Voice over IP (VOIP) is one of the greatest things to come out of the internet. Although not a new concept, since scientists realised its potential back in the 70s, it has really only become popular within the last half a decade. There are a number of reasons why it didn't come about earlier, the main being slow web speeds. Before broadband, using VOIP services was fairly temperamental, often calls were jittery, laggy and poor quality. Thankfully broadband and particularly wireless internet has allowed voice over IP to flourish globally.

When talking about VOIP many people assume you are talking about Skype. Certainly Skype is one of the most popular and well known applications, recently reporting over 100 million downloads, however it is by far not the only VOIP client around. In fact there are numerous other clients, all with different quirks, features and compatibilities.

Mobile phones are now becoming increasingly powerful and technologically advanced. Despite voice over IP being a competing product to the mobile phone industry, the latest phones are paradoxically supporting the growth of VOIP. Nokia, one of the largest mobile phone manufactures in the world, no longer claims to make mobile phones, instead mini computers. Since phones are packed with the latest gadgets, they in effect are pocket size computers that can also take pictures, play games, stream music and now make free phones calls anywhere in the world using voice over IP.

Smart phones, the latest branding for next generation mobile phones, come with powerful operating systems, plenty of memory and wifi, combining these with normal phone features, a microphone and speaker, make a smart phone the ideal platform to support VOIP.

Advantages of using VOIP are clear, firstly and primarily, it is possible to have unlimited phone usage for free. However to get truly free calls, you will need to be connected to a wireless access point, ideally a free of charge one, for example in a coffee shop. Secondly you can only call someone else who is using the same software as you, and that they are online.

Additionally with VOIP international calls are a thing of the past, it doesn't matter if you are calling your neighbour or your long lost cousin in Tanzania, as long as you are both online you can enjoy unlimited and cost free chatting! The only thing you need to worry about is the different time zones. Further more with VOIP making conference calls is just as easy as making any calls, therefore if you wish to chat with your long lost cousin, great grandmother and distant nephew, it is not a problem, the more the merrier.

Other great benefits include web based voicemail, which allows anyone to access their personal messages wherever is convenient, whether that is a public library, friends laptop, or indeed your own mobile phone. Virtual phone numbers allow businesses to opt for geographical numbers despite not being in the local area. This is beneficial to customers, who can speak to the company at the cost of a local phone call, and the business who can show they have a local presence.

In conclusion, there is nothing that should be stopping you embracing the possibilities of VOIP. Communication is the principal dimension driving evolution. Join the millions of users globally and unleash the power of the internet as it had been forecast decades ago.