VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It means "voice transmitted over a computer network."
Internet Protocol (IP) networking is supported by all kinds of networks — corporate, private, public, cable, and even wireless networks. Don’t be fooled by the "Internet" part of the acronym. VoIP will run over any type of network. Currently the corporate sector prefers to use private, dedicated networks. For the telecommuter or home-user, broadband is the hands-down favorite.
How does VoIP change the way you use your telephone? With VoIP you can access your account on the network from a desktop telephone, a wireless IP phone, a software based phone or your laptop computer. It means you can literally pick up your things and move to another location of your office building (or across office buildings, or even to another state) without having to forward your calls to a new telephone. VoIP is entirely portable!
Also, you can access the Web from your IP phone, enabling you to get important (or not so important) announcements and e-mail on the go. It’s like having a Pocket PC and a cell phone rolled into one and specifically designed for your network.
Download VoIP for Dummies for more information.
