VoIP is the acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol.
VoIP is an acronym in the English language that refers to the expression Voice over Internet Protocol . If we translate the concept into Spanish, we can say that VoIP refers to the voice that is transmitted through the use of the Internet Protocol (generally known as IP due to the aforementioned English language).
To understand how VoIP works, it is important to know that IP is a standard that, on the Internet , is used for the transmission of data through a network that uses switched packets. The voice is thus converted into a digital signal that is sent and received using an IP network .
Use of VoIP technology
VoIP, in short, is a technology that enables voice communications through a digital network. Its most common application is found in computers connected to the Internet.
However, we cannot ignore that today the use of VoIP technology can also be used on mobile phones with absolute ease and achieving great results.
A person uses VoIP technology when, with a microphone and speakers connected to their PC and specific software , they can call another person who has similar technological equipment and start a chat over the Internet. The voice of these individuals is encoded and packaged so that it circulates over the network. In this communication process, the input of information occurs through the microphone connected to the computer , while the output of information is carried out through the speakers (speakers) or headphones.
Skype is one of the most used programs to take advantage of VoIP technology.
The importance of Skype
Currently, there are many programs and applications that make use of VoIP technology to allow remote communication between two people. However, perhaps among the most relevant is Skype , a software that was launched in 2003.
It was created by the Danish Janus Friis and the Swede Niklas Zennström in Estonia and has managed to become a benchmark. So much so that currently there are many individuals and even companies that use it to be able to communicate with friends, partners, co-workers, family, clients... It is free for the most part and that is precisely why it has experienced such a boom.
Advantages and disadvantages of VoIP
The quality of VoIP communications depends on the connection speed and available bandwidth . In some cases, the voice may be heard poorly.
In any case, the advantages that stand out from the technology at hand are numerous:
- It represents a significant saving of money compared to other proposals that perform the same function.
- It gives the possibility that not only two people but many more can participate in a communication. Group “meetings” can be held.
- VoIP devices can be used in any corner of the world.
Among the disadvantages that also stand out of this proposal are:
- It may present errors at some point during communication and that results in outages.
- It may happen that communication does not reach one of the two parties well.