Over the past decade, technological advances in the world of communications have been fast paced and driven by a global demand to communicate more freely. Whilst the greatest advances have been achieved through the mobile phone industry, the convergence of the internet and the traditional phone call are beginning to form a formidable partnership.
As such, calls via the internet may use a broadband connection and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to stream telephone calls over the web. The ability to implement this concept has become relatively accessible. Users are simply required to download internet telephony software onto their PC, plug in a headphone set (or use the PC's built-in microphone and speakers), and find someone with a similar set up to speak to. Video calls can then be achieved with a web cam and a higher spec PC.
Once you've established your internet connection and logged into your software, there is a variety of advanced features at your fingertips, which includes two-way real-time video via web cam, instant messaging, voice mail and speed dialling.
Indeed, one of the major advantages with this form of communication is that, once connected to the internet, there is no cost in making an internet call. That means you can talk to anyone in the world for as long as you want, and for free. Furthermore, the sound quality can be as good as talking over a traditional phone line, though this is at times dependent on network traffic or internet connection speed.
Whilst simple to set-up, getting started with internet calls is also not too difficult. Often a traditional call or email is required to ensure both parties are online and logged in to the software at the same time. And for many, the advantage of free calls far outweighs any current disadvantages of internal calling, as friends and families seek a means to communicate globally. As it goes, internet calls offer the ability to both see and talk to loved ones in another country, simply at the touch of a button.
Although internet calls are offering many homes the latest advances in telephony, consumers are demanding more. And if you look at the bigger picture, currently computer-to-computer calls are free, compared to computer-to-landline calls and landline-to-landline calls, which are still chargeable. And when you consider the cost of such trans-continental calls, it is easy to see the benefits of what internet calls can offer.
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
