International Calls

Voice Over Internet Protocol is one of the latest discovery in the field of communication. The simple function upon which it sells itself is the factor that it uses the Internet to make calls. Endowed with several advantages, VoIP is believed to be one of the best and the most economical ways to make calls to international locations today. Moreover, quite easy to set up and use, the service can be availed easily too.

As said earlier, VoIP lets you make calls through the Internet, wherein you are charged for the Internet facilities you are using during the call process. In this condition, you have to pay only the local call charges and the usual Internet expenses. Thus, it makes no difference whether you are calling an international location or domestic one since the charges will remain the same. Thus, for companies operating in different countries, and for people who make a lot of international calls, VoIP is the best solution to cut down on telephone bills and save plenty of money.

Further advancements have deployed Internet telephony to be availed free of cost. All you need is a headset, sound card, a computer and an Internet connection. The next thing you need to do is to download any of the many VoIP software packages like Skype, Net2Phone, Gizmo and Free World Dialup. After you have installed any of these softwares, ask all your friends or people you want to chat with to install the same software. After the software has been loaded on both sides, you are free to make calls.

Not only is this service seamless, but quite economical too. Using VoIP solution assures you better voice quality than what you get on traditional calling. Moreover, VoIP enabled phones are equipped with several features like call forwarding, voice mail box, redial button and call records, which make the communication easier. Portability is another important feature attached with it. Even when you are travelling, you can make calls through Internet telephony.

Companies can benefit from implementing Voice over IP (VoIP) in their call centers, more so if they do it through a service provider, says Tim Wyatt- Gunning, joint CEO of Storm. He says cost savings on voice calls using VoIP range from up to 40% on international calls to countries such as Europe and the US, and up to 70% to destinations such as Japan and China, compared to using Telkoms telecommunications infrastructure.

Keeping Prices Down

We are able to keep our prices on an even keel by negotiating good bandwidth rates in the competitive international carrier market, and there are plenty of alternative routes.
He says the company has been able to reduce its VoIP rates by 30% over the past 18 months by negotiating better rates with international carriers. About 10% of outbound calls from call centers are international, 50% to cell phones, 20% national and the balance are local within 50km.

Huge Call Center Savings

Call centers can save an average of 40% on calls to cellphones with VoIP arid 10% to 25% on national calls, depending on the destination and call volumes. A VoIP service can reduce the cost of calls to 0860 numbers by 25% against the average rate, he says.

If a company handles its own VoIP communication, it would need costly equipment and bandwidth infrastructure, and build direct relationships with overseas carriers.
It could cost R1m to set up the infrastructure for a 20-seat call centre, but now a company can rent the functionality and access it over an IP network. This is a good low-risk option for in-house and outsourced call centre operations, and will allow them to focus on lie business instead of managing and maintaining technology infrastructure.

Every business relies greatly on communication to fuel its success. Since there are millions of potential clients and buyers out there, there should be an efficient and faster way to reach them. Now that the internet has been widely used for business transactions, it also gives businessmen the ability to make phone calls, just like a mobile phone or land line can do, thanks to Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Many businesses today to turn to VoIP services because of the convenience it offers, not to mention the cost-effectiveness of having it installed. With business VoIP, a company isn’t confined in one location for an office, as the business can operate on a virtual environment. In this virtual arena, all employees are easily reachable, and if they are connected to the internet, they can make and receive calls from anywhere in the world.

Costs for starting up a VoIP network include software, hardware, installation, and customer support. Depending on the number of employees in your small or large business, you can have multiple lines for additional fees per month. The number of free minutes also varies with the plans, with options for both international and local calls for the US and Canada.

What makes business VoIP a smart solution for your office is that you eliminate the costs for long-distance calls with operators. Plus, you even have the option for an automated answering service, so there is no need to hire a full-time secretary to receive messages and calls. The virtual secretary transfers calls to extension lines, as well as records voice mail when needed. Voice mail may also be received as attachments in email.

You can also use business VoIP for tele-conferencing, and it also provides services for three-way calls, and call forwarding. Depending on the VoIP phone model, you can save multiple numbers, change ring tone styles, and set distinctive ring tones for specific callers, much like that of a mobile phone. There is a call hold feature, so another person within your VoIP office can pick up a call even if it is answered by someone else. When someone is on hold, you can upload a wav sound file to use as background music.

You can get all this and more when you sign up your business for VoIP services. There are tons of providers, plus there are more flexible calling plans to fit the needs of your business.

The funny thing about traveling abroad is that, well, things are done differently in other countries. Go figure. You can’t plug in your hairdryer, your DVDs won’t work, and they have a different word for everything! With all these things, the next question may be, can you use your cell phone?

