Ventrilo - Voip For Group Conferencing The Easy Way
Most everyone has heard of the Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. It is a way to use a computer that is connected to the internet like a phone. Newer model cell phones like the Blackberry Storm can also use VoIP to allow users to make very inexpensive and sometimes free calls.
Ventrilo has taken VoIP a little further. It allows someone, who we'll designate the server, to create a group of people that can communicate in real time as if in a conference call. This can be done for an actual conference call in a business, or as a group of friends getting together to talk, or as a platform for radio call-in shows. But Ventrilo may be best known as a tool for gamers.
There are many so-called massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPGs)such as World of Warcraft, and Lord of the Rings online in which players can team up and use Ventrilo to communicate among themselves in real time. Usually the players wear microphone headsets so that their hands are free to work the game controls while they confer and strategize.
One reason Ventrilo is so popular among gamers is that it has excellent sound quality and uses a minimum of CPU resources so that it doesn't bog the users' systems down. The user interface is designed to be as simple as possible so that new users can learn to use its features in the shortest time possible. Most features may be activated with one mouse click.
Non-gamers are coming up with new uses for Ventrilo all the time. It can be used as a friends or family talking network so that far flung families can speak to each other one-on-one or in groups. Businesses can use Ventrilo to help working groups whose members are in different geographic locations to easily communicate with any or all other working group members.
A group of friends who met online through a forum or a blogging group could set up their own Ventrilo network to enhance their friendships or to easily discuss common interests. For someone interested in a specialized topic, say, lace making or Russian cinema, finding people close by who share those interests may not be easy. Ventrilo can bring people together who may never have found others who share their interests if it weren't for the internet.
For those who prefer to communicate by chat (or those with hearing impairment who cannot use Ventrilo as a voice communication tool), Ventrilo is also a reliable tool for internet relay chat that can be set up and used easily.
An individual can rent a Ventrilo server from one of dozens of licensed hosting companies located throughout the world. If, say, you wanted to set up a Ventrilo server so that you and your six siblings and your parents could talk to each other easily, you would rent a 10-slot Ventrilo server for around $4 per month. Licensed Ventrilo hosts rent servers with just a few slots, all the way up to servers with hundreds of slots. The conference call and group voice chat are a whole new ballgame now that Ventrilo has taken the concept to a new level and priced it competitively.
