For some consumers, the condition of having to make a monthly commitment is enough to make them turn their backs on VoIP
. Internet phone service provider VoIP.com hopes to change that by granting members strings-free access to VoIP calling.
VoIP.com’s Make a Call service, now in beta testing, unites the freedom of no monthly commitment with the flexibility of VoIP communications. The result: Make a Call members have control over much they want to spend and what type of phone they want to call from.
Make a Call offers members additional options when it comes to telecommunication. To use the Make a Call service, members create a free account and then add credits, using any US issued credit card. Then, members simply go to the web-based interface and enter the number they're calling from and the number they’d like to call.
VoIP.com acts as a facilitator in a privacy-protected, automated process that calls both numbers and then connects the two parties. Once connected, calls proceed normally, as if they'd been directly dialed. Per minute rates for calls within the United States and Canada are $0.02 to $0.03 a minute. International rates vary according to location.
Consumers interested in trying out the service can visit the VoIP.com website and make a free 5 minute call using VoIP.com’s Make a Call web portal. Calls can be made to any type of number, from any type of number, including landlines and mobile phones. In addition, VoIP.com members receive 1,000 free monthly minutes for calls made to other VoIP.com members.
VoIP.com offers a number of other calling plans and add-on services available to members, including monthly calling plans, virtual numbers, additional lines, or toll free (800) numbers.
Last month, VoIP.com announced a new 200 minute per month option. At only $9.95 per month, the 200-minute plan effectively increases VoIP’s affordability without sacrificing any calling features.
What’s the number one VoIP conference in terms of attendance? What’s the leading VoIP expo for exhibitors in terms of lead generation? And which VoIP industry event will feature special attractions for service providers, resellers, and the enterprise and SMB market, as well as an overview on the future of IP Telephony? Answer: INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO EAST, January 23–26, 2007. See you in sunny Ft. Lauderdale!
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Cindy Waxer is a Toronto-based freelance journalist specializing in business and technology. She has written for publications including TIME, Fortune Small Business, Business 2.0, Computerworld, Canadian Business, and Workforce Management. To see more of her articles, please visit Cindy Waxer’s columnist page.