Possibly not. There are two main frequencies that cellphone providers use worldwide. In the U.S., Verizon uses the CDMA (code division multiple access) network, while Cingular and T-Mobile use the GSM (global system for mobiles) network. GSM is the standard frequency throughout most of the world, so if you have a CDMA phone it won’t work in many countries.

Verizon and Sprint are starting to sell phones that work with their “GSM” network, but they’re limiting – they don’t work in as many different countries as a standard GSM cell phone, so your roaming options are limited.

For cellular providers that do use the GSM system, it is important to confirm that the phone you have is either a “tri-band” (operates on three of the four major frequencies worldwide) or “quad-band” (works on all four major frequencies). Less expensive or older models may work on the GSM system but may not support the frequencies in use in the countries you are visiting. Most cellular service providers provide reference materials on their website so that you can look up your phone model, your calling plan and price out what setting up international roaming will cost. You can also call customer service and get pricing directly from a customer service representative.

The bad news that you may discover is that international roaming is quite expensive. Per minute charges run between $1.00 and $2.50 US. Going to areas without strong cellular infrastructures, such as Africa, can double these prices. If you travel often, you should consider international calling plans that take 20% – 40% off of the per minute pricing. Also, watch out for a big “gotcha” that is sometimes hidden in the fine print – voice messages may cost you twice, once when the message is left and again when you dial in to listen to the message.

Another problem with international roaming accounts is that all the calls you make are treated as long distance international calls, including calls you may make to your local hotel, restaurant and taxi company. If you think that this is what you will be using your cell phone for mostly while you travel, you can buy and insert a SIM card into your existing GSM phone. The SIM card replaces the existing chip in your phone (be sure to keep your existing chip for when you get home!) and, in effect, gives you a local number for the area you are traveling in. The bad news is that you will have a new number so you won’t be reachable at your old US number and your calls to the US, and vice versa, will be long distance international calls. What you save on local calls may make up the difference if most of your calls will be in the country where you are traveling. SIM cards come with a certain amount of minutes included in their price so be sure to guess accurately. Be sure to confirm with your cellular provider that your phone supports a SIM card prior to deciding on using them as a communication solution.

If your phone isn’t suitable or you want to consider another option, consider a GSM cell phone rental for the duration of your trip. You can rent a GSM phone or a satellite phone that can be used worldwide, and you can have the same phone number wherever you go. Each GSM international cell phone takes a SIM card designed for the country that you’re visiting which “unlocks” the phone and activates your phone number as a local number, making your calls in that country much, much cheaper. These can be ordered directly online from companies such as Telestitial .

Now to make this just a bit more confusing, Japan and South Korea use their own system called 3G. If you need a phone while traveling to those two countries, you will have to rent a phone, since no phone distributed in the U.S. support the 3G protocol.

If you’ll be traveling to a location that’s well off the beaten path, consider satellite phone rental. Many carriers offer satellite cell phones for users who are traveling abroad, and the phones themselves are usually designed for harsh environments, with extra-rugged, water- and dust-proof casings. Even if you’re in a jungle, you’ll be able to make calls, check e-mail and text message your friends and family. Some rental phones can work as both a cell phone and a satellite phone.

The absolute cheapest way to call home from overseas is by using calling cards. Calling cards are very popular outside the US and you can by them at most stores or magazine stands in pretty much every country in the world.

There are plenty of options to consider for your phone services when traveling. Determine what you believe your needs will be then check out the options you have to get the most for the least amount of money.

One popular VOIP service provider that has a growing audience is Skype. You can make and receive free calls to all Skype users as well as make telephone calls to other numbers for a small fee. With over two hundred providers of internet phone calling, you need to check and compare al providers to see how they rate, what it will cost you and what types of plans they have available. The voiP service is a blessing for saving money if you take the right plan and do not have any hidden costs later on. There are many things to consider when choosing a provider of internet phone service.

The first thing to consider is the provider and services itself. How long has the service been available and how do users rate it. Once you find a voiP service, check what people are saying, all they satisfied and do they experience any problems. The second thing to consider is the plan itself, does it provide international calling and how much does it cost you. What is the calling area for the standard plan? You should be able to call anywhere in the country you live in for the service to be beneficial.

The next and most important thing to find out is, how many dropped calls does the voiP service have in a given period. If you are on an important call, you do not want to lose your connection. Also, find out if you will have the option to do conference calls. This is important when conducting over the phone business. If all these things satisfy you, then you have found a good VOIP service provider that should accommodate your needs. Since there are so many to choose from, you should not have a problem finding one that meets all your needs.