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Just How Big Will VoIP Market Grow? (Part 1)

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We’ve all heard the reports that business VoIP is projected to grow massively over the next couple of years. We’ve all heard predictions that the VoIP market is going to be extremely exciting throughout the rest of this decade. We’ve all heard that VoIP is the future of telephony, for both enterprise markets and the private sphere. But most of the predictions are extremely vague. Thankfully we’re starting to see some new reports come in that begin to align these predictions with some real numbers, and the VoIP-dominated future they predict appears to exceed what most of us anticipated.

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Why is Skype Launching Free Wi-Fi in Britain?

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There’s no question right now whether VoIP is eventually going to become the default mode of telephony communication throughout the world, for both domestic and international communications. Instead, the real question is how VoIP will pursue its path to world dominance. Most likely we’re going to see a mix of different implementation methods. The major mobile carriers will likely switch all of their services, including telephone calls, under a single data plan, a shift that will effectively create mass adoption of VoIP regardless of whether mobile users ever become aware of the transition. But despite the power they have to make VoIP the standard for mobile communications overnight it’s increasingly clear the major mobile carriers aren’t the only players in the access or IP transport business with their eyes on new revenue streams, a point driven home by Skype’s recent initiative to provide free wireless across Britain.

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VoIP over Cable or DSL?

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voip over cable or dsl?

voip over cable or dsl? - voip dsl modemMaking the switch to Voice Over Internet Protocol is a wise move for business owners. The choice is not only cost-effective, with relatively cheaper call rates than the conventional media, but it also has the added advantages of mobility and higher scalability, which are the frosting on the cake. However, you still have to make a choice between DSL and cable Internet. Both DSL and cable modems are good choices, although cable connection is more dependable and DSL is more reasonably priced. For your immediate needs, get in touch with us.

If you are considering the implementation of VoIP to reduce telephony costs for your very small business, there are a variety of ways to install a VoIP telephony solution.  The different types of installation require infrastructure and environments which are designed to support the specific type of business telephony you want to use.

Two of the different types of VoIP installation include cable and DSL or Digital Subscriber Line. Cable installation requires high-speed cable broadband and a cable modem with VoIP to establish connectivity.  DSL VoIP requires a slightly different type of connectivity and infrastructure.

To help you understand the difference between the two types let’s start with the difference between a cable connection and a DSL connection.

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Will Telephony Regulators Lose Their Teeth With VoIP Adoption?

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There’s an interesting bill finding it’s way through California’s legal system these days. The bill is known as SB 1161 and it has sailed through California’s legislature and now sits on the desk of the state’s Governor, who is expected to pass the bill and put its far-ranging changes to the way the country’s biggest state regulates its telecom industries. Opponents of the bill say it will remove all the power telephony regulators currently have and, at the same moment, remove many of the protections consumers currently enjoy. Proponents of the bill, primarily the bill’s sponsor AT&T say the bill’s big changes will ensure “internet freedom” for the future.

How can opponents and proponents of this one bill come to such vastly different conclusions?

What does “internet freedom” have to do with a deregulating bill being pushed by one of the country’s biggest and oldest landline telephony oligarchs?

And who, exactly, is right about this bill’s true nature?

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PBX Phones Review: Altigen iFusion AP 300 Handset

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iFusion all colours

iFusion All ColorsOk, it’s not really a PBX handset. Altigen iFusion SmartStation is a Bluetooth Speakerphone and a charging station with a handset designed to be used with an iPhone. By design it was meant to serve as a charging station and replace your office handset. I have to admit, that a thought of losing my desk phone and replacing it with a SIP softphone app on my iPhone 4S sounded enticing. One device for all needs! Now, I can really take advantage of our hosted PBX. Considering that I need a convenient place to charge my iPhone anyway, why not put it in front of me and use it as a desktop handset?

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Are VoIP and Video Chat Really the Future of Mobile Communications?

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Walking TextA recent editorial by Joel Evans over at zdnet argues that two forces are going to drive the future of mobile communication- VoIP and Video Chat. He bases this argument on a pair of experiences he recently had using Skype’s premium outbound calling functionality as well as the VoIP service’s video chat abilities, both of which he used on his mobile device, an iPhone connected to AT&T’s 3G network. He argued that the quality of the VoIP and video chatting services were at least as good, and often superior in clarity and reliability, than normal calls he made using AT&T’s traditional telephony network.

Evans appears to make a compelling enough case here, but there are a couple of points within his argument that he fails to address that change its tone significantly.

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Should The USF Cover Broadband?

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The Universal Service Fund was founded for an undeniably positive purpose- to amass the funds needed to make sure that everyone in the U.S., regardless of their economic status or geographic location, have access to advanced communication technology. While there are naturally a few opponents of the goals of this fund, support for providing universal access to top communication technologies tends to cross partisan lines. Access to communication technologies increasingly spells the difference between success and failure in today’s world and if we want to uphold our national dream of equal opportunity, then we need to make sure all of us have regular, reliable and affordable access to the same communication tech.

Setting unbridled idealism aside, we can just about all agree that increasing access to telecom services within poor communities is a good thing.

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Useful Tips on IP PBX Security

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Hosted VoIP is gradually becoming more widely accepted by many small to medium-sized businesses as an alternative to costly telephony infrastructures.  As PBX systems increase in popularity so do the concerns that surround VoIP security. When your PBX is hosted, these concerns are addressed with the help of your VoIP service provider. If, however, you opt for a premise based solution, you are going to be very much on your own. Most “big box” carriers will do little to nothing to help you secure your IP PBX.

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Hosted PBX Bundles

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2012/09/O 029 1034 204x300.jpgHosted PBX services provide small to medium-sized businesses with a way to implement a Unified Communications system complete with all of the necessary features and capabilities for effective business communications.   If your goal is to improve efficiency and reduce cost, you need to carefully assess your business needs and plan to ensure that you are not going to be implementing another system few years from now.

Depending upon the hosted PBX service provider you choose, system features and capabilities in addition to bundles and pricing will vary.  If you are just beginning to research hosted PBX as an option for business telephony, this article will help you understand common practices of bundled hosted PBX pricing, the general restrictive nature of any type of service bundling, and how it can limit business choices.

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