Softphone
A softphone is a computer program that enables telephony. A distinction is made between PSTN software for landline telephony and Internet telephony software.
use cases
VoIP service providers often provide a softphone, although these usually differ greatly in terms of functionality. In addition to the open standards SIP (e.g. Gizmo5 , Jajah , KPhone , Linphone , Nimbuzz , PhonerLite , QuteCom , X-Lite ), H.323 (e.g. Ekiga , NetMeeting , OpenH323 ), XMPP (e.g. Google Talk ) and IAX (e.g. Parlino ) are also proprietary protocols (e.g. Skype ) widely used.
For fixed-line telephony, there are programs that only the selection of the number to take (for example, the. Windows - dialer ), while the actual call a conventional telephone is required - this pure selection programs are sometimes referred to as Softphone (or dialer called software).
requirements
To use a softphone, you need network access, in the case of PSTN via a terminal device connected to the ISDN or analog network connection such as an ISDN card , a telephone modem or a terminal adapter , in the case of Internet telephony via a (if possible broadband ) Internet access (depending on compression, voice quality and transmission protocol at least ISDN). A microphone and loudspeaker are also required, which can also be combined as a headset . Finally, a sound card must also be available. There are also externally operated sound cards in the housing of a telephone receiver, which are connected to the computer via the USB port and used like a conventional telephone receiver. Using standard drivers and the settings of most softphones, it is possible to assign separate sound cards to softphone applications and the other application programs.
See also
- List of VoIP software (comparison of various softphone standard programs)
Web links
- Definition in PC Magazine (English)