Voice over IP Service
VoIP is the short form of the term Voice over Internet Protocol. So what is VoIP all about? The term VoIP includes a pretty wide scope and an equally wide number of methodologies and technologies for facilitating the conduction of voice communication and multimedia interactions using the media of an Internet protocol network. Other terms which are interchangeably and, often, synonymously used in place of VoIP are Internet Telephone, Voice over Broadband (VoBB) and broadband phone. As opposed to Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), VoIP or Internet telephony works using the Internet as the media. Before we get to the VoIP advantages, let’s take a look at what steps are involved in setting up a VoIP session.
Steps In Making a VoIP Call
A VoIP call is originated using the following steps. Go through these steps to find out how multimedia communication using Internet protocol networks work. Here’s how you make a call using VoIP services:
* To begin with, the media channel and signaling are set up for the VoIP.
* Next, the analog voice signals are digitized.
* After digitization, the voice signals are optimally compressed and packetized.
* These packetized voice signals are then transmitted in the form of Internet Protocol packets and these packets are transmitted over a network which is packet switched.
Technologies Used for Implementation of VoIP
Implementation of Voice over IP can be made using both open protocols as well as proprietary protocols. The following protocols and technologies are generally used for the implementation of VoIP:
* MCGP – Media Gateway Control Protocol which is used for regulating media gateways on IP as well as PSTN networks. It is used for signaling and controlling calls within a VoIP. The MCGP is an upgradation to and successor of the Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP).
* IMS – IP Multimedia Subsystem framework acts as an enhancer to VoIP features by not seeking to standardize applications and by facilitating multimedia access from both wireline and wireless terminals.
* SIP – Session Initiation Protocol can be easily employed to commence/create, modify and end unicast as well as multicast sessions which may include one of more media streams.
* H.323 – This is not a protocol in itself, but rather a recommendation that defines protocols such that they are enabled to conduct audio-visual interactive sessions on just about any packet network model. This recommendation is made by the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector.
* SDP – Session Description Protocol the initialization parameters of streaming media. This protocol describes session announcement, invitation and parameter negotiation for multimedia communications.
* RTP – Real-time Transport Protocol finds widespread use in the fields of streaming media such as video conferencing, PTT (push-to-talk) features and Internet telephony. The RTP packet format is standardized for transmitting audio-visual signals over IP networks.
VoIP Benefits
The advantages of VoIP are many and the benefits of VoIP spread across diverse areas of utility! Let us take a look at some major VoIP advantages for individuals, businesses and over PSTN.
* VoIP Advantages for Business: Businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs. Due to its low operational costs, VoIP is a great choice for conducting day-to-day business communications. It enables business organizations to route phone calls over data networks that are already there, eliminating the need to maintain separate networks for voice and data! Besides this, due to the innate open source VoIP features that facilitate video conferencing, call forwarding, IVR, caller identification and redial free of cost, it appears a cheaper alternative as opposed to seeking these services from conventional telecoms companies who levy additional charges for these extra services. These are remarkable business VoIP advantages that cannot be ignored!
* Individual VoIP Advantages: Besides availing of cheap call rates, especially on international calls, VoIP services give a lot of flexibility to individual and private users. You can use a single broadband Internet connection to route multiple telephone calls, you can secure your calls by taking advantage of standardized protocols and you have the flexibility to integrate the VoIP service with other multimedia services that you can get over the Internet.
* VoIP Advantages Over PSTN: VoIP allows us to access concurrent data while conducting voice calls and video conferencing simultaneously. Since the data is transmitted in a compressed format, VoIP can be used for multitasking as the bandwidth has the capacity to cater to multiple utilities at the same time.
These are the major VoIP advantages. Like everything else in the world, this technology is not devoid of drawbacks and lacunae but that may be discussed as a separate subject, say VoIP disadvantages, sometime later. Till then, enjoy the benefits!
