Voice over IP is definately the way of the future. Although they have been used for a while. Voice over IP is what allows those international calling cards backpackers use to phone so cheap! It only uses the conventional line to call the local relay point that then makes the call via the web to the other local side and then to a phone, so the only charges when calling from an international calling card are essentially two local calls as opposed to two local calls and an international call, cuts off a huge amount! I can call the states or the uk from my international calling card for well under a cent per minute, it makes keeping in touch a pleasure as email or messanger doesn't always cut it!

There is a big project related to VoIP called Vovida. Big cause to implement a open Softswitch to control everything via SIP and MGCP protocols. I also heard that is sponsored by Cisco Systems.
For corporations and to the enterprise market exists Asterisk. It is a open PBX software, and works great.

Yea VOIP is a very nice new way of communication and hopefully it will be replacing programs such as Ventrilo and teamspeak.

All the phones in my house have been hooked up to VoIP for a while now and it saves alot of money. Long distance rates to many locations are way cheaper than my previous telephone company. The sounds quality is the same as it was before. Also, there is no noticeable difference on my broadband connection. This is really technology of the future. I am really glad I made the switch.

we have it here in australia aswell but from what i know its not very popular. well i've never seen anyone use it. its just been brought up a few times every now and then. the technology is pretty nifty, and i guess its alot cheaper aswell. well my isp does support it for a small extra fee so i might try it next time i change plans.

Many services have VoIP

Yahoo
MSN
Skype
Ventrilo
AIM
Vonage
Team Speak

Are some of the few

It basically sends ur message over the internet like Fiber Optics, only no wires
Companies like this because it's cheap or free i believe
as for countries, a lot use em, mainly Japan, Europe ( the countries iN Europe) and the USA/Canda use it the most.

This post has been edited by Laos: Mar 19 2006, 04:09 PM

BTW: Its voice over IP protocol, according to google.... and skype.

But yeh, I used to use Msn Messenger, it crashed on me, the noise was fuzzy, sometimes I got big eeeeeeeekkkkkkkksssss it in, and other times it refused to play the other persons sound.

I then headed to skype, I convinced everyone that we shood get it, (theyr so scared of virus attaks) and we finally did get it after ages of convicing, and my parents were scared of recieving bills, they made me ring my nana who had it to prove to them that it was free. then, I downloaded it, it said only for windows xp etc, but it worked on 98, at first it crashed, i tried it again and it worked solidly, I have now found a glitch for it on my computer, any loud noise (like a very high pitched scream, like as loud as possibly with microphone practically in mouth) will crash it, well.... for the other person, no matter wat os they are using.

I found skype very easy to use, I convinced my friends to get it, and now whenever someone is on msn, I tell em to jump onto skype coz I am always to busy to type over a msn. So yeh, I wood rate as follows:

Msn Messenger for VOIP: 34%
Skype Windows 98 for VOIP: 86%
Skype on its meant to be OS for VOIP: 97.6%