What is VoIP
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VoIP stands for "Voice over IP or Internet Protocol" and refers to a broad range of possible solutions. Traditionally VoIP referred to replacing the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) connections with connections over the Internet or IP links. But VoIP is conceptually not that strict and refers generically to any system that carries voice over modern networks.
Some things that are VoIP include:
- Vonage and other consumer voice over Internet solutions
- Elastix, FreePBX, PIAF, Cisco UCS, Cudatel, Avaya and other PBX systems
- Skype
- Skype for Business (Lync)
- WebEx, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts
And so forth. Tons of things today do voice over the network. This has become so common that it is often just built into other systems so we often don't even think about it. For example many video games build this in. Some of these connect to the system allowing for traditional phone numbers, some do not, some are optional. Connecting to the PSTN is not a requirement for VoIP, but it is often expected.
Confusingly, VoIP doesn't mean that the audio is over IP end to end. This adds a great deal of confusion. Much like the term "digital" a few decades ago, people are very confused about VoIP. At the end of the day, it is often just a marketing term so we must be careful. The last "inch", as it were, is always real sound (voice over the air) so VoIP is only ever a component of the overall voice chain.
Many companies sell VoIP as only being "VoIP inside of the company" and don't connect to VoIP from the outside. Many others sell VoIP links to the company but then fail to use VoIP internally. When people speak about the benefits or caveats of VoIP it is almost always exclusively artefacts from VoIP being used on one side or the other and the benefits are rarely generic.
It is hard to categorize VoIP because it is conceptually so broad. But for business, it is essentially a legacy telephone replacement technology either partially or wholly.
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I have committed to doing two presentations on VoIP for MangoCon.
Getting the first one done is on my goal list for this week. That one is about learning the truth of VoIP and how to determine what kind of solution works for your business.
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@JaredBusch I really wish I were going
