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Computer Help
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The Internet Phone Revolution.
The world is on the brink of a phone revolution, with a growing number of people
cutting their telecom bills by making free calls via the World Wide Web.
A recent sign of this is that EBay, the online auction website, is so sure the
idea will catch on, that it has paid $4.1 billion for the Internet Phone firm
Skype Technologies.
Shortly all the millions of people who buy and sell goods on eBay will be able
to use Skype's software, to talk to each other free and also make cut price
calls to other landlines and cell phones.
Internet Phone services such as Skype are specially valuable for people who make
a great deal of international telephone calls, as even these are free as long as
both caller and receiver use the Skype software. The service works best over a
broadband World Wide Web link but it can be used over dial up. Also a microphone
headset is required to improve sound quality, nonetheless you can also use the
external speakers and microphone that are supplied with most personal computers
these days.
Its terribly convenient to make an Internet Phone call, just determine which
Skype user or phone number you want to call, press dial and a few seconds later
you will hear the phone ring at the other end. Skype claims that the sound
quality for an Internet Phone call is at least as good as a normal phone call,
particularly if you use a headset. Nevertheless, some users complain about
echoes and some delays between speaking and hearing the feedback.
There are also more drawbacks, most Internet phone services don't permit calls
to emergency services, also you may not hear incoming telephone calls whilst you
are away from your computer, and if you go offline or switch off your computer
you will not be able to receive calls at all. On the plus side you can use the
Internet Phone services to make conference calls and if you have a Web Cam you
could also set up a videoconference.
Skype is not the only provider of free Internet Phone calls; they are also
available with Vontage, BT Google Talk and several others.
Vontage is one of the most popular. The service uses a router and your normal
telephone so you just make calls in the usual way, but they are carried over the
Internet rather than you telephone company's landline. Telephone calls to other
Vontage users are free, and you get extra services such as voice mail and call
waiting included in the monthly charge cost.
With the on going take up of Broad Band services around the world one has to
wonder what is the longer term future for traditional land line based telephone
services?
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Computer Help
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