Converged Phone Companies – What Are the Differences?
The different forms of VOIP technology are currently being developed, as each is an extension of the traditional wired connections between computers and their IP phones. While there may not be one standard VOIP technology, several different forms exist and all of them can be implemented with the appropriate software or hardware.
There are currently two types of VOIP phones: software-based, and hardware based. Software based phone services include web based conferencing, videoconferencing, video conferencing, email and VoIP PBX services. Hardware-based phone services include VoIP PBXs, converged VoIP PBXs, mobile devices and servers.
Converged VoIP Phones (CVP) are converged phone systems that provide the functions required for IP telephony. These can consist of both hardware and software to provide IP phones and the associated features. They can also combine the features of a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system, with the use of a converged infrastructure to provide IP phones and voice conferencing.
A PBX (Private Branch Exchange) is a server or PBX which acts as the primary gateway for the provisioning of voice calls and Internet connectivity. A PBX system is either hosted on the Internet or in a dedicated hosting environment. A PBX system can be used to provide voice and IP phone connectivity between a local company and a distant location.
Converged PBX phones are a set of services, which are bundled together using converged infrastructure and converged software. The converged infrastructure provides IP telephony services such as web conferencing, videoconferencing, audio conferencing, voice mail and VoIP PBX services. This type of phone can be used to provide IP telephony, combined with the traditional phone services such as faxes, caller ID, voicemail and call waiting.
A dedicated PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system is a private network dedicated to providing high quality IP telephony solutions and related services such as virtual PBX,toll-free interoffice numbers and VoIP PBX service. It is designed to cater to the needs of small companies or start-up organizations. They can also be used to provide IP telephony connectivity between private offices and branch offices.
Mobile phone systems are also used for IP telephony. This type of service allows users to make free calls to international destinations from their mobile phones. There are several mobile phone systems available in the market.
These phone systems can be integrated with various other types of communication devices such as PC’s, PDAs, smartphones, smart phones and computers. Other IP phones include Bluetooth phones, VoIP enabled phones, and plug-in phones.
The features provided by the converged infrastructure include PBX features such as call forwarding, voicemail, call waiting, conferencing, call transfer, caller ID, voicemail, call waiting and the option to use extensions, which allow users to store, create and manage multiple phone numbers for the same phone. This feature enables users to create multiple phone numbers with different extensions that they can use for various purposes. such as a corporate phone number, home phone number and private number for personal use.
The converged infrastructure also helps in providing an IP phone that is fully compliant with the federal government regulations such as CAN SP 800-125 standards. and is user friendly. These converged systems enable users to use the phone in any environment.
They have the ability to configure the phone network on the basis of their needs and provide customization services in order to suit the requirements of their network. They can also provide configuration for the PBX system. and enable the phone to run on any operating system.
Converged solutions can be used to provide the best cost effective solution for their customers. They provide cost-effective IP solutions that enable cost savings and can be deployed at minimal cost, while providing IP telephony solutions. For more information on the latest converged IP phones and IP PBX solutions, visit IP telephony providers and networks.