So what is VoIP?
The acronym VoIP is very much a buzz word in today's business climate, with many companies backing the technology as an efficient money saver, but how much do we actually know about it?
VoIP stands for voice over internet protocol, which is the technology that allows users to transmit voice signals through the internet or other packet-based networks.
The technology compresses speech data and encapsulates it as a data packet stream, which is carried as digital audio over IP.
It can be used to call other VoIP users or to conventional phone users, often at little cost.
Companies can make savings by utilising a single network to carry both voice and data, and where there is network capacity not being reached, it can often support VoIP at no extra cost.
VoIP to VoIP calls are often free while VoIP to telephone calls may incur a small charge, which is less expensive than conventional calling.
As internet connection speeds and reliability increase with the roll out of broadband and next-generation networks, so too does VoIP's quality and consistency.
The introduction of 3's Skype phone has heralded a new era in VoIP technology, with users being able to make Skype to Skype calls for free as part of the mobile phone package.
From as little as £12 per month, consumers are able to make unlimited Skype calls (within a fair usage policy) as well as making conventional mobile to mobile and mobile to landline calls with their phone.
This move can be seen as VoIP being formally introduced to the public, and a clear sign that the technology is transcending the business market.
As the technology becomes more popular in business and consumer circles, marketers may look to take advantage of a relatively new medium by being among the first to approach new and existing customers through voice over internet protocol.
VoIP providers are looking to grow the market and after 8el's business VoIP service was launched in 2007, managing director Justin Hamilton-Martin explained how his company were offering solutions to minimise the cost and maintenance for customers.
"We are the only service of this kind, with the level of functionality and resilience that we are able to provide," he said.
"It is suited to any company that wants to maintain control over their communications, while experiencing the benefits of VoIP, but without having to employ dedicated staff or make large investments in equipment."
Mr Hamilton-Martin explained that next generation network (NGN) technology had been pulling ahead of traditional telecoms services and VoIP has helped businesses catch up.
"What we have done is take new IP NGN technology and use it to create a service that brings telecoms tools in line with the level of sophistication we have come to expect in the computing world," he said.
"A lot of people are talking about NGN as a theory - we're already doing it."
VoIP has not been without its teething problems, with issues arising over quality and security, but as competition hots-up, providers have moved quickly to address these matters to ensure the growth of what could be one of the most exciting innovations in telecommunications since the invention of the mobile telephone.
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