Some Internet telephony companies are broadening their consumer products to reach customers in other ways. You can send a letter from a computer to a fax machine by Internet protocol, or maintain a voice-mail inbox that will store messages. Other enhancements include instant messaging, teleconferencing, picture and file transfer and video calling, which lets you record a personal message with a Webcam and send it over the Internet. Once you've decided on an Internet-telephony provider, go to its Web site and register for an account. This will include signing up for a calling plan, which might be free or sold in flat monthly or per-minute rates.
Most sites require new users to agree to an end-user licensing agreement.
Next, select a user name and password, and type in personal information such as your home address so the provider can bill you. In most cases, you prepay for your calls with your credit card, and you can track your costs at the company's Web site. Registration is typically followed by a brief tour of the site's features, including instructions about how to set up a personal phone book and how to initiate a user search so you can find the login names of other subscribers to the service. Then, in most cases, you will have to install the service's software on your computer. Double-click on the software at the provider's Web site and then wait for it to complete the installation process.