Web-based VoIP
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File:First usb web-based VoIP phone in the world.jpg
Web-based VoIP is the integration of voice over IP technologies into the facilities and methodologies of the World-Wide Web. It enables digital communication sessions between Web users or between users of traditional telecommunication services.
Instead of using dedicated, hardware-based VoIP devices, such as IP phones, analog telephone adapters, or integrated VoIP/Internet access routers, services are provided via a web page and the facilities of the user's computer or hand-held device for accessing and operating a locally attached headset and microphone.{{Cite journal |last=McMahon |first=Thomas J. |last2=Hofmann |first2=Markus |last3=Hilt |first3=Volker |date=2005 |title=Opportunities for VoIP application integration services |url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6768571 |journal=Bell Labs Technical Journal |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=25–30 |doi=10.1002/bltj.20058 |issn=1538-7305|url-access=subscription }} This is assisted by various software components such as Flash, Active X, Silverlight, Java applet or browser plugins like NPAPI.
Using click-to-call, for example, a web user may click on a telephone number, or some other suitable icon, embedded in a corporate web site to initiate a web-based telephone call with a customer service representative without leaving the website or using any other additional telephony equipment.
Applications
- Retail customer service
- Person-to-person VoIP calls (possibly using a lookup like ENUM, or integration with services like Skype)
- Web conferences
- E-learning
- Social networking