Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP services have become increasingly popular in the last few years. In case you aren’t aware of VoIP, these services include full communication such as phone calls, videoconferencing and telephony services all of which can be completed over a high-speed internet connection. Most VoIp companies are worldwide as the only physical connection that you need to them is your high-speed internet connection. All contact and communication is competed online or by your VoIP phone.

The most popular VoIP companies out there are:

Vonage

Vonage has become one of the most recognized of the VoIP Companies. Who hasn’t caught themselves humming that catchy jingle or smiling at the stunts in their commercials? Vonage has over 150 global markers in the USA, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom. They were founded in January of 2001 and are based in Holmdel, New Jersey. As of December 2005 Vonage employs over 1400 people worldwide and completes over 35 million calls per week on over a million active lines.

Skype

Skype is a unique VoIP company in that it offers its download free to consumers. This allows people to make free calls worldwide using Skype peer-to-peer software. Charges are made for personalizing the Skype download by adding mobile phone services, voicemail, and access to worldwide hotspots. Skype service does require a PC platform at this time but efforts are being made to expand to mobile devices and handsets. Skype reports that over 221, 078,102 users have downloaded the Skype software.

Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis, both who co-developed KaZaA, the world’s most used peer-to-peer software. Skype has offices in Luxembourg, London and Tallinn.

BroadVoice

BroadVoice, another VoIP company that is located in the United States but offers services worldwide. They were founded in Billerica, MA in December of 2003, and now provide service to 120 plus countries. BroadVoice offers a package of twenty-five basic and advanced features that are billed at a monthly rate. The company allows users to make and receive calls anywhere in the world as long as a high-speed internet connection is available. BroadVoice reports over 600,000 plus users with numbers increasing monthly.

SunRocket

SunRocket is a VoIP provider established by Paul Erickson and Joyce Dorris in early 2004. These two former MCI executives were coworkers for over 10 years prior to founding SunRocket. Offices of this provider are found primarily in North Americas – the United States and Canada. This provider offers low costs, great voice calling clarity/quality and the option of adding a free additional phone number with no additional charge. With all these options available it comes as no surprise that SunRocket is quickly gaining ground on its closest competitors.

Product Description
This book explains why people and companies are converting some or all of their existing (legacy) telephone systems from dedicated telephone systems (such as proprietary PBX) to more standard IP telephony systems. These conversions allow for telephone bill cost reduction, increased ability to control telephone services, and the addition of new telephone information services. Through the use of IP telephony service, companies can immediately reduce their telecommunication costs 40% to 70%. This book provides an overview of the different types of IP Telephony systems including IP PBX, IP Centrex and Internet Telephone systems. You will learn the key functional parts of voice over IP systems and how voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) systems work. Explained are the processes used to setup and control IP telephony service. The common IP Telephony protocols including session initiation protocol (SIP), Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) and H.323 are desc… More >>

Introduction to IP Telephony: Why and How Companies are Upgrading Private Telephone Systems to use VoIP Services, Second Edition