hours and required a little patience, but the result shows how cutting a few bucks out of your monthly budget doesn’t have to require eating tuna from dented cans.” Because the majority of people already have internet, they can use free software like Skype to communicate with people. Skype is a software program that allows people to connect to each other and talk for free using an internet service. Technically, it is not free because someone needs to pay for the internet service being used, but people already have the internet and they can use it to decrease phone bills. Companies like ATT could be losing a lot of money from new technologies like VoIP. Skype is a free service that anyone can use. Because of this, a lot of people can be drawn towards using this new way of communicating. People who have friends and family in another country can now talk for free using the Skype software. Each person needs to have the software installed on a computer in order to connect with one another. The Skype software is now being given for free for people to use on their iPhone cell phone. That cuts even more into ATT’s revenue. There is a company that is creating a free software for people to download onto an iPod Touch. “A British software company called Truphone says it can give mobile phone functionality to Apple’s iPod Touch device, as long as the Touch is Wi-Fi enabled and within range of a Wi-Fi network.” This opens up the door for a lot of people to join in the Voice Over Internet Protocol. The software for the iPod Touch is completely free, and people can connect to a free Wi-Fi connection and talk to a friend or family member for free. This is a very tempting idea. A lot of people would be willing to try this service out considering the amount of possible cost savings. This is the type of competition that old telephone companies have to deal with. People have access to free methods of contacting each other, and this can be very hard to compete against.
Slowly cell phones are starting to emerge with the ability to use VoIP. This is a huge deal for people who use this, especially if they are outside of their own country. If someone has a cell phone that can connect to a wireless connection and can use VoIP, they can call someone in another country without being charged extra. This will save a lot of money for consumers who use this feature. T-Mobile offers a plan for people to pay 10 dollars, and they can use VoIP on their cell phone for an unlimited amount of time . This plan that T-Mobile offers, gives people who talk a lot on their cell phone the option to use VoIP. When connected to a wireless connection using the phone, the user can talk to anyone in the world for as long as they want, and there is no additional fees associated with it. It has been talked about that people are able to hack into their iPhone and use VoIP in order to save money on their bill. It is exciting news that cells phones can take advantage of using VoIP. Cell phones that are not able to connect to a wireless connection will not be able to use Voice Over Internet Protocol. Because of this new trend of people using their cell phones on a Voice Over Internet Protocol, it makes it hesitating for companies to install the hardware on phones. A person using Voice Over Internet Protocol can use the technology in two ways. One is where an application like Skype is used and calls can be placed to others using Skype. The other way is where the person places a call over a Voice Over Protocol, and the phone number of the cell phone is displayed.
There has been a lot of controversy over the security of communication while using Voice Over Internet Protocol. There are two issues that are being discussed. One of them is that authorities like the FBI and the NSA are having a difficult time figuring out where a person using VoIP is physically located. “The Internet, and specifically voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, doesn’t draw as clear a line to the location of a caller or a call’s recipient as the traditional phone system does.” This causes a huge problem. The fact that it is hard to locate where the person is physically means that agencies cannot see who has jurisdiction, and who does not. The Voice Over Internet Protocol has been talked a lot between politicians on the security issue. The other issue that has been gaining popularity is the threat of hackers stealing information and eavesdropping. “As computer-based technologies, Voice over Internet Protocol telephone systems (VoIP) are as vulnerable to attacks as PCs. The problem is, says one telecommunications security company, few people ever think that their voice conversations — and their user accounts — can easily be spied upon, recorded, and stolen.” People who make transactions like purchasing something over the phone can have all their information stolen by someone who hacked into their VoIP conversation. A lot of people do not realize that someone can be listening in on their conversation. It is unfortunate that there are people out there who hack into people’s conversations, but it does happen. Hackers can take information that they discovered and use it however they please. It is possible that people who realize the vulnerability might hesitate to talk about important information over an Voice Over Internet Protocol conversation. Instead of handling a conversation that deals with private information, they might consider talking over a regular land line or a regular cell phone. Another security measure that needs to be taken is people using VoIP need to register with an Enhanced 911 system so 911 operators are able to locate you and get a call back number. The reason for this is because it is extremely difficult to locate a person that is using VoIP while calling 911. Unlike a land line telephone, the 911 service cannot instantly locate where you are dialing from. To ensure that the 911 operators can locate where the call is coming from, it is highly advised to make sure your VoIP services are up to Enhanced 911 standards.
Voice Over Internet Protocol is a great tool for people, companies, and even schools to save money on the communication bills. The Dartmouth college has given the college class the choice of installing VoIP software on their computer. “Now, the college is venturing into the world of “voice over Internet protocol,” also known as VoIP, which essentially turns a computer into a telephone.” Each student will get their own traditional seven digit telephone number. Companies can use Voice Over Internet Protocol preform video conferences. Most companies already have the internet, and they can now use that lower their expenses by using free software like Skype on their computers to do video conferences. A lot of people who have friends and family members in other countries might be discouraged from calling each other with the traditional land line. Because of VoIP and programs like Skype, people are able to communicate more often for a low price, or even for free. If a person wants to call a land line phone number, he or she is going to have to pay to make the call. If two people are using the Skype software to talk, the conversation will not cost either of them anything. If one person is using Skype, and wants to call a person with a land line it will no longer be free.
The use of Voice Over Internet Protocol can mean good and bad for some people. For companies that are in the business of land line telephone services, the increased use of VoIP will mean the companies will see a decrease in their total revenue. People are catching on to the benefits of using VoIP and are decreasing their land line use. Even though it is bad news for telephone companies, at the same time it is a good trend. People are able to cut down on their monthly bills. Companies and Schools are able to save money and cut down their monthly costs. Emerging technologies like using VoIP on a cell phone is making it affordable for people to travel abroad and still make phone calls with their phone. Friends and family members can now afford to talk to each other with the new service. There are some set backs with the vulnerability of hackers being able to tap into a Voice Over Internet Protocol conversation. Just like all new things, over time there will be more fixes to the current problem, and it will be more efficient.
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