Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a technology that enables voice communication and multimedia sessions over the internet rather than traditional telephone lines. It relies on a set of protocols like RTP (Realtime Transfer Protocol), SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and a few others, to route media payloads after converting them from analog voice/video signals into digital data packets. This approach allows users to make phone calls, conduct video conferences, and send multimedia messages using internet-enabled devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.
Today the VoIP technology has evolved to include a wide range of features and applications, including:
IP Telephony: VoIP allows businesses to deploy cost-effective phone systems using IP-based infrastructure, eliminating the need for traditional phone lines and hardware. These system offer all the basic audio/video call facilities along with advanced features such as conferencing, voice messaging and more.
Unified Communications: VoIP is a key component of unified communications (UC) platforms, integrating voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools into a single platform for seamless communication and collaboration.
Cloud-Based VoIP: Cloud-based VoIP solutions provide businesses with scalable and flexible communication services hosted in the cloud, offering features such as auto-attendants, call routing, and voicemail to email integration.