IP telephony

What is IP telephony?

IP telephony (Internet telephony) is a general term for technologies, products, and services that use Internet Protocol packet-switched connections to support voice calls, voicemail, video calls, video conferencing, fax transmission, and instant messaging (IM).

Traditionally, this communication was carried out via dedicated circuit-switched connections of the public switched telephone network (PSTN). When using the Internet, calls are transmitted as data packets over shared lines, avoiding charges for the use of the public telephone network.

IP telephony works by converting voice calls, faxes, and other information into digital signals. These digital signals travel through IP networks, such as the Internet, in the form of data packets, using packet-switched IP connections. Voice services within IP technology, such as voice calls and voicemail, are referred to as Voice over IP (VoIP).

In addition to voice calls, IP telephony also includes other features such as:

• Video calls
• Video conferencing
• IM
• Text messaging
• Faxing

IP Telephony vs VoIP

The term IP telephony is often used interchangeably with VoIP. These two terms overlap, and using them as synonyms is not considered incorrect, as they both use a local network to connect to the Internet via a router. However, when defined in more formal and specific terms:

• VoIP is more specific and describes standardized technologies that provide voice services, such as calls and voicemail, over IP networks;
• IP telephony, on the other hand, is a broader term that encompasses a full range of technologies, functions, and products, including voice services as well as non-voice features such as instant messaging.

Benefits of IP Telephony for Business

• Mobility. Access to IP phones is available outside the physical office, from laptops and mobile devices.
• Scalability. Deploying new business IP phone lines via an online interface is much simpler and easier than adding new wired telephone lines.
• Optimized infrastructure. IP telephony systems can integrate into existing infrastructure, enabling communication through business applications. For example, faxes can be sent and received via email.
• Lower costs. Using IP telephony is significantly more cost-effective than using wired telephone services at a comparable scale.
• No need to maintain two networks. Before IP telephony, businesses had to deploy and maintain separate networks for the Internet and telephony.

Communication with customers and employees on important matters will continue to take place by phone in the future.

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Improve business efficiency and operational performance with IP telephony