VOIP and SIP News

Australian troops will now be able to make use of VoIP in the field.

The move is supposed to be a boost to their spirits, according to industry publication Computerworld which got a look at some of the defense documents.

However there will only be 370 computers for all of the 3,700 Australian armed forces based in 13 different countries.

That means that one computer will have to be shared between 10 soldiers.

As well as being stationed domestically, Australian troops serve in places such as the Solomon Islands, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The access to cheap calls via Voice over Internet Protocol, as well as IM and email, will be made via Wi-Fi over a PC, an easy an affordable way to contact family and friends.

The PCs will have a minimum bandwidth of 56kbps per user. This large capacity will enable the troops to use a variety of features including software, PDF files, music on Apple iTunes and videos.

Of course the use of VoIP telephony by the army has some security concerns but there is special malware and anti-virus software to deal with any online threats.

So it looks like VoIP is set to improve the lives of Australian soldiers by allowing them to keep in contact with life back home.