Home users and businesses worldwide are rapidly adopting IP phone platforms as the de facto standard in telephony. This is due in no small part to the substantial cost advantage it can provide when compared with ‘traditional’ packet switching telephone network (PSTN) services.
In considering VoIP, however, businesses and end users are confronted with a wide variety of providers: Tier 1 providers who maintain the networks and infrastructure; Tier 2 providers who maintain routes on those networks; and Tier 3 providers who lease network bandwidth from Tier 1 and 2 providers. As with any selection process, the key here is relevance and fit.
Established voip provider south africa telegram s such as IDT Express and other similar wholesalers package services from a variety of other providers worldwide in order to offer bulk VoIP minutes. However, they do so in quantities appropriate for the needs of other providers and larger enterprises rather than those of individual end users.
If we equate ‘popularity’ with user volumes, it becomes clear that most enterprises and individuals are looking for ‘providers’ defined in the same way as most service providers: companies providing packages to end users, from individuals to businesses of all sizes. Here, then, are some of the most popular end providers in today’s VoIP market.
When we talk about VoIP, many people will immediately think of Skype. While Skype and its closest competitor, Google Hangouts, are far removed from enterprise or even many home VoIP systems, they are without a doubt the most popular providers worldwide.
For individuals, both of these services offer competitive pricing on calls to IP or landline numbers worldwide without needing to invest in infrastructure. They are readily accessible in the form of apps on the majority of mainstream devices.
This means, however, that they are not really appropriate for any but the smallest businesses. Instead of dedicated networks and routes, both use a ‘best effort’ approach, which can result in poor quality calls. Since they are device applications, they are not scalable and cannot be integrated with other applications.
Both Skype and Google Hangouts offer ‘business’ packages, but in reality, only the smallest businesses should be considering these; ‘real’ telephony services may be more expensive up-front, but their performance and longevity should more than justify the initial investment as the business grows.