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When I first got a computer, it was for my kids.  I knew that with the information that was out there in the cyber world, in order for them to keep pace with it, they needed to grow up with one.  I sat at the thing for the first time, and literally panicked.  I was so afraid that I would mess it up that I didn’t want to touch it.  Then I just realized that I couldn’t help my kids to use it if I couldn’t use it.  So I began just trying stuff on it, and when it would lock up on me, I would just power it down and start it again.  I started to realize that whatever mistakes I would make could be fixed in this way. 

Over the past few years, I have taught myself a lot about computers, and yet still don’t know anywhere near it all.  I have enjoyed learning how to type html.  This is the method by which you can change how things look like page colors and font colors and styles.  You can also use html to add decoration to your page and even animated things if you wish.  It is actually really easy and a lot of fun to do.  I have learned to sell and buy online and have gotten so good at it that many family members and friends ask me for help or to do this for them.  I don’t mind though, I take at as a compliment, and for me it is really easy to do.  I have created my own web pages and websites, two of them, however, although the websites themselves came out great, I didn’t realize then about things like how to get your page ranked with the big search engines, or PPC management services or any of these big fancy things that all basically amount to getting your web page lots of traffic and business quickly.  I always just thought that you put up a website and people came, but now I realize that there is a whole online “advertising loop” so to speak that you need to be aware of when creating an online business.  Well, now I am definitely more aware and more informed, and guess how I got that way…by researching all this information on the internet.  Just about everything you could ever want to know is out here on the web, all you have to do is find it. 

Do you own or work at a business? Have you had trouble with your phone service as is or just don’t want to pay such high prices anymore? Are you looking for a way to easily and (for a much lower price) streamline your business operations?

Maybe you should consider VoIP. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, allows you to make phone calls over an Internet connection versus over a traditional phone line. What are the advantages of such a service? It eliminates aggravating phone wiring, which can clutter workspace and looks tacky. You can use this service either through a compatible computer or  IP telephones.

VoIP is ideal for businesses as it can greatly decrease the wiring and complication of intraoffice and outside communication. Each employee can have their own line, and it is possible to see who is on the phone and when. And if you are concerned about you or your employees becoming competent with their ip phones, you can purchase Microsoft Response Point. It allows you to work with VoIP without spending hundreds of dollars on training and gaining expertise. It also allows you to work not only with the phone service but with email as well, streamlining your business operations.

Not convinced? Think about it this way. Let’s say, for example, that you are an employee at a large corporation and that it is your job to call clients concerning, say, overdue account balances. You have a large list of clients you need to call in a database on a computer in front of you, but you have to manually enter the numbers in a telephone to call each person. Let’s also say you have to record information on the computer at the same time. Wouldn’t your life be so much easier and much more organized if you could simply push a key or click a button on the computer screen and would be able to call each client from the computer without having to dial or any other such unwieldy work? This also eliminates the possibility of numbers being misdialed or any other such human error.

Having worked at a business before, I know how difficult it is to communicate on a regular phone line. Often, you must have 3 or 4 separate lines to carry out any sort of efficient intraoffice communication. This can greatly decrease the efficiency of the office. I’ve also had to make calls to clients before and it can be time-consuming to pull up numbers and other such actions manually. By using VoIP, your office will be able to operate seamlessly with email, voicemail, and telephone communications. Office operations can’t get much more streamlined than this! But don’t take my word for it; try it yourself!

I just got off the phone with my mom and she was telling me about the new VoIP telephone she got.  I said, “Mom, what the heck is a VoIP phone?”  She went on to tell me that a friend of hers told her about how great it was and my mom decided she wanted to give it a try. 

She went on to explain that all she had to do is get a device from a company that provides this type of service, and hook it up to her computer.  Then she had to plug her phone into the device, using asterisk, and it was that simple.  (I knew if she could do it, anyone could! LOL) She then explained that this device allowed her phone to place phone calls using her computer.  She told me that anyone with a computer and a broadband connection can use this service.

She said that so far it was working really well, and that she had made several phone calls already using it without any problems.  The connection was clear and it was just like using a regular phone, except without the big monthly bills.  With this system, she informed me, she would be saving about $75.00 per month.  My mom went on to explain that there were no additional fees associated with this type of phone, and that all of your phone calls could be made for one flat monthly fee (even long distance and international calls).  When she told me that on average, the cost was $20.00 a month, I was astounded.  Home phone service for $20.00 per month is an incredible deal.

Well, with the easy installation, low monthly charge, and reliability, how could I not give it a try? Then she proceeded to tell me, she was getting me the service as well. She said that I would receive the device in the mail and the instructions on what to do would be inside.  Well, for $20.00 a month I will give anything a try, that is too good of a savings to pass up.

Quite frankly, I am excited to receive my VoIP phone but am still a little leery of the service and reliability.  It seems impossible to believe that someone has found a way to reduce the cost of anything these days.  And to be able to do it without giving up reliability is just awesome.