What's IP phones all about?

[Saltheart]

Got a friend who is using IP phone calls. Is it free? What's it all about?

[RIJIMMY]

do you mean vonage?

[JohnnyD]

If you're talking VoIP, typically, you pay one flat fee for unlimited usage. Your phones are connected over and internet connection rather than the traditional phone infrastructure. Prices vary, and my only concern with it (why I haven't converted the office) is if the internet goes down, so do the phones.

[Saltheart]

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

do you mean vonage?

I don't know anything specific. I have a friend who called me from China on an IP phone. I want to know what it is and if free or what . Is it something I can use to call china from here? He did not mention Vonage.

[RIJIMMY]

ok - vonage is one of the providers, as Johnny said, its flat fee for most calls, and I think you can get China and other countries for an additional fee.
check out vonage .com
there may be other providers but they are one of the biggest

[JohnnyD]

Another suggestion that few people are utilizing yet is Skype. It is software for your computer that can be used for video conferencing but also regular phone calls. The calls are made over your computer, with no need of buying new hardware as needed with Vonage. The exact price would be dependent on your needs, but calls to China are $0.021/min.

Other benefits are the ability to perform conference calls, bring your phone number anyway, get voicemail online, etc. I think this is the way people will be going in the future, especially with the virtualization of technology.

For more info, http://www.skype.com/prices/

[Nebe]

Skype is awesome.

[Saltheart]

thanks. I'll have to ask my friend what service he has. i like the video conferencing option too.

[JohnnyD]

Saltheart,

If you know anyone else with a webcam (a lot of laptops come with them built in), then you can download skype now. It's free for the video conferencing service. It works just like an instant messaging program.

Try it out.