Choosing The Right VoIP Provider

This Week's Pick up line :

Let me buy you a drink. There's an excellent store on the way back to my place.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP for short, was introduced in the mid-'90s as a way to make phone calls over the Internet. If you think of the Internet as a means of transmitting information of any kind (hence the term "information superhighway"), then the idea of making calls over a broadband connection isn't all that far-fetched. Instead of sending text (as you do with e-mail), you're sending voice messages, and, as in instant messaging, the conversation is fluid. But unlike with a regular landline, the costs of VoIP are extremely low -- and in some cases, there is no cost at all. Today, more and more guys are using VoIP to save big on their phone bills. But in order to take advantage of this technology, you still need a provider. Here are profiles of four major VoIP providers, each with a lot to offer.

SkypeIt should come as no surprise that the makers of Kazaa (a peer-to-peer file-sharing network) are now leading the way in P2P telephony. Skype brags about offering free calls forever. Technically, that's true, but there's a big catch. Calls are only free to those in the Skype network. Skype software is available as a free download. Those who download the software are free to call one another at no expense. If you want to place a call outside of the network, however, (to a regular landline, for instance), you'll have to take advantage of SkypeOut. SkypeOut allows the user to make out-of-network calls at reduced rates (.02 cents per minute to over 20 countries). Skype also offers an additional service that permits users to replace a traditional phone entirely. SkypeIn gives you your own number and voicemail. It is currently available in a beta version, at a cost of 30 euros a year. Pros: Basic Skype is free, and it's the leading provider on the VoIP market. You don't need to buy new equipment if your computer has a microphone (headsets are recommended, though). Of course, Skype has an online store to outfit you with a range of accessories. Cons: You must pay for calls outside the Skype network. 911 and directory assistance are coming, but they're not available yet. DialpadDialpad, now a Yahoo company, is seen by many as the model for where VoIP is going. It's not free, but it offers cheaper international and domestic rates than a traditional provider would. An unlimited dialing plan from Dialpad will cost you $11.99 per month for the United States. European rates are slightly less than .02 cents per minute. Dialpad is also a phone-based product, so while you'd route your calls through your computer, you'd talk through a handset, just as you would on a regular phone. Think of Dialpad as a calling card with great rates. The pros and cons of Dialpad, and a couple more VoIP providers to evaluate Pros: Yahoo's June 2005 acquisition of Dialpad should pave the way for a solid, seamless Internet/phone service (for Yahoo users, that is). Dialpad offers cheap international calls, even to countries outside of Europe (for example, 2.9 cents to Beijing). Cons: Because you can't get a phone number with Dialpad, it's not a complete substitute for a landline. Dialpad doesn't offer 911 or directory assistance. LingoLingo is best described as an old-fashioned phone company with an Internet twist. Plans range from a $7.95 monthly plan for network calls, to a $19.95 home version that gives you unlimited calls to the U.S., Canada and Western Europe, to a $79.95 unlimited international plan. Lingo also offers business plans that incorporate fax numbers. Lingo works over your existing phone, but takes advantage of your broadband connection. Pros: Although Lingo uses VoIP, it's best to think of it as a regular phone carrier. You get 911, directory assistance, voicemail, and all the usual bells and whistles for the usual extra costs. Cons: It's hard to say that you'll be saving a lot with Lingo. In terms of pricing and services, it really isn't that different from a regular landline provider. GizmoGizmo works a lot like Skype. Calls are free to users in the Gizmo network. You use your computer, not a phone handset, to talk (unless you purchase an adaptor). While Skype has led the way in signing up individual users, Gizmo has grown its network by partnering with big institutions (mostly universities). Gizmo offers additional plans for non-network calls similar to those that Skype does. They are aptly named CallOut (1.8 cents per minute to call out of network) and CallIn ($5 per month to receive calls). Pros: CallIn offers phone numbers in over 50 cities in the U.S. and UK at the cost of $5 a month. So, if you're on the go a lot, you can set up numbers at each of your destinations. Gizmo also offers free call-conferencing and gives the user the ability to record calls (though the legality of doing so will vary from state to state). Cons: The biggest problem with Gizmo is that its network is small. When the main perk is free calls inside the network, that's an issue.
find the best voip provider
Nobody can predict the future, but if you had to bet on it, the smart money would be on VoIP as the next big thing in voice communication. Of course, that doesn't mean you should switch right away. The future will bring more changes, more options and more providers, which should benefit you in the long run.