VoIP

VoIP

Voice over IP. Sending voice data (i.e. human conversations) using IP packets across a network (such as the internet) instead of across a (traditional) telephone network.

A number of companies offer VoIP services. Typically these provide free telephone calls between people using the same software, but do not support calls between people using different software. Some provide additional facilities such as VoIP to landline numbers (call-out) or landline numbers to VoIP (call-in), and video.

For more information see:

• www.skype.com - Skype, an increasingly popular VoIP service.
• http://get.live.com/messenger/overview - Windows Messenger.
• http://messenger.yahoo.com/ - Yahoo Messenger.
• www.voipcheap.co.uk/en/index.html - UK (only) service offering free VoIP calls to landline numbers.
• www.vonage.co.uk - a VoIP service provider, providing cheap UK National and international calls.
• http://everything.explained.at/Voice_over_Internet_Protocol - Voice over Internet Protocol explained.