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Have you ever felt the need of connecting or calling your with your friends at home while you are abroad? At some point, every expat has that feeling. And they know how important it is to maintain a phone number that serves as an important link to their friends and families abroad. For expats on a business mission, it is a top priority.

Enter: Voice Over IP (VoIP)

For expats moving to the Philippines, maintaining their phone number abroad and using it here is very well possible. Expats need not to change numbers, keeping a phone number at home (may it be from the U.S., Canada, or any other part of the globe) is made convenient through Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIP) service providers. VoIP Providers allow you to create an account where all local calls abroad can be forwarded to you right here in the Philippines.

Here are some to consider:

• Skype
• Vonage
• Broadvox Direct
• Maxemail

Getting any of this is very simple. All you have to do is get a reliable Internet connection, and you will be receiving messages from friends and workmates abroad without any hitch.

MagicJack For US and Canada

Aside from the common VoIP service providers, you can also make and receive calls from abroad via USB devices. For as low as $20 a year (rates are variable of course depending on the device provider), devices such as MagicJack allows the user to make unlimited calls to Canada and USA phones by simply hooking it up to a computer with an Internet connection.

Landline telephones can be plugged to the MagicJack, or you can also talk via a headset connected to your computer.

And here is another plus point: MagicJack users can also connect to other MagicJack users forming another network of MagicJack friends.

Other VoIP Services To Check

VoIP service providers do not only offer cheap and reliable services, they also offer versatile functions.

• Voice Mail Services. If you are the type who is always on the move or sometimes you are too occupied doing with things you don’t want to be bothered , this service is very convenient. You can have your caller drop you a voice message and retrieve it later on.
• Fax To File. Fax messages are specially useful to the business-savvy expats. And with the current VoIP providers, receiving fax messages while you are here in the Philippines will never be problem. The moment you receive a fax message, the VoIP provider instantly converts it to a file type (.pdf, .doc, .xls, .txt, .htm, .html, .gif, .jpg etc) that you can download, save, and read later on.

Of course not all VoIP services are created equal. That’s why they vary in their pricing and their target markets. The thing is, if these things are important to you while you are here in the Philippines, then choose a provider that offers such services.

Take note that these online options are still on their infancy. Expect a lot more features to be added as the technology matures. It would be better to check them one by one and compare the services they offer. Knowing what provides you the most services can spell the difference between convenience and a lot more savings.

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VoIP : Using Phone Numbers Abroad Here In The Philippines is written by Randolph Reserva.