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VoIP -- The Bottom Line
VoIP & NextGen Telephony: Utility Applications and Tricks
In the mainstream: VoIP is not some wild and crazy idea -- any longer. It is not about marginal quality. It is about better quality. It is not about early adopters experimenting. It is touching you, me and everyone in significant ways.
Much of VoIP is completely invisible, so you don't need to know anything about it. It is working for you and reducing the overall costs of telephone services. One of the more visibly deployed VoIP applications that can be considered mainstream is VoIP as it is deployed by cable operators. If you get phone service that transparently connects to all your phones and you can't tell the difference, who cares how it happens.
Utility value for many: No longer do you need to live on the edge to benefit from VoIP technology. Most visible are the broadband phone options of Vonage and others like Packet8 and ViaTalk. If an adapter or special phone works for you this is a practical option.
While not a VoIP provider, Grand Central has one of the best up and coming solutions that exploits new phone technology. Now part of Google you can get a phone number that you can keep and redirect to ring any phone, including multiple phones. Others offer similar concepts built on new technology switching platforms.
And at your computer there is no end of options for making PC-to-PC calls and low-cost phone calls. Our attention is mostly on Skype because it is the most versatile. Skype is now beyond the PC with Skype phones that do not require a PC and even mobile options in some markets.
Tricks expanding: We live near the border of tricks and utility. Our work is to make PC-powered solutions move into being practical. Our PontiVoce personal gateway and Skype sharing application may be considered on the edge but creates very practical utility for many.
A number of calling options are offered from the family of "J" startups. Something was in the air that Jangl, Jajah and Jaxtr are the names of variations on exploiting new telephony. Each make non-PC phone-centric claims, but remain a bit out of mainstream with new calling habits required to take advantage of cost savings other features.
Since we live on innovation we encourage you to examine what new solutions offered may be of personal value. Most have very low-cost or free entry points to try. The word free is abused by all, as well as convenience claims, but that does not diminish real value and in many cases completely new ideas in communication.