VOIP, abbreviation of Voice Over Internet Protocol, has been talk of the town for over five years now. Almost all of us have been using telephone as the primary mode of communication with a person sitting at a distance. VOIP is said to be taking over this ‘rudimentary' level of communication in not so distant future. In simple terms, VOIP is an attempt to connect two persons through computers.



Computers evolved with the primary aim of faster calculations. Computer was then seen as a tool for making life easier at work and home. No one in early 80's had visualized the computer to play a critical role in communication network. Internet changed that to some extent. Users are able to communicate and share data with others through internet connectivity.

Now the convergence is being talked about. Scientists and engineers are working day and night to converge this data transfer utility called computing over the net into a tool suitable for data and voice transfer. VOIP is all about transferring voice over computers. In essence, VOIP refers to sharing of voice stream over a data network employing all the data transfer tools used in computers. In other words, it is the end result of integration of IT and telecom industries.

How does VOIP differ from a traditional telephone?

There are four different possibilities through which voice transfer takes place. These are IP Phone, IP Converter, Line gateway and fully IP enabled PBX system. While a traditional voice carrying system transports analog signals, IP enabled VOIP system carries digital signals. The difference lies here. All the analog systems and tools are standardized over a period of time, same is yet to happen in the field of VOIP. Companies in the field are trying to converge at standard tools for voice transfer.

Earlier avatars of VOIP telephony software products were of proprietary nature meaning they were developed looking to the specific needs of an organization. Even today many such protocols and tools are available in variety and expected to survive few more decades.

Major protocols used in VOIP are MGCP, SIP, H.323 and H.248/Megaco. There are essentially two types of architectures used centralized and distributed. These protocols and their use depend on the architecture used for VOIP system in the organization. For example, MGCP and H.248 protocols are used in centralized type of architecture while SIP and H.323 for distributed type of architecture.

VOIP offers many benefits

Whatever these technical terms mean to an end user, VOIP is going to be the future. VOIP offers many advantages. Some of the more prominent ones are cost saving, data & voice integrated systems and open standards. Imagine no additional costs involved for calls made though VOIP compared to those made through conventional switch network. Add to this the benefit of your computer being single terminal for all of your communications needs and data sharing functionality.

Last but not the least, multiplicity of vendors on protocols and techniques will lead to healthy competition. Open standards always discourage monopoly being created in an industry. Consumer is king, and will remain so.