VOIP for small business users.

VOIP or voice over internet protocol is starting to come of age.
There are a number of services available to business and home users in the UK now.

Skype
Skype has just been bought by eBay and with the weight of eBay behind it looks like becoming even more popular then it is already. Broadband users can talk to each other for free if both of them have Skype installed. Skype also provide a dial in service called SkypeIn which gives the user a phone number which can be called by a conventional landline or mobile phone. It costs about 30 Euros a quarter. (This is the same price that NTL charges for a voicebox on an existing line.) They also have a program called SkypeOut which allows the user to buy prepaid calls to traditional lines for a very competitive price.
You can get Skype here and
pickup calls on your computer, wherever you go around the world, with a SkypeIn number.www.skype.com

Google Talk
Google Talk is based on Jabber an Open source chat client that is compatible with most online chat clients. It is still in beta version and is only available to people with a Gmail account.
It doesn't allow breakout calls yet but obviously the large numbers of Google users gives this program a very strong backer.
If you don't have a Gmail account then we will send you an invitation if you email nodenet[at]gmail.com and ask for one.

Net2Phone
Net2Phone was one of the original programs used by Microsoft netmeeting for calling out outside lines. It has a large user base and offers very reasonable call charges, so for
International phone calls at great low rates! click here.

Lingo
Lingo allows the user to make unlimited national and international calls for fixed monthly fee. There are some restrictions to some mobile phones. Lingo users attach a USB phone to there computer and use the handset in a traditional way. My friend called me on it this evening and I was very impressed with the voice quality. Get it here at Lingo VOIP

MSN
MSN have incorporated video into their chat client and a new version is now available from here


I would recommend using more then one system to test the various features and see which one you and your contacts prefer.
Happy calling!
and sell your telecoms shares from companies that are dependant on billing by the minute and selling calls, they have some very powerful new competitors that are in effect, giving away phonecalls to their customers. It reminds me of my first experience of business which was selling cardboard periscopes at Princess Diana's wedding. Silk Cut the cigarette company started giving them away with their brand on the side during the afternoon and yes it did put us out of business although as Irish people shouting in the crowd we got a fair bit of disruption from the Metropolitan Police, who were pretty basic in their detection techniques.