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VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is the main technology behind Internet Telephones. VOIP, just as the name implies, is a technology that allows voice conversations to be conducted over an IP network. This IP network could be a small company network, a wide-area network or the internet itself. For our purposes, an Internet telephone is the use of VOIP technology to carry voice conversations over the internet.

The Protocol

VOIP is actually a group of protocols that are optimized for establishing a P2P (peer-to-peer or PC to PC) session. Establishing a P2P session allows for a continuous stream of data to be carried over the internet. Voice signals require this type of session because of their continuous nature. There are several VOIP protocols being used by different providers and software developers. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and Open Standards Protocol are two that have gained wide acceptance.

The Hardware

There are basically three different types of internet telephones in use. The first is called a PC softphone, and is actually a software application that uses the existing PC sound card, microphone and speakers (or headset) to implement an internet telephone. The second type is a VOIP (or simply IP) handset. This type has more complex hardware and relies on the PC only for processing and routing of the VOIP data. The third type is referred to as an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) or simply IP Phone adapter. This is the most complex hardware, and contains a microprocessor that handles all of the necessary VOIP functions to implement an internet telephone. This type does not require the presence of a PC to function but only an active connection to a high-speed internet provider is necessary.

The Software

The software required for each of the three types of internet telephones is also different. PC softphones require the most extensive software applications. They implement a ‘virtual telephone’ with an on screen telephone keypad and display. PC softphone software must handle the conversion of the analog signals by the PC sound card, the dialing and answering functions and the routing and processing of the VOIP data. The third type of internet telephone, the ATA or IP phone adapter, actually requires no specialized software to function. As mentioned previously, this type of internet telephone equipment does not require the presence of a PC to operate.

The Service Provider

The VOIP service provider is also an important component of an internet telephone system. The service provider handles initiation of the P2P session, associating of phone numbers to IP addresses, and routing of the VOIP data to another PC or to a local PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) when a landline or mobile number is involved in the call.

Putting it all together, what happens when I place an internet telephone call using VOIP?

Regardless of the type of hardware and software being used to implement the internet telephone, the process of making a VOIP telephone call is essentially the same. The major differences among the different types of internet telephones is the amount and type of processing being done by hardware as opposed to software.

If you place a call using an ATA or IP phone adapter to a landline number, connected to a regular analog telephone, the process can be simplified as follows: When you dial the number, the ATA converts the analog touch tone signals into digital form. The number information is routed by the ATA to the VOIP service provider, where the number is associated with an IP address and routed to the physical location that you are calling, establishing a connection to the PSTN at that location. This causes the landline phone to ring on the other end.

When the call is answered, the sound of the other persons voice is transmitted via the PSTN to an interface to the VOIP service provider on the internet. This interface translates the analog voice signals from the phone into digital signals that can be handled by the VOIP service provider. The service provider then routes these digital signals back to the ATA on the originating end, where the digital signals are converted back into analog signals that can be understood by the analog telephone. The same process happens in reverse in order to carry the sound of your voice to the landline number.

As you can see, quite a bit happens when you place a call using VOIP. However, internet telephone hardware and software have progressed to the point where most of this is invisible to the user. Placing an internet telephone call is today almost identical to placing a call using a traditional telephone. This ease of use, coupled with the unique advantages of internet telephones, explains the explosive growth in VOIP telephone usage.

You’ve seen it in the movies and on American television shows such as “24″. Jack Bauer puts a trace on a mobile number and in minutes they have the suspect’s exact position displayed on a hi-tech phone map. It all sounds like Hollywood fiction or a secret service spying fantasy, but you may be surprised to learn that not only does such technology exist, it is also now available for anyone to use in mainland Great Britain!

Mobile phone tracking was quietly launched in mainland Great Britain during 2003. Currently it works on T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange and O2 standard GSM networks and that includes Pay As You Go phones, but other networks such as 3 and Virgin will follow soon, along with support for 3G networks. Surprisingly no extra hardware is required and it will work on any standard handset – even older models – providing you have the permission of the person you want to track. You don’t even have to use the internet, although many tracking services require you to register and view the location maps online.

