Home Phone and VOIP Tips

Yep. Conference calling for free...iotum, a communications company, recently launched a new service called calliflower. If you've used a business-oriented conference bridge before, it has all of those features, but it's even a bit more than that.

From their web-based dashboard,you can create calls and invite participants as well as manage and record the call. It also provides you and the other callers with a visual information about the call and the people on it. If you have documents related to the call, you can upload those into the interface to share them with everyone...Read the rest...

Everyone is looking to cut costs these days. Many people are giving up landline phones and going exclusively to a cell plan. This seems logical enough, until you lose power for a week and can't charge your cell phone, or the battery happens to go dead right when you have an emergency. 

The cost of phone service has risen in recent years with new add-on features and bundling with other services, such as Internet access and cable TV. With so many people out of work in today’s economy, there is help for people who qualify for low-income assistance.Read the rest...

Alexander Graham Bell accidently invented the telephone in March of 1876 when he spilled acid on himself, and realized that his voice was being carried. Over 100 years later, the telephone has advanced and become such a mainstay in peoples lives, one that some people may find it difficult to live without.

Unfortunately, staying in touch with loved ones via telephone can come with a huge price tag that some families can find hard to keep up with. With a few smart moves, you can enjoy staying connected and avoid dreading that monthly bill. Check out our list of the top 15 tips on reducing your landline bill. Read the rest...

Since VOIP is a very competative industry, prices vary wildy. Now the bigger cable tv and internet providers have joined in and are touting their $30+ dollar/month unlimited plans, while others are offering very similar plans for around $17/month ( $199/year ).

It can be tempting to just take use the internet phone service that your cable or internet provider is offering, but they aren't competing well on price or service. The smaller VOIP-only players offer features like selective call blocking, simultaneous ring to your cell phone, and web-based voicemail...and not all the big players do.

And, be sure to think through your options before you buy, as prices for add on functionality, like a second phone line, or internet faxes, vary.

Take a look at the chart below for a comparison of the larger, as well as smaller players that provide internet phone serviceRead the rest...