VoIP Phones
From TeleWiki
VoIP Phones
Voice over Internet Protocol - or VoIP phones describes a subset of business telephones suitable for use on a VoIP enabled system. It can also describe single or multi-line phones which are capable of using VoIP Protocols such as SIP or H232.
VoIP telephones connect to their cabinets via cat5 (network) cabling, sometimes but not always with POE switches. True VoIP phones are capable of using industry standard protocols, but there are a class of devices which communicate over data networks with Cisco, Nortel or Avaya switches but which use proprietary protocols.
A VoIP telephone does not need to be a physical unit. A whole class of software products - Soft Phones - exists which allow one to use a computer as a VoIP enabled phone.
