If you've never heard of VoIP, get ready to change the way you think about long-distance phone calls. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a method for taking analogue audio signals, like the kind you hear when you talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet.

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VoIP is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to completely rework the world's phone systems.

For business users VoIP systems offer a very low cost alternative to a fully featured business phone system offering many useful features such as:

• Voicemail
• Music on hold
• Call forwarding
• Conference calling

Many large corporates have now switched to VoIP telephone systems.

The interesting thing about VoIP is that there is not just one way to place a call. There are three different types of VoIP service in common use today:

• ATA -- The simplest and most common way is through the use of a device called an ATA (analogue telephone adaptor). The ATA allows you to connect a standard phone to your computer or your Internet connection for use with VoIP. The ATA is an analogue-to-digital converter. It takes the analogue signal from your traditional phone and converts it into digital data for transmission over the Internet.
  
  
• IP Phones -- These specialized phones look just like normal phones with a handset, cradle and buttons. But instead of having the standard RJ-11 phone connectors, IP phones have an RJ-45 Ethernet connector. IP phones connect directly to your router and have all the hardware and software necessary right onboard to handle the IP call. Wi-Fi phones allow subscribing callers to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi hot spot.
  
  
• Computer-to-computer -- This is certainly the easiest way to use VoIP. You don't even have to pay for long-distance calls. There are several companies offering free or very low-cost software that you can use for this type of VoIP. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers, a sound card and an Internet connection, preferably a fast one like you would get through our microwave broadband service. Except for your normal monthly fee, there is usually no charge for computer-to-computer calls, no matter the distance.