The functionality of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones is more modern than landline and mobile phones. However, VoIP phones have features that can also be found in the typical landline and most cellular phones. Unlike a mobile phone, a VoIP phone must be connected with a wire to a high-speed Internet connection.
The most present and offered features in landline and mobile phones include voicemail, fax, caller ID, 3-way calling, call forwarding, call blocking, call waiting, last number redial, 411 directory, local number portability and 911 service. If you subscribe to a VoIP phone service, these features are only basic features that every device and service have. Some VoIP phone service providers will not require you to pay extra for these basic features.
Listed below is a VoIP tutorial on some of the basic features of a VoIP phone service:
CALLER ID
Every time a VoIP phone rings, this feature will display the number of the caller on the display screen. If the identity of the caller is included in the saved contact entry phone memory, it will also be displayed. The identity of all callers that have the same network provider as yours will also be displayed on the screen every time they call.
The term for the caller ID will vary according to the VoIP phone service provider and country. Canadians use the term Call Display to refer to caller ID. In other countries, caller ID is referred to as Call Capture, Call Line Identity (CLID), or Call Line Identification Presentation (CLIP). When an ISDN phone line provides a caller ID, it is called a Calling Line Identification (CLI).
VOICEMAIL
If you are a person who doesn't have enough time to answer your phone calls throughout the day, voicemail is a good feature to have. If you cannot answer the call, voicemail will allow the caller to record a voice message that you can listen to later on. It is very similar to an answering machine. The difference between the two is that voicemails are stored on the network while voice messages are stored in the answering machine's memory or on a recordable tape.
The voicemail feature is activated when the maximum number of rings programmed by the network has been reached by the caller. Once this number is reached, the call will be diverted by the network to the voicemail.
FAX
The fax feature is commonly referred to as IP Faxing. VoIP phone services use the Internet to transmit and accept fax messages while landlines use its own network to send and receive such messages. The fax feature transmits fax data on the Internet and forwards it to fax servers. Then the data is converted by the fax servers and transferred to a normal telephone connection. It is then received as a normal fax by the intended party.
3-WAY CALLING
This feature will let you speak to as many as 3 people simultaneously. It will allow a conversation to be heard and done by 3 people. The purpose and concept of 3-way calling is similar to telephone conferencing. However, telephone conferencing will allow more than three people to speak simultaneously to one another.
A multiple-way calling feature for VoIP phones will be available in the future. This will allow conversations to take place between more than three parties simultaneously.
CALL BLOCKING
A basic VoIP phone feature is call blocking. It will block the call from anyone whose name and number you have already added to a blocking list. These calls will be automatically rejected and your phone will not ring.
This feature is used by many people for call management purposes. You can stop annoying unwanted calls from disturbing you. It will allow you to only hear from the people you want to speak to.
CALL WAITING
The call waiting feature will allow you to speak to one caller while another caller is on hold. This VoIP phone feature will prevent you from missing important calls.
This VoIP tutorial has detailed many features found in VoIP phones. However, there are other features that VoIP phones have that are not found in landline and cellular phones. Because VoIP phones connect through the Internet there are many features that are supported by wide Internet capability.
VOIP Tutorial Part 1 - What You Need To Know About VOIP
VOIP Tutorial Part 2 - Why Replace Your Conventional Phone with VOIP
VOIP Tutorial Part 3 -
Understanding VoIP Basics And The Many Advantages of VoIP
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