The technology behind this new tracking service is surprisingly simple. All mobile phones work by being constantly in touch with the nearest phone mast to maintain good reception. You can sometimes even hear these signals as funny chirruping/clicking sounds if you place a mobile phone close to a loudspeaker or radio. What mobile tracking does is measure the distance the signal travels from the phone to the phone mast. A bit like counting how long it takes to hear a clap of thunder, after a flash of lighting, to calculate how far away a storm is, only in this case it’s a lot more sophisticated as it uses more than one mast to triangulate the position. The one drawback is the phone has to be switched on, so it won’t work on a lost mobile after the battery has run down!

GSM mobile phone tracking is cheaper, but less accurate than GPS satellite tracking which has been used for many years by the road haulage industry and in car Sat Navigators. Unlike GPS, GSM won’t show you what street the mobile is on. What it will do though is show you a radius of where it is likely to be. The accuracy will vary on a number of factors, such as the landscape (i.e. is it flat or hilly), how many phone masts are nearby (towns are much better than the countryside in this respect for network coverage) and even the weather will affect the results slightly, but the best accuracy is usually up to 50 to 100 metres. Obviously this is enough to find a person or stolen vehicle, but not always a lost phone.

Setting up mobile phone tracking is easy and normally only takes a few minute to complete. Registration methods vary depending on which company you choose, but they all share similar guidelines. These codes of conduct have been laid down by the phone network operators to prevent misuse, such as by paedophiles. The first is that you must provide your full name and address and a valid form of online payment (either a credit or debit card) which must match the address of the person making the application.

You also need the permission of the person you intend to track! This is usually taken care of for you by the service provider automatically sending an SMS text message to the mobile number. This normally includes a password, or short code, which you’ll need to be able to activate the phone. Once you have done that you can start tracking! Most service providers allow you to view the maps as a web page and some services such as www.traceamobile.co.uk also allow you to see it as a text message on your mobile.

Sales of mobile phone tracking have been brisk, according to Trace A Mobile’s Managing Director Jonathan Cook. “Since launching in October 2003, we have signed up thousands of customers who are both family and business users. We have also covered major sporting events, like the London Marathon and the Great North Run for the BBC, who wanted to track the location of celebrity fun runners, such as Nell McAndrew and Ranulph Fiennes, who were carrying mobiles. All of this has generated a lot of media interest and publicity.”

Business users have also been quick to spot the advantages of mobile phone tracking to find people on the move. Obvious business benefits include being able to track the location of deliveries, eg van drivers, or monitor sales reps or staff on call outs. It is even being used to retrieve stolen assets where a “tracked” phone has been placed somewhere out of sight inside a vehicle acting as a passive “phone finder” unit.

One of the leading mobile phone tracking companies catering for this growing B2B market is www.mobilelocators.com, although they are keen to stress – just like the domestic versions of the service – that employees have to give their consent to being tracked. It would seem though that employees are happy to be tracked, as long as they are kept informed and made aware of the potential safety benefits it offers them, eg not needing to answer so many calls from head office while driving or should they get into difficulties in a medical emergency, or if they find their life is in danger and they are unable to call for help.

So how much will mobile phone tracking cost you or your business? Probably less than you think. There are a number of different pricing models. Some are subscription based and include free location tracks. Others are Pay As You Go allowing you to pre-pay for credits.

Nevertheless prices are competitive and are broadly similar for private and commercial users. For example, Trace A Mobile offers 10 free searches a month for a subscription of £5 a month. This covers up to 5 mobile phones and is aimed at families and children. Locate Mobiles offers a yearly package at £50, which saves £10, but only includes 10 free search mobile credits, however this covers up to 10 phones so is ideal for small to medium sized business and also includes a mobile tracking scheduler and location reports, which can be emailed or viewed online. The cost of each location search varies from company to company, but is in the range of 20-50p, depending on the volume purchased. What is mobile tracking not? Well it is not a mobile phone directory so you can’t look up mobile devices or create a phone tracking list. It only works on individual mobile devices that have a SIM card and unique mobile number. So can you look up a mobile number? Mobile tracking services don’t keep lists of mobile numbers or mobile device details, such as the make or model of phone. The idea is you can only find people like friends or family via their mobile numbers. You can though register multiple mobile numbers as long as each phone passes the security checks, eg it accepts the text message sent to it.

Although consent was given by the UK’s major mobile phone networks to run this service in mainland Great Britain, this has not been the case for the whole of Europe or the rest of the world for that matter. Currently in Europe only Germany, Netherlands and Norway have similar services, with the US still lagging behind in GSM tracking technology.

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