Anyone who is old enough to remember making long distance phone calls 30 years ago would also agree that telephone communication has changed considerably over the past three decades. Certainly the introduction and mass adoption of the cellphone has changed voice communication immeasurably. But there is a new revolution going on in landline communication as well. The latest technology is called Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP for short. It is also known as Internet Telephony, a name that is derived from the fact that VoIP involves making phone calls over a broadband internet connection.

VoIP technology is taking the world by storm for mainly one reason – it is much cheaper than phonecalls made with the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS). It is very common for people who switch to using VoIP over POTS to save several hundred dollars per year off their phone bills. Furthermore, VoIP offers a wide variety of services like caller ID, 3 way calling, call forwarding, and so on at no extra charge. While most of these features are available in POTS plans, they are almost always available only for an extra monthly charge. So VoIP phone service offers improved phone service for less money – who doesn’t love that idea?

VoIP technology has come a long way since it was invented in the mid 1990′s. Originally, computer hobbyists were responsible for creating VoIP so that they could use voice communication between two people who both had computers and specialized voice equipment. The first VoIP companies began delivering products to the market in 1996, and by 1998 or 1999, VoIP technology had become a topic of considerable interest in technically oriented publications. The largest VoIP company (Vonage) started in 2001 and signed its first residential customer in 2002. Within the next two years, newer companies like Sunrocket entered the market to compete with Vonage by offering the same service at an even lower price. Today, an ever-growing number of residential and business customers are adopting VoIP technology as they discover the cost and performance advantages offered by the technology.

Another nice feature of VoIP is that switching from a POTS plan is very easy. You do need a broadband internet connection (cable, DSL, even wireless) but aside from that, the VoIP company you sign with will give you everything you need. The equipment can include either analog telephone adapter (ATA) which connects your existing phone to your broadband internet connection. However, it is more common these days for the VoIP carrier to provide you with a new VoIP phone, which looks just like your regular phone but is specially made to work with VoIP.

One of the latest exciting features of VoIP is portability. On leading VoIP carriers like Sunrocket and Vonage, you can take your VoIP modem with you when you go on business trips or on vacation, and simply connect this modem to any computer at your destination (any computer with a broadband internet connection). If you do this, your phone number travels with you! No one back home will ever know that you are overlooking the beach in Florida rather than sitting in your office in Cleveland. Imagine the possibilities!

The fact that VoIP is internet-based is the only major downside to VoIP. Unfortunately, internet connections occasionally go down, and during this time there is no VoIP service. Many people get around this problem by having a cellphone available as an emergency backup. So many people have cellphones these days that this is usually not an issue. So, you can use the VoIP system for making calls cheaply, and use the more expensive cellphone only for those emergency situations when the internet is down. In this way, you get the best of both worlds.

What are PRINCE2 Courses?

PRINCE2 stands for Projects in Controlled Environments, version 2. It is a method of project management that was originally created in the late 1980s as a government standard for IT. However, it quickly became widespread both within and outside the IT industry and the second version, released in the mid-1990s, was designed as a more general system. PRINCE2 courses are a popular way to prepare for the accreditation exam, which is now a de-facto standard for both the government and the private sector. Companies that use PRINCE2 include Barclays, British Telecom, GlaxoSmithKline, Tesco and Vodafone.

Format of PRINCE2 Training

PRINCE2 courses provide a structure for project management: ‘a best practice approach to running Projects in a consistent and reference-able framework.’ They aim to establish defined roles for those involved, and to ensure that the different stages and procedures of the project are carefully delineated. PRINCE2 courses focus on eight main processes, divided into 45 different sub-processes. Each phase has key requirements and goals, enabling easy evaluation and efficient distribution of resources. The standard framework means that participants are clear about their own roles, and those of others involved.

Unlike some other project management training methods, PRINCE2 courses concentrate on delivering goals rather than on activities and procedures. The methodology of PRINCE2 is in the public domain, although it is considered normal to learn it through a training course in order to maximise the benefits.

PRINCE2 is fully scalable: because some processes will be unnecessary in many projects, particularly smaller ones, each step contains notes on how much should be applied in different situations. The method can therefore be tailored to the needs of the specific project, rather than being applied rigidly in all cases.

PRINCE2 Courses in Action

PRINCE2 has been described as ‘structured common sense’ – a way of formalising responsibilities, time-scale and outputs, and optimising resources, in the course of a project. There are areas it does not cover, such as budgeting, risk management and people management, and it is therefore better suited as an additional tool for those who already have some project management experience, rather than as a one-stop-shop for beginners.

For example, a broad outline for a software project might be:

1. Start Up (SU): appointing team and creating brief

2. Initiating project (IP): creating project plan

3. Design

4. Development

5. Test

6. Installation

7. Close Project (CP)

PRINCE2 Courses and Accreditation

PRINCE2 courses can help students to gain accreditation by preparing them to pass two exams: Foundation and Practitioner. Those interested may be able to study for the exams themselves, but many prefer to take a course in order to learn directly from an experienced professional trainer. The only requirement is a general knowledge and experience of project management.

The Foundation qualification entails a one-hour exam. The format is 75 multiple-choice questions, with a pass mark of 38 (51%).

The Practitioner qualification entails a three-hour objective-testing exam, consisting of nine 40-mark questions and with a pass mark of 180 (50%). To stay accredited, Practitioners must retake the exam every five years.

Due to the fact that so many organisations use PRINCE2 as standard, the Practitioner qualification may be a necessary job requirement for those who wish to project manage in certain environments. Those involved in a supporting role may find the Foundation qualification useful. Although many people may have been project-managing for years without such a qualification, it can be a very useful way to illustrate competence when changing job.

Finally, organisations that wish to adopt PRINCE2 will need to train a group of individuals and trial a project to see whether it is right for their needs.