Frequently Asked Questions
Technology FAQ
Q. Internet telephony, VoIP, New Phone Service Companies - What is this really about?
A. You see news about new telephone service options based on your Internet connection. So how does your Internet connection have anything to do with your phone service? Typical explanations of Internet voice services explain how your voice is broken into packets and transmitted. Let's face it. You really don't care. No one ever explained how the old phone system worked. Why should you care now?
What has really changed is the role that you, as a user, can play in telephone communications. For over 100 years control over your telephone resided with the phone companies who operated networks dedicated to phone communications. You never really thought that you weren't in control, because it was the only world you knew. Now the Internet allows you to talk to anyone else connected to the Internet -- an Internet that is not owned by anyone. Now voice services can be delivered over your Internet connection, much like email and Instant Messaging (IM). And it's free.
Q. What is the big difference for me?
A. The bottom line is that consumers have many more choices for telephone services. We are accustomed to a choice for long distance alternatives that are automatically connected through our phone. Calling cards and dial-around plans (10-10-XXX) are common. For a number of years Internet-based telephone services have been available from a user's PC. These services have evolved to become viable alternatives for low-cost calling.
With the power of communications shifted to the Internet-connected consumer, you are no longer dependent on the local phone company for choices about services. Many of the offers presented today are mimicking the role of the traditional phone companies, seeking to control all calls. These offers only hint at the choices you can make today. Most voice options are simply not easily accessed by your everyday telephone. TeleVoce is changing this aspect of telephone communication, offering new control over telephone service options.
Q. Is this about more than saving money?
A. First of all the Internet offers many opportunities to save money and manage telephone expenses, compared with traditional phone company services. Depending on your local phone company, new bundles may be attractive for the services that you now think of as telephone services. TeleVoce empowers your phone with the added intelligence of your PC and its Internet connection offering more choices.
Q. What kinds of new service options can TeleVoce offer?
A. TeleVoce brings an entirely new perspective to service options. Our focus is on empowering the user, by leveraging resources that you already have-your PC and Internet connection. We think of your phone as an empowering tool, not a stupid device dependent on a network to deliver value. We look at the capabilities that you have in your computer that can be brought to your phone, so that you benefit when you are not at your computer, and we even bring new value to your cell phone.
Because the Internet can complete calls for you (as demonstrated by the numerous companies entering this market) it is a "virtual phone line" that is always available. A TeleVoce-Connected phone plugged into your wire-line phone jack and connected to your Internet-connected PC, automatically routes calls over either network -- plus, it knows when your wire-line phone connection is in use and transparently redirects your call over the Internet.
TeleVoce software creates new options for communication, leveraging Skype software in your PC. Our RipIt & RingIt software offers the practical utility of custom ringtones and the fun of sending ringtones to your contacts on Skype. Basic versions of RipIt & RingIt and answering machine software are free downloads. The PontiVoce products create a virtual telephone switch in PC software. PontiVoce lets you call through your PC from your mobile phone, giving you new functionality and cost savings. It also gives your friends and family new ways of calling you. You really are in charge.
Q. So does that mean that TeleVoce is a telephone company?
A. TeleVoce is not even close to being a telephone company. We may partner with telephone companies and other providers like cable operators and ISPs, but our expertise is focused on what value can be delivered from the user premises. That means we are providing either PC software or licensed designs for telephones or telephone adapters. We are always looking at solutions from the user's perspective.