Softphone

Softphones are software program for making telephone calls over the Internet using a general purpose computer (desktops, laptops or other smart devices), rather than using dedicated hardware. As the name would imply, it is a piece of software that acts as a phone interface, allowing you to dial phone numbers and carry out other phone related functions via a screen using your mouse, keypad or keyboard. A softphone is usually used with a headset connected to the sound card of the PC, or with a USB phone. Skype, iChat, and GoogleTalk are some of the more popular services, but there are many different ones available for you to choose from. Although softphones are most often associated with mobile or home users, office workers are also choosing to use softphones as a convenient replacement for traditional desk phones. This can be problematic for network administrators because the traffic generated by softphones has the potential to flood a network.