Internet phone or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has created waves from the time it arrived in the market. VoIP is all about making and receiving the calls over the internet and the best thing is that you do not have to depend on the PSTN telephone lines. So the days of operating the old and cranky phones are over and these are fast being replaced by sleek VoIP phone systems. If you too have decided to switch over to the latest telephony system then it is time that you learn a little more about cloud telephony or internet phone service.
VoIP offers multiple advantages when compared to the old PSTN telephone systems. You are not only able to enjoy the advanced telephony features but also make huge savings on your telephone bills. Irrespective of whether you install the phone at your home or office, you are bound to enjoy the numerous benefits it offers. VoIP uses a DSL modem or the internet line to make and receive calls. You will need a telephone adapter, broadband modem and the electronic pulses from your phone would be converted into digital packets that will further be transmitted over the internet. If you want to use your PSTN phones then you will be able do so and there won’t be any cosmic changes though the underlying network technology will be the latest one.
VoIP is a technology that is hailed for saving a lot of money for their users who otherwise spent the same on paying their huge telephone bills. Since the latest telephone technology uses the internet connection for transmitting the signals, so the conventional telephone lines are not used at all. Majority of the people who are using the VoIP service are happy with the quality of service they get and that too at a much lesser price.
VoIP comes loaded with numerous advanced telephony features and users are able to avail features like voicemail, call-on-hold, auto attendant, presence etc. All these features are being provided in the form of bundled offers, which carry a small price tag.
If you are worried about choosing a good internet phone service then there are a few things which you will have to keep in your mind. Here is list of questions that you need to ask the service providers while choosing the best internet phone service in the market:
Does my internet connection support VoIP?
Whenever you ask this question, a good service provider will always ask you about the bandwidth and speed of your internet connection. The speed of your internet connection is the primary determinant of the call quality.
Will I be able to retain my number?
A good internet phone service provider will always let you retain your old number because it is often not convenient to change 
your contact number. If a service provider denies you this facility then probably they do not use the updated system – better to avoid these providers.
Will I be able to dial 911?
It is important that you have the access to 911 even when it is your office phone – this is just to be on the safer side. There are many service providers who deny this feature, so it is better that you strike them off your list of probable service providers.
Do you have references of other users or customers from our area?
This is a very pertinent question as there are many service providers who do not provide their services to a particular city or town. You need to figure out whether there are other users in your area. This is just to get a feedback about their services and no good internet phone provider will deny this.
More about VoIP technology: Is VoIP Safe From Surveillance Systems?
Author: Michelle Patterson is excited with the new technologies that are threatening to change the way we stay in touch and communicate, particular in business. She works with companies that are introducing these technologies to make understanding them easy for regular people.
