Why VoIP is not Going to Fail

VoIP is an almost constant topic in our daily dose of business and tech-related news. VoIP, or Voice over Internet/IP is really an old technology re-emerging with a new face and marketing spin. In reality, we've been using VoiP for years, just as the Internet community used email for years before it was embraced by the business and consumer communities in the nid-1990s. Whether you want to reference Voice over Internet or Voice over IP protocol, at the most simple level it is merely a matter of interfacing voice or audio input with a microphone device, digitizing the input, slicing it into packets, sending it over an Internet network to a destination address, reassembling packets at the other end - voila! you have Voice over Internet or IP.

Sound too simple? This is precisely what the telephone industry does not want you to know. It is simple, so simple a loosely knit group of people can slap together a bit of code, call it Skype, and within 18 months sign up nearly 80 million people around the world. And guess what? IT WORKS! Bet Time Warner or Verizon Hawaii wishes they had that market clout!

Now, much like the Internet itself, the user community is defining and writing the future of global voice communications in the privacy of their own homes. Not in Palo Alto, not in Bangalore - in simple bedrooms and informal hobby shops scattered around the world. Hard to believe your next personal or business communication system may be written and published by a high school student in Uruguay.

Get this... Whatever lobbying telephone companies may attempt in trying to prevent VoIP applications through use of tactics such as E911 non-compliance, taxation, regulations, etc., there may actually be no way for governments to ultimately regulate VoIP. The only way for the phone companies and government to ultimately control voice applications may be to simply shut down the Internet. Otherwise there will be a new application born every day which is designed to go around temporary blocks established by companies wishing to filter VoIP from their networks. Why do I say that?

Consider email. Many Post and Telecommunication Administrations (PTAs) around the world initially attempted to control use of email within their countries. Many reasons were given, such as national security, infringing on the rights of the state-owned monopoly post office, and a thousand other reasons why email was not acceptable within the "special" situation within an individual country.

The result? The community got creative and bypassed their governments. Instead of accessing email from local ISPs and email hosting providers - they simply got accounts on Yahoo, Hotmail, or other freemail service and accessed email through a public web browser located in a different country. The email debate is no longer an issue. This will soon be the case with VoIP.

Here is another interesting idea to consider. In the case of email, now nearly any desktop computer can be configured to serve as an email host - simple stuff, even for a relative beginner. With public domain VoIP servers now on the street such as "Asterisk" your next door neighbor high school student could potentially be the next telephone company. So as soon as the regulators start going after Vonage and the rest of the public VoIP companies, another hundred free phone services ala Skype, compatible and interoperable with a thousand other free phone services will emerge.

A full understanding of the concept of presence will further enlighten the masses on this approach. Just think of the potential impact on traditional voice services if Yahoo, AOL, MSN, and other instant messaging or presence service providers with VoIP aspirations actually meet the growth expectation telecommunications analysts! MSN's instant messenger claims to add nearly 30,000 users each day!

So what can the average telephone company do to defend themselves from VoIP? Probably nothing. The Voice over Internet/IP "train has left the station." The best chance they have is to concentrate on building physical networks, partner with one or more VoIP and presence management companies, and resign themselves to the position of a telecom infrastructure provider. A bit of concentrated lobbying may delay VoIP diffusion within a geographic location, but VoIP is a truly disruptive technology which will have a major impact on the way we communicate in a global network and society.

VoIP is in our future

John Savageau is the Senior Vice President, Operations, at CRG-West. CRG-West operates major telecommunication facilities such as the One Wilshire Building in Los Angeles and Market Post Tower in San Jose. Contact John Savageau at savageau@pacific-tier.com

---

What Do You Know About VoIP?

What is VoIPVoIP is an acronym for voice over internet... Read More

Voip Providers Review--- Choose The Best One For Your Business

Making phone calls applying a broadband Internet connection,known as VoIP... Read More

Making PC to Phone VoIP Calls over Dial-Up Internet Connections

There's a lot of hype these days surrounding Internet-based voice... Read More

Should You ,VoIP?

My friend in Florida, Samuel, called me last week and... Read More

Get a ?Virtual Phone Number? - Eliminate Long Distance Charges with VoIP Phone Service

There's a revolution brewing in the telephone industry. But it's... Read More

Try VoIP for Free - No Commitment, No Hardware

Try VoIP Before BuyingSo you like the concept of 'cutting'... Read More

Finally Voip Worth a Look!

Everyone can Benefit from this Technology! Voip will be next... Read More

Instant Menaces or Instant Messengers?

Many vendors offering Instant Messaging (IM) services have added new... Read More

VOIP Questions and Answers

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has grown in popularity... Read More

VoIP in the Home

VoIP is set to revolutionise home communications. With VoIP you... Read More

VoIP - A Laymans Look - Should You Or Shouldnt You?

"As business people we manufacture shin pads, or we distribute... Read More

The Single Most Important Thing to Know About Computer Phones (VoIP)

Over 90% of computer phones (VoIP) are not secure because... Read More

Things You Should Consider When Selecting a VoIP Provider

The following are very important factors to consider when you... Read More

What Is VOIP?

Confused about VOIP? Join the crowd. It's not as difficult... Read More

How VoIP Will Affect Every Household and Business in the World

Seattle venture capitalist, Greg Gottesman, calls it "?one of the... Read More

6 Important Things You Should Consider When You Are Selecting A VoIP Provider

The following are 6 very important factors to consider when... Read More

Telecom Industry Transition: WiFi, VoIP, WiMax - The Wireless Age is Already Here

VoIP on WiMax will make the latest 3G technologies obsolete... Read More

Alarm Systems & VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Phone Lines

An astounding and unexpected number of people are dropping their... Read More

Benefits of VoIP

You may not have considered it but there are many... Read More

Why Over 90% of VoIP Services Are Vulnerable to Attack

John Ashcroft, Attorney General, in remarks at the High Technology... Read More

Consumer Review on CallWave Call Alert Service

Missing phone calls while you are online?Are you thinking of... Read More

How to Never Pay a Hotel Phone Bill Again

The protocol is increasingly being adopted as the standard means... Read More

Is VoIP Good For The Home?

There is no doubt that you have heard about VoIP... Read More

Does Voice Over IP Telephony Spell the End for Traditional Telephones?

Just What is Voice Over IP Telephony?Voice over Internet Telephony... Read More

Will VoIP be a Mass Market Product?

A common thinking among "Marketing people " is that for... Read More

Lower Videophone Prices Allow Individuals Accessibility

VoIP service providers are now offering videophone at the lowest... Read More

Is VoIP the ?Next Big Thing? in Telecommunications?

VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol has been simmering for... Read More

The Calling Card Alternative

For a few years now, the calling cards business is... Read More

VOIP: A Basic, Basic Intro

What is it?Most people are familiar w/ NetMeeting and other... Read More

VoIP and 911 Warning

Be leery of your VoIP phone system in case of... Read More

Using a Bluetooth Headset with your PC

BluetoothFor those of you not familiar with the term, Bluetooth... Read More

What Is VoIP and How Does It Work

IntroductionThe way we make phone calls is changing. In fact... Read More

VoIP: Finally Worth a Look

Dear Internet Friends, Hundreds of thousands of consumers collectively save... Read More