What is VoIP Phone (Voice Over Internet Protocol Phone)?

Discover the possibilities with VoIP phones. Get familiar with what it's about and how it works. Get a softphone or a physical VoIP phone and enjoy its special features and functionalities.

VoIP Phones - also called SIP phones - are used to initiate calls to VoIP, mobile and ordinary landline phones through the Internet with the help of the Ozeki Phone System XE. VoIP phones use protocols, like SIP that basically builds up a channel for communication (Figure 1).

Figure 1 - What is VoIP Phone?

• software-based phones (softphones)
• physical phones

Softphones are software-based phones/applications that means they are installed on a computer. Since it is installed on a computer you can initiate calls from there through a VoIP PBX/Server. It is not a physical phone, it only appears on the computer's screen. To be able to communicate you need to have a loudspeaker, a headset and a microphone.

Physical VoIP telephones can be wired or wireless, and with the help of an ethernet port, they can easily connect to a VoIP server. VoIP telephones can be connected to computers and broadband Internet network. After the connection they do not need any other physical objects or softwares (ATA adapter or VoIP router). The phones only need broadband Internet connection.

Physical phones that have built-in modems are called dialup devices: they can connect to the VoIP server/PBX with the help of a modem and dialup Internet connection. After this, you are able to start VoIP calls.

• show caller ID
• dial someone by using the name
• call hold and transfer
• call park
• mute
• video
• live news
• several applications, like weather report

Ozeki Phone System XE works with VoIP technology for making calls. To make a VoIP call, a VoIP phone is also needed. You can connect the VoIP phone to the Ozeki Phone system XE to use every functionalities it offers.

• What Is VoIP?
• What Is SIP?
• What Is VoIP PBX?
• VoIP Calling explained
• VoIP Routing explained
• VoIP Monitoring explained

If you became interested in this topic, please watch our video:


What is VoIP Phone?