Skype runs on a closed proprietary networking protocol but additional business telephone system (PBX) software can allow a SIP based telephone system to connect to the Skype network. Most softphone clients run on the open Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) supporting various codecs. Softphones are client devices for making and receiving voice and video calls over the IP network with the standard functions of most original telephones and usually allow integration with VoIP phones and USB phones instead of using a computer's microphone and speakers (or headset).

For residential markets, voice over IP phone service is often cheaper than traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) service and can remove geographic restrictions to telephone numbers, e.g., have a PSTN phone number in a New York area code ring in Tokyo.įor businesses, VoIP obviates separate voice and data pipelines, channelling both types of traffic through the IP network while giving the telephony user a range of advanced abilities. This is a comparison of voice over IP ( VoIP) software used to conduct telephone-like voice conversations across Internet Protocol (IP) based networks.

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