There are no travel costs involved with online education and no travel time whatsoever. The only time you will need to dedicate to your learning will be time you spend studying and any trips to library or other institution you may need.

Many jobs and careers demand a good working knowledge of Internet, and by completing your course online you are already many steps closer to that end. You will have excellent knowledge on Internet research; always being able to find information that is useful to you.

There are some factors you should consider when deciding whether to opt for online education or a more traditional classroom education. You will need a reasonably up to date PC, together with an Internet Connection. Fortunately, computer prices have dropped in recent years, so you can get a capable PC for little more than $300. If you consider using Ebay or buying a refurbished PC then you can reduce this price even more. Don’t forget, you will need a printer, operating software, word processing software and an Internet connection but again price of these has dropped dramatically.

If you don’t have much working knowledge of a computer or Internet you will need to find your way around at first and this can seem a daunting task for beginner. Don’t panic, just stick with it and buy yourself (or borrow from friends or library) books on how to use software you are going to need. Once online Internet has all of this information at hand, and world becomes your playground.

A summary of online education.

Online education can help all people from all walks of like gain education they want to better themselves or to advance in career they already have. Whether you are a working parent or an unemployed bachelor, there are courses available for you to complete through online education.

Online education offers many benefits and few pitfalls when compared to more traditional ‘classroom’ approach but you should carefully consider your options before jumping in.

There are costs associated with virtually all online education courses but these are usually little more than costs to study at a college and when you consider that there are no travelling expenses and no extra living costs, you may find online education to be a much more financially viable option.

©2005 John Thompson

Is VoIP available for me to use now?

Companies like Vonage, VoicePulse and Packet8 are already offering flat monthly fees for their VoIP services meaning you can call anywhere in country (sometimes even to other selected countries around world) and only ever pay one flat monthly fee.

Vonage offer a service for $24.99 a month that allows you to call anywhere in US or Canada. They also offer similar plans for small businesses.

Are there any disadvantages to VoIP?

VoIP, as a technology, is still in it’s infancy and new developments are being found every day. However, there are limitations to service and technology which need to be addresses before it can become a complete replacement for your standard phone line.

Because Internet knows no geographic boundaries it means that, for example, calling emergency services would not necessarily put you through to your local emergency dispatch centre.

In addition, you can’t send or receive faxes and you can’t route traditional modems, alarm systems or satellite systems through your VoIP connection, because they require access to a voice grade phone line. For moment VoIP is a compliment to your traditional phone line, rather than a replacement, until these problems can be ironed out.

Summary

The advent of Internet and improved telephone technology has seen introduction of VoIP. It means you can make phone calls through your broadband connection; this in turn means that for a set monthly fee you can call anywhere in your country and selected international countries for as long as required and only pay one flat monthly fee.

The advantages of VoIP are still significant for homes and business users alike. Big businesses are already saving substantial money by installing IP networks and using VoIP protocol to transfer voice data. This essentially makes calls themselves free, only having to pay for Internet connection and monthly VoIP fee.

VoIP looks like it’s here to stay. As technology rolls out, it’s impact can only become greater.

© 2005 Nick Carter