| Voice over IP, or VoIP, is a family of technologies that | | | | that utilize VoIP, too. |
| enables voice applications and telephony to implement | | | | These big companies have recognized that the |
| an Internet Protocol (IP) network like the Internet. | | | | popular culture is moving to VoIP services en masse, |
| These technologies include protocols, hardware and | | | | even as the telecom industry is being set on its ear by |
| software standards, and computer programs. VoIP is | | | | scrappy young VoIP startups like Vonage, Packet8, |
| employed in telephony applications, from analog | | | | and SpeakEasy.net. VoIP services deliver telephony |
| phones to next-generation IP phones and wireless | | | | applications less expensively than the old phone |
| headsets, and in desktop voice chat services, from | | | | companies can hope to. This is because VoIP is free |
| web-based party-line chat services (like Yahoo! Chat) | | | | of the continually burdensome legacy technology |
| to the well-known Skype desktop voice-calling service. | | | | investment the old phone companies must make to |
| VoIP has become an important technology that is | | | | keep the "old" global phone network running. VoIP is |
| integrating pervasively into the popular culture. It is | | | | also free of the endless government regulations and |
| employed daily to drive new engines of commerce | | | | tariffs imposed upon the old phone companies. |
| everything from business-class VoIP-powered calling | | | | In a nutshell, the way society looks at the voice |
| services to simple desktop chat tools such as Apple's | | | | network has changed. VoIP is the enabler of the |
| iChat. Other high-profile companies like eBay, Microsoft, | | | | change, and tomorrow's global voice network is the |
| Google, and AT&T offer applications and services | | | | Internet. |