HISTORY of VOIP - 1995

1995 the first Internet Phone Software appeared - Vocaltec

• Vocaltec released the first internet phone software called "Internet Phone".
• Hobbyists began to recognize the potential of sending voice data packets over the Internet instead of communicating through standard telephone service
• Designed to run on a home PC
• Utilized sound cards, microphones and speakers.
• Allowed PC users to avoid long distance charges
• The software used the H.323 protocol instead of the SIP protocol that is more prevalent today.

Contemporary VoIP

• uses a standard telephone hooked up to an Internet connection
• early efforts in the history of VoIP required both callers to have a computer equipped with the same software, as well as a sound card and microphone.
• early applications had poor sound quality and connectivity
• but showed that VoIP technology was useful and promising, considered the Skype of the 90s.

A major drawback in 1995 was the lack of broadband availability. Also software used with modems resulted in poor voice quality vs. normal telephone call. It was still a major milestone as it represented the first ever IP Phone.

Voice over IP began as the result of work done by some hobbyists in Israel in 1995 when only PC-to-PC communication was available. Later in 1995, Vocaltec, Inc. released Internet Phone Software. This software was designed to run on a home PC (486/33 MHz) with sound cards, speakers, microphone, and modem. The software compressed the voice signal, translated it into voice packets, and shipped it out over the Internet. The technology worked as long as both the caller and the receiver had the same equipment and software. Although the sound quality was nowhere near that of conventional equipment at the time, this effort represented the first IP phone.

VoIP came into existence as a result of work done by a few hobbyists in Israel in the year 1995 when only PC-to-PC communication was in vogue. Later on during 1995, Vocaltec, Inc. released Internet Phone Software. This particular software was intended to run on a home PC (486/33 MHz) with:

• sound cards
• speakers
• microphone
• modem

The software was used to compress the voice signal, convert it into voice packets, and then finally to ship it out over the Internet. This particular technology worked as long as both the caller and the receiver had the same tools and software. However, the sound quality was not even close to that of the standard equipment in use at that point of time. This attempt can be termed as the first IP phone that came into existence.