VoIP Phone Overview (Windows Embedded CE 6.0)

  • Article

1/5/2010

A Voice over IP (VoIP) phone is a device that provides normal telephony functionality, like placing and receiving calls, but uses an IP network connection for connectivity instead of a traditional phone network.

Because VoIP phone voice traffic is carried over the same IP network that exists in many locations, enterprises (and consumers) only require a single data connection, reducing installation and maintenance expenses.

In addition, because VoIP phones are nodes on an IP network just like any other node, they can provide a range of services that are difficult or expensive to provide on a traditional phone network, like seamless integration with schedule and contact information on an enterprise server.

Windows Embedded CE includes a wide range of functionality to build VoIP phones. This functionality includes the following:

  • Core components that enable cost-effective, rapid development of a broad variety of VoIP devices
  • A highly flexible and customizable solution
  • An extensible platform that provides for the inclusion of value-added applications and services
  • A full-featured user interface to provide phone functionality
  • Access to all of the other features provided by Windows Embedded CE, including the .NET Compact Framework

For a step-by-step guide to learning and using the VoIP functionality in Windows Embedded CE, see How to Develop a VoIP Phone.

Documentation Roadmap

VoIP phone information exists in two primary locations in the Windows Embedded CE documentation. The following table shows these locations.

Location Description

Developing a VoIP Phone

Provides general information about building a VoIP phone using Windows Embedded CE, including step-by-step instructions for using the VoIP functionality in How to Develop a VoIP Phone.

Windows Embedded CE Features

Includes documentation for all Windows Embedded CE functionality, organized by Catalog item. The most relevant Catalog items for Windows Embedded CE VoIP functionality, in general order of usefulness to a typical VoIP phone developer, are:

See Also

Other Resources

Developing a VoIP Phone