| My world got smaller, my business grew five | | | | and starts calling. That's it. Any software |
| times over, and I got talking | | | | downloads? Anybody else to call to set it up? |
| I'm a web designer and I work wacky hours, | | | | Turns out, she simply went online, chose the |
| push buttons on a computer, talk to a lot of | | | | package the wanted, the unlimited one of course, |
| people, send out email, drink coffee, like the | | | | selected her phone number and within days had |
| Discovery Channel and enjoy running my own | | | | her phone adapter arrive in the mail. After that, |
| business. My business consists of working with | | | | wherever she traveled to, she would take the |
| people, helping businesses out, generating ideas, | | | | adapter with her, plug it in to the internet and |
| communicating with others, creating reports, | | | | start making calls. Best of all, people would call her |
| talking to people. Sometime I talk about business, | | | | on her local number and no matter where she |
| sometimes about the internet and sometimes I | | | | was in North America, she would be able to take |
| talk about nothing. If you catch me in an espresso | | | | the call. If the was away from her phone, |
| moment, you'll probably want to stop talking to | | | | voicemail would kick in. If she decided she wanted |
| me after a while. | | | | to go mobile, she would call forward the calls to |
| My business has clients that are everywhere in | | | | her mobile. |
| the world. My clients need me at all hours at | | | | I called her a couple of times on her local number |
| times, hence the cappuccino moments. My clients | | | | and instead of asking where she was in the city; |
| want things done yesterday. My clients like good | | | | I'd have to ask where she was in the country |
| work, good communication, and good results. My | | | | right now. Quality of the call was the same all the |
| clients can be demanding, abrasive or reactive. I | | | | time. Unlimited means unlimited. Does not limit you |
| put out fires to keep my clients happy, its part of | | | | to the city you are in, does not limit you to how |
| my business. Sometimes my clients can't wait for | | | | many minutes you want to talk. Does not limit |
| me to call and sometimes I can't wait to not talk | | | | you from what device you want to talk from. |
| to them at all. My business relies on me being in | | | | That's this new thing called VOIP. |
| touch with my clients. These days, who do you | | | | When she told me the price she was paying per |
| know that does not need to be in touch with | | | | month, I was immediately on the computer |
| someone out there? | | | | looking up the website and signing up. Obviously I |
| At the end of the day, I need to keep in touch | | | | ended up taking the unlimited plan for only $15 a |
| with my business customers, because if I don't, I | | | | month. This I had to try out. |
| won't see any steak or cake next month. | | | | So I go on with my day. I go on with my next |
| I have a cell phone, a computer, a scanner, a | | | | day. Pushing buttons, sending emails, making calls |
| printer, a telephone, a pda, a new iPod, a digital | | | | when all of a sudden the mail dude finds my |
| camera, some speakers, headphones, a wireless | | | | doorbell. |
| mouse and various other gadgets to keep my life | | | | The package arrives. |
| simple and keep my business running smoothly. | | | | The unlimited phone deal thing arrives. My answer |
| Little did I know that there is this something new | | | | arrives. The box arrives. The box with the thing |
| out there called VOIP. Voice over Internet | | | | inside arrives. You get the point. |
| Protocol. Sounds high tech huh? | | | | Now what? |
| With all the phones, cell phones, internet phones, | | | | Eagerly I open the box only to find a small silver |
| pagers and everything that is out there to | | | | device within it. It's called the Sipura! Exciting. |
| communicate with, why would I now need VOIP? | | | | I see it has some places where I can connect |
| Do I really need another device on top of another | | | | things to, so being the type of person that does |
| device? Do I really need to figure out how to use | | | | not read manuals, I start plugging things in. One |
| another gadget? Do I need to download more | | | | connection is obviously to my high speed internet |
| software to my computer? What all do I have to | | | | connection. Another connection looks like a phone |
| buy now? I pride myself in being up to date and | | | | connection. Last one would be the power to give |
| with the times and on top of all that is new out | | | | it juice. Done. |
| there, but this thing surprised me, because it's | | | | Now what? |
| been out there already for a while. The more I | | | | I look around the box looking for software, but |
| looked in to it, the more I found there to be | | | | see none. Something is wrong. Now I dig out the |
| people subscribing to this technology of getting | | | | manual and look to see what I do next. |
| free, or shall we call it, unlimited long distance. I'll | | | | Apparently nothing, start making calls. Ok, this is |
| explain more about the technical parts of the | | | | way too simple. I pick up my phone receiver and |
| technology a bit later. | | | | hear a dial tone. Now, I could get in to what that |
| Here's my most recent scenario of why I chose | | | | meant to me and how it made me feel, but we |
| to even consider VOIP. | | | | won't go in to that right now. I call my friend only |
| I recently moved to a community where for | | | | to find I have a connection and I can |
| some reason I am out of the local calling area for | | | | communicate. It's that simple. I call another friend |
| the district that I live in. That's not exciting when | | | | who is 3 hours in a different time zone, works |
| all my clients live in the city and now it costs me | | | | just perfect. I more people and my working day |
