Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has been a subject of boiling issues for the past years. Many businessmen from large corporations have turned to VoIP and have made savings of at least 50 percent with their telephone bills.

VoIP has grown in demand because it can assist users with their tasks. This is one thing which may not be available from traditional networks. Some of such tasks include the following:

* In UK, the US, and other member countries of organizations like VoIP User, phone numbers are available for free use.

* Incoming calls can be controlled to be automatically forwarded to a VoIP phone, wherever you may be connected to the network. So, a traveling businessman can still receive incoming calls by just connecting to the internet with the use of a VoIP phone.

* With the use of VoIP phones, call center agents can do their work from any location with a stable and fast internet connection.

* Various VoIP packages offer free features such as Caller ID, Call Forwarding, 3-way Calling, and Automatic Redial.

VoIP solutions entail VoIP problems. For the past years, the problems that have stirred up on the use of VoIP focused on the voice signal quality. If IP packets are delayed or lost at any point in the VoIP network, users will experience a brief drop-out of voice transfer. This case is obvious where there are long interworking and distances between endpoints and in congested networks. But this has changed. Many companies have sought for VoIP solutions for a clearer signal that has even surpassed that of the present analog landline service.

Another VoIP drawback is that sending faxes is difficult because of networking restraints and software limitations. However, a VoIP solution is in progress to outline an IP-based alternative for Fax-over-IP delivery. This is called T.38 protocol. A substitute solution to fix this drawback is by treating the faxing method as a message switching mechanism that does not require real time data broadcast. Examples are sending fax as a remote printout or as an email attachment. The incoming fax data can be completely buffered by the end system before being displayed or printed.

However, there are three main issues that concern VoIP solutions before VoIP can dominate the world. These are mobile VoIP phone service, power outages, and Emergency 911 services.

The first VoIP solution that needs to be directed is a way to substitute voip phone service to cellular phone service. Presently, wireless VoIP, or wVoIP, is reliant on the reach and location of Wi-Fi hotspots. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi hotspots have lower reach compared to the present microwave systems of cell phones and may not be practical on a larger range.

A VoIP solution for the problem of replacing a cell phone service can possibly be an advanced cellular-VoIP service. Presently, there a few manufacturers that can produce dual-purpose phones. Such cell phones work as standard cell phones; but when the user is within a hotspot, the cell phone can get connected with VoIP. This type of solution will help the users save money, particularly when they are in hotels, airports, cafés, and other hotspot areas.

Another drawback of VoIP is the irregularity of the Emergency 911 service. Not all current service providers of VoIP provide full Emergency 911 service. But, this has changed as the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, has taken an action on this dilemma. It has directed all the phone service companies to provide the standard 911 service, even if the customers have not specifically requested to avail the service.

Another VoIP dilemma that has to be prevailed over with VoIP solutions is the power outage concerns. During a power outage, the local phones are still operational. But VoIP requires high-speed internet connection. Without power, the internet access is lost, and so with the VoIP connection. The use of cell phones is the current alternative workaround during residential power outage. Many VoIP companies and providers have started to install power backups in the VoIP hardware sets to attend to this issue.

But these VoIP shortcomings would not stop the VoIP technology in its widespread deployment. VoIP solutions are coming. Don't get left behind! Do you have VoIP already?

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