| Voice over IP (VoIP) uses a broadband Internet | | | | the features available with a small business VoIP |
| connection to transmit telephone communications. | | | | service. |
| VoIP-connected users can call other VoIP users or | | | | Unlike POTS (plain old telephone service), which |
| those still hooked to traditional phone lines with no real | | | | requires expensive and often time consuming |
| discernible difference between the quality of audio or | | | | installation, VoIP can be installed quickly and easily. |
| transmission compared to using a conventional | | | | Additional lines can be added at any time, and home |
| telephone. | | | | offices simply need an IP connection and a VoIP router |
| In many cases, home phone customers simply use | | | | or phone to connect with the main office network. |
| their original phones hooked to a modem that makes | | | | Most VoIP providers allow businesses to set up their |
| them compatible with the IP connection. Many modems | | | | group phones at multiple locations, and move them |
| can plug into one phone jack and literally hijack a | | | | whenever necessary. A phone number can be |
| home's internal telephone wiring, making every phone in | | | | assigned to a person or department instead of an |
| the house available for use with VoIP. | | | | office or desk, and the number can be used to receive |
| Large businesses are more likely to have their own | | | | or make calls from any registered device. |
| custom-built VoIP infrastructures for unified | | | | Whether you have a small office and want to use |
| communications. Hosted VoIP services are available | | | | VoIP as an alternative to POTS, for cheaper |
| for small to medium companies that don't want their | | | | international calls and greater functionality, or you have |
| own PBX. While not as fully customizable as an | | | | a large organization and need to utilize VoIP as part of |
| in-house hosted system, hosted business VoIP does | | | | a larger unified communications plan, the benefits of |
| offer many useful features and the monthly fees are | | | | this service cannot be underestimated. |
| still often lower than standard telephone service. | | | | For home VoIP, existing hardware can be used to |
| A hosted VoIP service is particularly useful for small to | | | | make VoIP a cheap alternative to regular telephone |
| mid-sized companies with many small branches, | | | | service. For business use, additional software and soft |
| remote offices, or work from home / telecommuting | | | | phones can be added as well as mobile add-ons and |
| employees. Options such as click to call, voice | | | | browser functionality to provide the most productive |
| message retrieval from email, free PC to PC calling | | | | work environment. |
| and high quality conference calling are just a few of | | | | |