Internet Caller ID

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What Does Internet Caller ID Mean?

Internet caller ID is an application used in Internet calling or VoIP telephony to identify the caller. The person being contacted is shown the caller’s identification by displaying the caller’s details like number, name or network details. This is accomplished with the help of a console from the point of communication and the required addressing mechanisms. Internet caller ID is similar to traditional caller ID used in regular phone calls, but the mechanism used to deliver the caller ID information over the Internet is more complex.

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Internet caller ID is also known as Voice over Internet Protocol caller identification (VoIP caller ID).

Techopedia Explains Internet Caller ID

Internet caller ID enables the person receiving a call to see the caller’s information, thus identifying the caller. It is provided as a value-added service by many Internet service providers.

The caller information transmitted can also be withheld for privacy reasons and some service providers also provide options to alter the caller information. As Internet caller ID is more complex and involves complex programming, caller ID spoofing is also comparatively more complex.

The ability to change the caller ID information in Internet calls makes it possible for organizations to carry out marketing and sales campaigns without having to expose their personal identity and information. This ensures confidentiality, but can also lead to abuse of this feature. Internet telephony service providers may also enable a local user to have a number located in a foreign exchange with the help of their PSTN gateway installations. Thus, by modifying the caller information, long distance calls can incur lower charges.

The Truth in Caller ID act passed in 2010 by the US Congress condemns the transmission of incorrect and misleading caller id information through any type of telecommunication services, including Internet calls.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.