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In this high technology world of today, most of us must have at one time or another encountered the term VOIP which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. For some people, what is known about VOIP is that it conveniently lets you to make voice calls from your computer to another computer as long as it has a phone number or even to a landline or a mobile phone may it be local or long distance within the country or overseas with the help of a quality and dependable internet connection. In more technical terms, it is as its name suggests a protocol or a procedure that allows your voice to transmit as a digital signal to travel through the channels of the internet or through the packet switched networks of a computer so as to reach a personal computer equipped with the same protocols. You may have known VOIP with all the other terms that it carries such as Internet telephony, Broadband phone, Broadband telephony, IP telephony or the term Voice over Broadband.

The main requirement perhaps of a VOIP is a computer, as mentioned a good broadband connection, and an adaptor in between. A high speed internet connection can be easily addressed by a cable modem or getting yourself to avail of the services of a DSL or you can choose to have a local area network. In using VOIP on your computer, software nevertheless needs to be installed in. With this you can easily access and download online.

Also, you will need a functional microphone which can come cheap in a lot of computer shops. Just follow the easy instructions and plug it in. In minutes, you may very well be on your way to making that long distance call to a far away friend.

The advantage that VOIP offers is mainly convenience. While working with your computer, you need not go and pick up the phone but with a few clicks of your mouse, you can easily make a call to a business associate or to an online contact. Convenience, for some VOIP users, also means lesser costs on communication expenses. Usually we pay a flat fee every month for our telephone connection and add to that, the rates which are charging by the minute when we make long distance telephone calls.

On a positive note, most VOIP providers' services today are offered free of charge. This translates to no more monthly telephone charges for you. Literally like hitting two birds with one stone. With VOIP you might very well have to pay for your telephone usage and your internet connection with just one monthly fee. There are also some features that a VOIP service offers its users which are not available if you are using a regular telephone line that can work to your advantages especially for people who are using VOIP for business deals. One perhaps is mobility as you can access your VOIP even if you are away from the home or the office. Other than your landline, you may not have a need for a mobile phone just to get your voice messages across.