Networking is without any doubt one of the most crucial element of business. Now if you want to do some business or get it done through someone, believing in one’s ability through one’s Linkedin page is not wise. In any case you still need to talk to them personally and if that’s not possible, digitally. The latter is quite ubiquitous these days since we have started to overhear the word “Outsourcing.”
Constant connection is as vital as the work itself because if the visions of both parties concerned don’t coalesce, there’s high chance that this will yield nothing but discontentment. It is essential that the developer or designer understands what his client demands and needs which can only happen if the ideas are being passed on effectively.
A good VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solution can definitely iron out many troubles while doing a freelance work. Thankfully there are many VoIP services now and Skype is no longer the only option you need to try. VoIP services turn out to be the best communication solution because of its dirt-cheap pricing. A short and crisp review of some of the better VoIP services out there.
Skype is the leader in the VoIP space and any review regarding VoIP services is incomplete without it in spite of what the title says. Skype is how people start to use VoIP services and they completely swear by it. Skype provides Unlimited local and long distance calling anywhere in the US, Canada for £2.95/month. Skype is supported on Windows XP/Vista, Macitosh and Linux.
Gizmo5 is another similar VoIP service which works on Works on Window, Mac, Linux and Nokia Tablets. Gizmo5 provides cheaper call rates at 1.9¢ Minute Call Out Rate for all US Calls while you may chat wit your friends on MSN, AIM, Yahoo! and Jabber. You should mind that when you install Gizmo5, it will install ASK.com toolbar if you don’t uncheck it during installation. It only works on Windows operating systems as of now.
Jajah is relatively new in the VoIP space but it has managed to carve out its niche quite fast. The website of Jajah is very user-friendly with rates of calling provided in a very neat and clean order. Your first 5 minutes call is free and then you’ll have to shell out money as per the plans. A decent broadband connection is recommended because users might face certain problems on dial-up.
PhoneGnome offers several advanced features like recording of all calls and integration with SIP & Skype. PhoneGnome includes client software that can run on many brands of mobile phone which support SIP.
Packet8 is a VoIP service which is targeted at residential and business customers. Users with Internet access can make unlimited calls to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada for as little as $24.99 per month.
Vonage is a paid residential VoIP service which provides unlimited calls to USA, Canada and Puerto Rico at $24.99 per month. Some of the features of Vonage are Caller ID with Name, Call Waiting, Call Transfer, Enhanced Call Forwarding, 3-Way Calling, Caller ID Block, Call Return, Do Not Disturb, Anonymous Call Block and Repeat Dialing etc.
VoIPBuster is not a very new service and it has been giving Skype some competition. You can make cheap calls from your computer with a headphone or you may also configure your mobile phone in order to use it. It doesn’t have balance expiry which means your credit balance will stay just like that if you haven’t used it.
Raketu is not just a VoIp software because it also provides some other very important features like IPTV, Video on Demand (VOD), any IM, SMS, multi media player, podcasting, slide show and RSS feeds. It offers unlimited calling to locations in 46 countries at $7.95 per month. By the way, Raketu is Rocket in Czech, that’s why the rocket in the logo.
Lingo is a lesser known name in the VoIP space which provides one of the cheapest call rates among broadband phone service providers. You can make unlimited calls to US and other countries at $21.95 per month.Its residential broadband plan starts at $7.95 per month. The pricing of Lingo makes it quite attractive.
I would recommend you to check the plans of each of the VoIP services mentioned above before buying any plan because the prices may vary. Further, most of these VoIP services have lousy customer support so you might not want to experiment with your VoIP service.
We would love to hear your experiences about the mentioned services and how it helps you to do business more effectively.
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Tags: freelance, networking, VoIP, VoIP services
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