VoIP Blaster

Definition

The term VoIP Blaster is used to describe a server which can generate a large number of telephone calls using Voice over IP (VoIP) technology such as SIP or IAX.   In this article we will explore the technologies that help VoIP Blasters work as well as what they are capable of.

History

Historically the majority of automated telephone calls (aka robot calls) were made using servers which would plug in directly into standard telephone lines to initiate one call after another, generally referred to as ‘AutoDialers’. These calls were generally used to advertise goods or services, or alert a group of people of upcoming events. With the advent of VoIP technologies in the late 1990’s it became clear that calls which previously required a traditional phone line could be made over the Internet, allowing for deeper integration with existing software applications and decentralized use.

Technology

The very large majority of VoIP traffic as of this articles writing uses the SIP protocol. Thus the VoIP blasters are usually customized SIP Media Servers. These servers are capable of significantly higher call volume than their traditional phone line based ancestors; many can dial hundreds of simultaneous calls. They can also be hosted almost anywhere a large enough internet connection is available, freeing up the need to have costly telephone lines.

Finally, due to the sophistication of the underlying SIP Media Server, VoIP Blasters are usually also capable of integrating on a very deep level with existing software platforms via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Some examples of integration would be Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and System Monitoring suites such as Nagios.

Future

The next evolution of VoIP Blasters is the migration to a hosted model. This means that instead of having to purchase and maintain any hardware, a company or consumer can 'rent' the usage of a service provider such as CallFire.com. CallFire.com allows customers to run Voice Broadcast or dialer campaigns, without worrying about the base technology, whether it be VoIP Blasters or traditional AutoDialers.