For almost any online business you are going to need some sort of telecommunications setup.  Whether you need the ability to send and receive phone calls, have a toll free number or online faxing capabilities.  A good source of information for voip services is VoipRater.com.  A few of the different telecommunications products you may need include:

VoIP Phone Service

VoIP or Voice over IP is a protocol that allows you to send and receive voice calls over the internet.  Basically you can use a regular phone with a special adapter that changes the signal from an analog phone signal into digital data and then it can route via the internet to a phone system and make the call to a regular phone, cell phone or other VoIP service subscriber.  It is really an amazing technology and provides a HUGE advantage over traditional local phone services.  For as low as $10 a month you can have UNLIMITED local and long distance calling in your area.

Another really cool featuer about VoIP is that you can take it with you.  If you are traveling or have a summer home etc. you can just unplug your VoIP adapter, take it to the next location, connect it to the internet and plug your phone in again.  Viola!  Instant phone service at your hotel, summer home or while traveling through Europe.  And every call is still treated as though you are back at home.  No international fees to call your friends and family.

PBX Service

PBX services are geared toward office use.  When you call in to most companies there will be an automated attendant of some sort.  The automated messaging with selections and extensions are all controlled by a PBX system.

Internet Faxing Service

Toll-Free Number