In this article, we are going to talk about an interesting term that you might have come across, which is VoIP. Mostly, this is something related to the kind of phone system, so we will try to keep it as simple as we can, and without getting much deeper into the details, we will try to easily understand about VoIP number.
To give you a brief idea about the terminology or the technology overall, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it makes it possible to connect to the internet, and use common devices, like Mobile Phones, or tablets, to get the voice phone service. You may say that you are creating a virtual call. So now, I think with this intuition, it’s time to dive into some specific details of what is a VoIP number.
What is a VoIP Number & How does VoIP work?
What is VoIP?
As you already know, the full form of VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol, and it essentially can be understood as a technology, which enables us to make phone calls over the Internet, using some physical devices. It is especially very suitable for businesses, whether small or giant, as it comes out to be a modern and convenient way of communication.
Let’s take an example so that we can better understand the VoIP thing. WhatsApp is used by billions of people, and when you are doing a call on WhatsApp, instead of the traditional type of calling, it is done through the internet, so, we can say that calling on WhatsApp is a VoIP feature.
So, roughly you can consider VoIP being like a fancy name for sending your voice over the internet instead of the traditional communication channels like landline services. This can be a very convenient, and modern approach to calling, even for individuals, and businesses.
A VoIP number is basically like a virtual phone number, and you can use it like your regular number, except that the calls will be done through the internet.
Many phone services are there, which use VoIP to provide powerful telephone services to their customers, instead of giving a heavy physical installation and maintenance of a physical Telephone. Later on, we will try to list out some of the dedicated VoIP services, but right now, I think it’s better to understand more about the technology, but we are not going to go into complete details, and just understand some basic things about it.
How does VoIP work?
You might be already familiar with the kind of traditional calling service, where the the calls must be routed through a local telephone company. But when it comes to VoIP, it uses some broadband connection and routes the call along the most efficient path.
So what happens is that VoIP services convert your voice into a digital signal and that digital signal is made to travel over the internet. Also, if you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to the regular telephone signal before reaching the destination.
So, with VoIP, we can easily call directly through a computer, through a special VoIP system Phone, or even a simple telephone, connected to a special adapter.
So, this simple way we can understand VoIP service. Anyway, we are not going into great detail about how VoIP works, but I think the above explanation helps at least get a rough idea of how VoIP works. If you want to get into more details of it, you can search over the internet and learn more about it.
What is the difference between Traditional calling and VoIP
Now, let’s talk about some points of differences between traditional calling, and VoIP calling. Many of us have been using traditional calling methods, and VoIP is getting more and more attention now, through corporates, other businesses, and even individuals. So, now let’s understand the difference with the help of a table.
| Traditional Calling | VoIP Calling |
| This service relies on dedicated phone lines and switches | VoIP uses the internet for data transmission |
| Can be more expensive, especially for long-distance or international calls | Generally cost-effective, especially for long-distance or international calls |
| Limited additional features beyond basic calling and voicemail | Offers a wide range of additional features like video calls, call forwarding, etc. |
| Usually Stable, but might suffer from interference or static | Quality can vary, based on internet connection but often clear audio is experienced |
| It is tied to physical phone lines, limiting mobility | it’s not tied to specific physical lines, so enhances mobility |
| Historically considered more reliable due to dedicated infrastructure | Reliability can depend on internet stability, but advancements have improved reliability |
| Requires physical installation, less scalable | Quick setup, often accessible through apps or software, highly scalable |
As you can see from the above table, we have stated some important points of differences, between the Traditional calling facility, and the VoIP one. Through this comparison, we don’t mean that the traditional method is not good and VoIP is great, but both are great in their use cases. One can use what he/she is comfortable with.
Some VoIP services
As stated before, let’s try to mention some of the names in VoIP. We will just list out the names, but we are not going to go into much greater detail about what they do, the related services, etc. Here is the list –
- RingCentral
- Dialpad
- Zoom Phone
- Nextiva
- Intermedia Unite
- Google Voice.
- Aircall
- Grasshopper
- 8 x 8
- Ooma Office
As you can see, the above presented is just a list of some services, which provide VoIP services. We are not going to talk in detail about these companies in this article, but surely if you were searching for some renowned companies in this space, we have listed some of them above.
Who can use VoIP numbers?
After knowing much about the VoIP service, you might think that it’s very effective, like kind of you are using the internet, to make the calls possible, but a standard question that might come to your mind could be who can use this service?
If you are using WhatsApp calling, Zoom Phone service, or Google Voice, then you are kind of already using the VoIP-related service, as an individual, or a business. I would say that especially when it comes to international calls, VoIP can be a great choice, so if you are someone who needs to make a lot of international calls, you might want to check out the VoIP service.
Conclusion
In this article, we have talked about what is VoIP number. We tried to understand what is VoIP, how it works in brief, and who needs it. It’s an amazing service since you are using the internet as a medium for data transmission. So, it is very useful in certain cases, especially when it comes to international calls, which can be very easily, and cost-effectively placed over the Internet.
If you want to learn more about VoIP, you can research more about it, and if you are some business, or organization interested in using VoIP service, you can go through the list of best VoIP service providers in the above section.
There is honestly a lot to talk about on VoIP service, and we have seen some things on the surface of it, but certainly, I think this gives a good standpoint for you, to get started with understanding what is VoIP.
FAQs related to what is a voIP number
Ans: The full form of VoIP is Voice over Internet Protocol.
Ans: Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, can be understood as a technology, which involves using devices like phones, or tablets, to provide phone calling services, through the Internet.
Ans: Multiple companies provide VoIP-related services, so you can search about them, and use them.
Ans: There are a lot of benefits, like better connectivity, cost-effective, international calls made easily possible, and more. So, as per your requirements, you can simply use the service.
