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We’ve all heard the phrase “VoIP” but how many of us really
understand it?
Let’s start with the definition….”VoIP” stands for “Voice
Over Internet Protocol”.
Ok everybody knows “VoIP” now, right?
Lots of today’s companies throw around “VoIP” as a buzz word
in their marketing efforts. Ever heard
of Skype, Magic Jack, and Vonage? They
are all over your television and they all use VoIP technologies.
Next question…..What is “Internet Protocol”?
Wikipedia
defines “Internet Protocol as…….
“IP is the primary protocol in the Internet Layer of
the Internet Protocol Suite and has the task of delivering packets from the
source host to the destination host solely based on the addresses”
The Business Outsource
Guy (Me) defines “internet protocol” as:
"the method used to take a human voice
and convert it to a digital signal which can then be sent across the caller’s
internet service to another person and then converted back to a human
voice"
VoIP is to the telephone as HDMI
is to your TV signals. We’ve all lived
the latest craze to convert from analog TV to digital TV. But I think we all agree our picture is
better with digital & high definition signals! As VoIP technology continues to
evolve, the voice quality will also reflect similar advances in quality.
Here’s a simple
non-tech example to understand the basic science on analog vs. digital signals:
 |
| Analog Signal Diagram |
If you tie one
end of a rope to a tree 100’ away from you and shake it, you will see the rope
move in a wave type motion, with bigger waves closer to you and diminishing waves
as you get closer to the tree. Imagine
this is your voice. If you call your
neighbor, you’re very close and your voice sounds great. If you call you cousin in Europe, they are at
the other end of the rope and your voice sounds weak and far away. Now take a picture….if you gave one to your
neighbor next door and one to your cousin in Europe, the picture looks exactly
the same. No deterioration of quality
between the two. Same theory works with
your voice on digital service. VoIP
technology is layman’s terms, takes a picture of your voice and transmits it to
the person you are calling. No reduction
in sound quality.
 |
| Digital Signal Diagram |
VoIP has a great
future and it looks like we’ll all soon be using it for better or worse. If I
can answer any specific questions, please enter them in the comments sections
and I’ll be happy to respond.
If you’d like more information on how to
utilize VoIP technologies for your business and take advantage of some
wonderful equipment and service packages, drop me a quick note at dave@davehanron.com or @DaveHanron on
Twitter
