History Of VoIP:

Voice-over-Internet Protocol has been a subject of interest almost since the first computer network. By 1973, voice was being transmitted over the early Internet. The technology for transmitting voice chat over the Internet has been available to end-users since at least the early 1980s. In 1996, a shrink-wrapped software product called Vocal Tec Internet Phone provided VoIP along with extra features such as voice mail and caller ID. However, it did not offer a gateway to the PSTN, so it was only possible to speak to other Vocal Tec Internet Phone users. In 1997, Level 3 began development of its first softswitch (a term they invented in 1998); softswitches were designed to replace traditional hardware telephone switches by serving as gateways between telephone networks.

profits in the total VoIP industry in the US is set to grow by 24.3% in 2008 to $3.19 billion. Subscriber growth will drive profits in the VoIP sector, with numbers expected to increase by 21.2% in 2008 to 16.6 million. The United States‘ largest VoIP provider is Vonage