What Does VoIP Stand For, and What Does it Mean?

VoIP is an acronym that sounds weird at first—“vŏy’p”—but is actually fairly straightforward in application. It stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol, which, in the simplest of terms, means the type of phone service that works over an internet connection.

To be clear, VoIP is the prevailing method of internet telephony that floated to the surface after around 20 years of a varied succession of attempts to make internet calls accessible to consumers, and I am admittedly glancing over many stages of its development.

This type of phone connection has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its low cost to the user and its versatility for business, as well as personal use. It’s possible that you have used a VoIP connection without even realizing it. Have you ever used Skype? That’s a VoIP call—and in fact, they’re one of the companies who made it famous.

VoIP phones have their advantages, but many times they’re not a worthwhile choice, mainly due to their reliance on an internet connection, which can cause serious quality and reliability issues. Of course, a technology exists because it works, and if you have the right equipment, VoIP works perfectly. If you don’t, you might regret ever signing up.

What is Different About VoIP?

So how does it actually work, you ask? VoIP delivers your voice to another phone in basically the same way it’s always been done—it’s just a different network, and it’s a different kind of signal.

Phones have conventionally used an analog signal to transmit voice, but not VoIP phones—they convert this analog signal to digital before it is sent to the destination. The network that is utilized is different, too.

VoIP phones send the digital voice signal across the Internet, instead of the PSTN, which is the network that has been used by conventional phones for decades.

Take it with You Anywhere

One of the greatest benefits of using a VoIP phone is that it does not tie you down to one location because you can connect your phone to any strong Internet connection, and it will work.

This can be of tremendous benefit to those who work as remote employees, and your phone can be taken with you anywhere.

Here’s Why Not Everyone is Sold

Yes, VoIP can be a great advantage for someone who is running a business, making a lot of long distance calls, or just working remotely; however, there are disadvantages which mainly stem from its dependence on your internet connection.

If you have a strong connection, and you supplement your network with extra equipment that can support it, then VoIP works just fine, even clearer than a traditional phone connection at times.

The problem is that many people have an internet connection that is weak or unreliable, causing poor sound quality and even dropped calls.

Does Talkroute Use a VoIP Connection?

No. Talkroute connects calls over the network that is used by your existing phones, and that’s why our service can boast a 99.98% uptime record.

Where a VoIP phone system may experience signal loss or poor quality while connecting calls over the internet, Talkroute is as reliable as the conventional phones you already have.

For some applications, and if you have the proper setup, a VoIP phone system may be a good fit. It can be versatile and efficient at its best, but if you are shopping around for a new phone solution, be sure that you test it out first because this type of system is definitely not right for everyone. There’s a good chance that it’s not all you hoped for.