pwarbi wrote:As a business user, then I can understand all that completely. I should have stated that I meant for the everyday user, I didn't see what the need was.
You don't have or need to use any apps with SIP based VoIP providers. :-D
Everyone uses their phone services in variety of ways and everyone has different requirements. That's the beauty of VoIP, you can customise it to suit your needs, sometimes at no extra cost. :)
I use VoIP to provide me with a home phone line, it costs me nothing. I purchased an OBi202 ATA at £49 which is a little square box about the size of a master phone socket. I connect it it a mains socket and use an ethernet cable to connect it to my router/internet connection...
I can take any traditional corded telephone or dect phone and plug it in to my OBi202 as if it was a master socket and receive calls on a local area telephone number for free. I have call barring, call forwarding, caller display, call waiting, voicemail, threeway calling, music on hold as well as a lot more for free!
Yes I pay nothing for that! I can Pay £5 a month for free outgoing calls or pay per minute at cheaper rates than any fixed telco line company can offer me.
No credit checks, no geographical restrictions and when I move (anywhere in the world) I get to keep the same number. :P
If I go with a traditional fixed phone line service it would cost me £16.99 a month with BT, and all I get for my money is a local area number where I can receive inbound calls. I have to pay an extra monthly charge for things like Caller Display or Call Divert.
If you walked into my livinging room tomorrow and picked up my home landline phone you'd never know it wasn't actually a traditional fixed landline and that you were really using VoIP to place your call.