| money to make a simple phone call. Long distance | | | | is now corrupted calling friends and family with |
| during the day is not cheap yet. So I decided to | | | | whom I haven't talked to in ages. Another new |
| look at my options. | | | | wonder in my life. |
| Do I use my cell phone and make long distance | | | | What I did find out after the fact was that I also |
| calls? If I did that, I run the risk of using up my | | | | had all these cool features included in the price of |
| valuable daytime minutes. It turns out, long | | | | my plan. Voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding, 3 |
| distance on some cell phone plans are almost | | | | way calling and more. Yikes, I would be paying |
| double the rate the normal landline rates. I can | | | | how much extra with the phone or cellular |
| just see my bills now running close to a thousand | | | | companies just to have them. When you do you |
| a month. | | | | research, you find that most, if not all, VOIP |
| Second option was email to stay in touch with | | | | service providers have these features included in |
| everyone. Email is great, but when you need that | | | | their plans. Another benefit and star for VOIP. |
| answer right away or a simple yes or no, | | | | Something I did like right away was that the |
| somehow it just did not work out for me. I'd | | | | adapter is about the size of my wallet. I can easily |
| heard the common feedback, "Sorry, I was away | | | | stow it away in my laptop bag and take it with |
| from the computer", "My computer has a virus", | | | | me wherever I go out of town and still make call |
| "What email?" Don't get me wrong, I rely on email | | | | without paying long distance - day or night. |
| daily, but for some matters it just was not there | | | | On to the technical part ... we'll keep this brief. |
| for that instant touch. | | | | VOIP is short for Voice over Internet Protocol. |
| I called the phone company and they gave me a | | | | Some companies will call this technology |
| few options. Would add a bit extra on to the | | | | broadband phone service, digital phone service, |
| phone bill, but I was limited to time and to when I | | | | voice over IP, internet phone service and other |
| would be able to make call. Sure I can make call | | | | variations on this name. Basically what it means is |
| during the day, but guess what, climb that money | | | | that is allows you to send and receive audio, such |
| tree and shake some more coins out of it. | | | | as your voice, back and forth over the Internet. |
| I tried downloading some of these free long | | | | IP is the acronym for Internet Protocol and is the |
| distance internet software applications. Worked | | | | standard for sending and receiving information |
| fine, but to have free calls, others would wither | | | | over the Net. The adapter that you receive from |
| have to have the same software and they would | | | | you VOIP company in most cases is called the |
| need to be in front of their computers. | | | | ATA adapter (Analog Telephone Adapter) and |
| Remember, their computer is still in the shop and | | | | this will convert your analog audio signal (which is |
| they are away from it most of the time. Don't | | | | your great voice) and to a digital signal so that it |
| get me wrong, for some people, these systems | | | | can be transmitted via the internet. By doing this, |
| work great and productivity is greatly increased. | | | | you are bypassing the local telephone company |
| My issue was I could not get everyone I wanted | | | | and making and receiving call over the internet. |
| on board to download the software without me | | | | Hence the name Voice over IP. For most |
| having to troubleshoot and guide through the | | | | providers, it's as simple as taking the ATA |
| usage. | | | | adapter out of the box, plugging your phone in to |
| Then I talked to a friend and she told me about | | | | the device and start making phone calls. There |
| the service she was using for all her long distance | | | | are also IP phones which are dedicated VOIP |
| needs. Somehow I do recall her calling me from | | | | telephones. Instead of having the standard RJ-11 |
| Toronto and us talking forever about nothing. | | | | connections, they have a RJ-45 Ethernet |
| Then the following week she called me from New | | | | connection. Once again, take the phone, plug it in |
| York and we talked again. I began to wonder | | | | and off you go. |
| what her phone bill was like every month. So I | | | | Where to get this voip unlimited long distance |
| asked her. | | | | service? |
| It turns out she was and still is paying a flat rate | | | | There are a number of voip providers out there |
| per month and gets unlimited long distance calling | | | | from offering various services, deals and |
| anywhere in North America. | | | | promotions. Explore your options, determine your |
| What? Run that by me again? Unlimited, there's | | | | needs, and ask questions. |
| no such thing as unlimited. There has to be limits. | | | | At the end of the day, I ended up getting a few |
| Even on some of these advertised cell phone | | | | of my friends and clients signed up with VOIP. |
| plans where they tell you that it is unlimited, if you | | | | They're happy, especially when some of them |
| read the fine print, somewhere in there it says | | | | opted for the service provider that offered 2 |
| you are limited to ten thousand something or | | | | months free unlimited plans. |
| another. | | | | Anyways, it's getting late here and I should be off |
| I asked her for more information. She basically | | | | to bed. Then again, someone out in New York is |
| told me that she signed up with this company, | | | | just getting up and really deserves an early |
| they sent her an adapter, she plugs any home | | | | morning call from me to let them know I'm |
| phone in to it, plugs the adapter in to the internet | | | | thinking of them. |