What is VoIP ? Internet-Based Telephone

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.  It is a way for anyone with a high-speed Internet connection to operate a full-featured office phone system without purchasing and installing expensive telephone hardware.  Instead of paying for phone lines in addition to your Internet connection, you can use the Internet to carry your voice to anyone in the world.

Lower your costs – While some dedicated hardware is necessary to use a VoIP system, the cost can be significantly less than normal on-premise business phone systems.    With some providers, the hardware required for your service is included in your plan.  Service costs are typically lower than those charged by a traditional phone company.

Read more about cost savings.

Easy to use – Because you are using your existing Ethernet wiring, you don’t have to hire a company to install and program your PBX equipment, you are able to do it yourself.  Hardware installation can be as simple as plugging in an data cable and maybe a power cord.  When it comes to customizing your system, web-based administration portals put you in the driver’s seat.

Click here for what you need to know to successfully set up your VoIP hardware.

Added Features – Residential customers typically get a higher level of standard features with a VoIP provider than they would with traditional telephone service.  Small business owners can benefit from a broad range of features customarily available only to major corporations.

Read our features section for more information on features you can expect with VoIP.

Other terms you may come across that are synonymous or closely related to VoIP include Cloud-based PBX, IP Telephony, Internet Phone, Hosted VoIP, Virtual Phone System, and SIP phone.