Teamspeak and Ventrilo are inherently rather similar applications. Both of them use VoIP technology in a client-server layout, allowing game players and others to talk online. That means that many users install their software on their home computer, called the client, which is organized through the server, or central hub. This server should be placed in a well connected local data center to keep latency at a minimum.

Gamers using these applications are able to plan strategies, talk to one another in real time, and communicate with one another without having to take the time to type. People who don't game can also hold meetings using multiple people at once more effectively than many other methods.

Group study is a lot easier using this type of application, as is planning family get togethers, or any other occasion where you need to allow multiple people to talk in real time, but don't have conference call capabilities. It's a lot cheaper and easier than making multiple long distance calls, and it's a lot easier to organize things when you don't have to relay information. Plus, there's no per minute fee on Vent servers, and they're easy to use.

Most often, both of these applications are used with computer headsets. However, both of them also work well with just speakers and a microphone. Some of the most popular games using these programs include Counterstrike, Everquest and World of Warcraft. However, any other online game that requires players to use team work to accomplish its objectives can benefit from Vent servers and similar applications. There are client side applications for both voice utilities for Apple OS X, Windows, and a number of Unix-based OSes.

Vent Servers

Ventrilo was first released in August of 2002, replacing outdated methods for talking to other players like Roger Wilco. While it hasn't completely taken over the market, Vent servers make up a big portion of the servers in the multi-user VoIP industry recently. Ventrilo primarily uses TCP for communications and can be bandwidth intensive, depending on the active codecs used. Users of Ventrilo tend to like the light-weight, simple interface for client computers.

Teamspeak Servers

Initially released in 2003, a little later than Ventrilo, Teamspeak's current version is Teamspeak 2. This application uses mostly UDP. Because it relies heavily on SQL databases on the server side, it's very processor intensive and can run much more slowly than Vent servers usually do. This makes it a poor choice for people with older or slower computers, who may find it gets in the way of play. There's a lot to the client interface, but this makes it somewhat bulkier and harder to use than Ventrilo.

As online voice communication methods continue to evolve, this competitive environment will keep producing more options. That means that online gamers and nongamers will be able to use Vent servers and other applications to communicate better with one another. Just about anyone can benefit from these kinds of applications, whether they're a business, gamer, family, student, organization or any other type of group.