What is a Softphone?

A softphone is a software program for making telephone calls over the Internet using your computer - desktops, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDA) and services like Skype and Vonage, rather than a dedicated telephone. A softphone is designed to mimic the functions of a real telephone and often appears to look like a regular telephone.

A user will normally connect a headset to their computer via their soundcard or usb port. Softphones are used in many call centers or customer care centers, where combined phone and computer usage is required.