Computer-based phone services tested

I’ve found the review of the famous phone services. You may read it with me.

Best for: range of services
Skype
The most popular VoIP service in the world, with nearly 500m registered accounts, is also one of the most powerful. Easily installed onto a Mac or PC, it can make voice and video calls, offer instant messaging and send text messages. It will also run on a range of Skype-compatible wi-fi home handsets, which start at £40 and work even when your computer is switched off. For about £2.20 a month you can obtain a Skype number so non-Skype users can call from their phones, in effect replacing your landline, and call quality is generally as good. However, as with all these services, a slow internet connection will result in buzz and stuttering. Calls to other Skype users are free, a £3.39 monthly subscription gets you free calls to British landlines and cheap international rates. Mobile rates vary, but are no bargain.
Verdict: Skype handsets offer easy entry into the world of internet calling, while there are enough features to satisfy hardcore computer users too.

Best for: ease of setup
BT Broadband Talk
New subscribers to BT Broadband get a dual Dect/VoIP phone, which swaps between landline and internet calls at the touch of a button. Setting up your VoIP phone number and wireless router is straightforward. However, advanced features such as video calls and presence only work if you’re at your PC. Broadband starts at £15.65 a month; calls to landlines are free, evenings and weekends; calls to mobiles start at 11p per minute; international calls are normal rate.
Verdict: Quick to set up and seamless to use, but you can’t ditch your landline, which means you’re paying for a service you might not need.

Best for: using your existing phone
Vonage
Vonage allows you to use your home phone as a VoIP handset — and keep the same number. You need to plug a bit of hardware into your broadband router, which is free, apart from an £8.99 delivery charge. You then cable your phone into the hardware rather than the phone connection in the wall. The setup was quick and painless. Call quality was good, though some recipients reported a slight echo. A basic, £5.99 monthly subscription includes free calls to UK landlines.
Verdict: Not the cheapest of options, but being able to use your existing phone(s) is a great idea.

Best for: international calls
Jajah
If you want the cost-saving benefits of VoIP applied to international calls, but are daunted by the technology, Jajah has a seductive pitch. Log on to its website, tell it your home or mobile number and the number you want to dial, and Jajah makes the connection. It then calls you back and you’re off, paying local call rates even if the recipient is abroad. To save time, the service can assign dedicated numbers to your regular contacts. You need to pay upfront by adding funds to your Jajah account. Call quality was good.
Verdict: With no need to buy headsets or extra equipment, this is a cost-effective service for overseas calls.

Best for: works with webmail
Google Talk
Google’s VoIP service might not have attracted the same level of hype as Skype, but like its Gmail webmail service it’s constantly having new features added. It’s also free. The downside is that you can’t call landlines or mobiles, only other Google Talk users. It can be accessed from Gmail, so you don’t have to launch extra software. Video chat is included and works well, while the quality of voice calls is impressive. It may lack some of the power features of Skype, but many of these are promised for the upcoming Google Voice service.
Verdict: You won’t want to discard your home phone, but this is a user-friendly and useful extra.

Make Internet fax services work for you

I have found the article by David Strom. He hates faxes but he prefers the Internet Fax because of some advantages. Here they are:

“I hate faxes. When I had a fax machine in my office, I would arrive in the morning and see the accumulation of restaurant menus, insurance come-ons, and other junk that arrived during the night. Plus, I was always running out of the special paper or the ink cartridges would dry out because I would so seldom use it. There is a better way, and I want to review your options with how you can connect your email to your faxing needs.

The idea is a simple one: the Internet fax service provider maintains your fax machine and assigns everything that comes into your “number” to your email inbox. For outbound faxes, you either send to a special email address, or else they supply a special Web or Windows software utility that can send the fax over the Internet. There is no muss, no fuss, and no need for a fax machine.

I like Internet faxing because it has several advantages over ordinary faxes. First, you can make use of private fax numbers, so no one else in your office can see your communications. Remember when someone’s confidential memo was shared around the water cooler because it was lying on the fax machine? Those days are over, because the fax never has to be printed out and can be viewed on your PC.

Second, when you are on the road and don’t want to share your faxes with your hotel’s staffers, Internet faxing makes a lot of sense. Since the fax gets directed to your email inbox, you don’t have to worry about where you are when you travel.”