Top 12 Clever Things Ways to Use VoIP to Improve Your Holidays This Year:

The following list was compiled by Jim Kohlenberger and the VON Coalition 1. Need to pay for presents in a down economy? Save up to $700 on your phone bill, enough to cover most holiday gift giving budgets. By switching to a feature rich VoIP home phone service, families can save up to $700 per year – enough to pay for your holiday spending. Here are a few ways to save: http://www.freedom2speak.org/ivoip.shtml A Gallup survey suggests most Americans plan on spending $639 on presents this holiday season. http://www.gallup.com/poll/113203/Americans-Christmas-Budget-Falls-200-Below-Last-Years.aspx 2. Late on your holiday cards? Send a personalized video holiday card. Use Skype to create a personalized video card to send to friends or loved ones. http://www.skypevideocards.com/ 3. Can't think of anything creative? Sing with the King. Sing and record a duet with Elvis Presley (blue Christmas) and send your melody to friends electronically. http://www.singwiththeking.com The site provides a phone number and access code so you can belt out your lines over the phone. If you're pleased with the recording, you can send it in a Christmas e-card. But all the technology in the world doesn't help if you can't sing, like me. ;-) 4. Forgot to give Santa your wish list? Get Santa's private number and call him directly. Get Santa's private telephone number, let your child talk to Santa directly, record your child's wish list, and have it e-mailed to you. http://callsanta.org/ or http://www.telsanta.com/ Or if you are a Vonage customer, you can call Santa through your Vonage phone and be connected to a holiday greeting from Santa. Leave a message for Santa and have it sent to the email address linked to your Vonage account. http://www.vonage.com/santa/ 5. Need to Connect for Hanukkah? Buy Hanukkah Phone cards and talk to Israel for pennies. Get a Hanukkah Phone Cards and talk to family across the US or in Israel for cheap. http://speedypin.com/phone/card/hanukkah.html 6. Want a fun way to wake up the kids? Have Hanna Montana wake up the kids on that special morning. http://www.callthefuture.org/ or http://www.hannahmontanacalls.com/ 7. Want ring in the New Year the right way? Ring all your friends phones simultaneously at midnight with a new year's recorded broadcast message on their phones. http://www.freedom2speak.org/tell_your_friends.shtml 8. Have someone who doesn't believe in Santa? Have Santa make a personalized phone call. No more long lines at the mall for parents, children or Santa Claus. Just imagine the look on your child's face when he or she receives a personal phone call from Santa Claus this Christmas season! Santa will call your child by name, and parents get a unique holiday keepsake with the recording. http://www.santashotline.com/ or http://www.santaspeaking.com/ or http://www.santasphonecalls.com/ or http://www.santaspeaks.com/ 9. Need a clever way to send a message? Create and e-mail a talking Santa, Reindeer or Elf avatar. Record the voice by phone, and send the talking holiday character to friends and family. www.voki.com 10. Need a half mile of wrapping paper? 8 weeks of VoIP telecommuting will pay for it. According to the linked report, using VoIP in the office to telecommute and working from home one day a week would save enough money in 8 weeks leading up to Christmas to buy a new Xbox 360, a half mile of wrapping paper, or 58 pairs of men's novelty socks. http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/voip/use-voip-to-telecommute-for-a-merry-christmas.asp 11. Can't afford to travel this year? Visit family virtually by videoconferencing. AAA suggests that there will be a million fewer Americans traveling this holiday season. For those who can't afford to travel in this economic downturn, try free video conferencing with family and friends instead? Instant messaging based voice and video communication is almost as good as being there in person, except without having to hang out and listen to Aunt Sophie's stories. A few options here: http://www.freedom2speak.org/multimodal.shtml, http://boston.bizjournals.com/boston/othercities/milwaukee/stories/2008/12/15/daily32.html 12. Want to do something for those serving overseas? Sing Christmas carols to troops stationed in Iraq. This year kids are using VoIP and the VoIP non-profit Freedom Calls to sing holiday carols to the troops stationed in Iraq using voice and video over IP. http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081208/NEWS02/312089981/-1/NEWS Wishing everyone a warm and wonderful holiday season (filled with VoIP) and a Happy new year