Is the Internet still turning out millionaires? They must be, if I can believe the tons of messages I receive daily, urging me to purchase a product guaranteed to make me as obscenely rich as the guy trying to sell it to me claims to be. Some of these people even direct me to screen captures of their ClickBank affiliate accounts or to digital images of their bank accounts—all showing enormous balances. Hmm. Can you say, "digital editing"?

That aside, are real people making real money on the Net these days? Many claim to be, but whom can you believe? You know the old saying: On the Web, nobody knows you're a dog.

Recent Millionaires

A Google News search for "Internet millionaires" turned up a few reliable sources. According to Post-Gazette in 2000, Manu Kumar from Pittsburgh sold his Oakland company, SneakerLabs, for a bundle. SneakerLabs, now part of E.piphany, is a Web site that lets people facilitate online meetings.

Only 25 years old at the time, Kumar was reported to have a net worth of $50 million. Kumar, as it turns out, was never your typical youth. He was memorizing entire textbooks at age 7; selling musical doorbells in New Delhi at the age of 14; designed a solar car at age 17; and at age 21, launched SneakerLabs on a student visa while at Carnegie Mellon University.

More recently, across the pond in the United Kingdom, Alex Tew, a 22-year-old student, made $1 million in four months with his Million Dollar Homepage . Tew sold tiny advertisements on his site, which became viral and attracted enormous traffic following his interview with the BBC. The unbelievable-looking site resembles a magazine rack containing hundreds of miniscule magazines. ABC news radio and Reuters TV in Times Square have also interviewed Tew about his various moneymaking ideas.

In 2006, a PR Web press release stated that Tellman Knudson from Vermont became a millionaire selling online help for people with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). After a string of bad luck and failed businesses, Knudson went from broke to millionaire in 12 months, and then became a multimillionaire in 24 months. Knudson explained his success by saying, "I uncovered the secret is to focus intently on my own skills. I love the Internet with a passion, and I love helping people experience success in their own lives."

In the Trenches

But what about the rest of us? To find out what's happening in the trenches, I loitered around the Warrior Forum , an online meeting place where Internet marketers hang out to network and swap war stories. Warrior Jeff Gardner, the president of Gardner Marketing Group Inc., of Mansfield, Texas, agreed to speak with me.

"Are people still becoming Internet millionaires?" I asked Gardner.

"Yes, absolutely," he replied.

However, Gardner said, you have to understand one thing. It's a misnomer to talk about having an Internet business. The Internet is a marketing and delivery method, but it is not a business. If you sell pet food, that's a business. If you market it online, that's a marketing method. Find a way to have your pet food downloadable, and that's a delivery method.

Gardner pointed to the 1900s, when people made millions of dollars in mail order—another marketing and delivery method. People predicted it would die out, but decades later, people are still making money with mail order, thanks to credit cards and other advances.

Similarly, Internet marketing has a rosy future. "I believe there are people in elementary school who are going to make a million dollars on the Internet," Gardner predicted. He expects to see technological advances that we cannot begin to understand now, and considers that in the future, there will be even more opportunity than there was five years ago.

"But, since everybody and his dog is trying to sell something online, doesn't that mean too much competition, and therefore, decreased opportunity?" I asked. In response, Gardner pointed to the weight-loss market as an example. Businesses have been selling weight-loss products for 100 years. We often hear people say they aren't going into the weight-loss industry because the market is saturated, yet every day we see proof that this is not the case. Although the market appears to be jam-packed with weight-control products, somebody comes along with a new diet, product or service and makes a fortune. The market is hungry for new weight-loss solutions.

The health and wellness industry is another good example of a "saturated" market that pays off big for those who know how to maneuver it successfully. A company entering this market with a new supplement, vitamin or other product can make millions of dollars.

Competition and Opportunity

Gardner pointed out that the increasing numbers of people on the Internet bring more competition, but also more opportunity. This growing number of people, coupled with technological advances, affords increased opportunity to tap into new markets—markets that can't be reached through direct mail, magazine advertising or television. In his opinion, those who say there are no opportunities on the Internet are taking a short-term viewpoint. "Over the next five or 10 years, there will be Internet advances that we cannot imagine," he mused.

According to Gardner, plenty of people are starting businesses that make six or seven figures in the first or second year. Some, like John Reese, become millionaires. Three or four years ago, John Reese sold an information product for $1,000. He made $1million in one day. Gardner likens this accomplishment to breaking the four-minute mile. For years, people believed it impossible to make $1 million in a day. Then Reese broke the barrier. Since Reese's success, many have brought in a million a day in online sales. There have been outstanding product launches that brought in $12 million within 24 hours.

Internet technology has reached a point where you can go online and find your target market, the people who are most likely to buy from you. And, since e-commerce has advanced to the point that many people are comfortable using credit cards online, these people have the ability and willingness to purchase.

As for people who claim the opportunity has passed, Gardner had an opinion. "I look at these people as making an excuse for not taking the first steps toward making money," he commented.

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Trusted upon to be the new face of telecommunications, VoIP internet telephony is soon going to be a global success story. With hundreds of companies and service providers being formed in various parts of the world to provide internet based calling services, the future of the technology seems very bright. Also known as voice over internet protocol (VoIP), internet telephony is currently undergoing a modern day revolution in terms of quality, affordability and convenience. In fact, there are several service providers who have started distributing free VoIP calls to attract hesitant consumers to give them a taste of the best.

Simplifying VoIP internet telephony

In easier words, this is the system of making phone calls through a computer, a high speed internet connection and the basic audiovisual hardware required to:

1. other computers around the world
2. fixed land line telephones, locally and globally
3. mobile handset, again every where
4. or basically any other device connected to the internet and capable of digital signal transmission.

Now it is up to the needs and requirements of each particular consumer as what they want to achieve with this powerful facility. For example, a private individual who is only looking forward to the basic calling and receiving will need a simpler arrangement than a multinational company which needs a fluent system of economical communications to establish cooperation within the corporation. Owing to the various customizations and many options available to the end user, the potential and market of VoIP internet telephony is also very high.

What makes internet telephone so flexible?

The reason for VoIP's flexibility is due to the fact that the it conveniently utilizes the existing internet infrastructure across the world to process voice analog signals as digital signals and then transmitting. Therefore, there is no need for additional networks to send the same data, hence cutting costs considerably. Also, this can be used with an existing PBX system in a building to help keep constant touch between the two usual desk phones, again slashing communication costs. As VoIP calls can be made to PSTN (public switched telephone network) numbers and to other similar phone networks, the net reach is par excellence.

If call processing is done correctly, it leads to minimal loss in audio or video quality and hence the overall experience is not marred during any VoIP transmission. Though this kind of quality sound processing still needs time to develop fully, one can already see a lot of promise in the emerging technologies of Internet telephony.

Find out about benefits of the VoIP Internet Telephony at voice over ip portal.

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VoIP, or Voice over IP, communications and service providers are situated an industry with a furious growth rate and positive trends, paving the future for business, corporate, social and scientific communication. VoIP usage in the USA is expected to have soared from just over one billion Dollars in revenue in 2004 to almost twenty billion Dollars by 2009. VoIP services are relatively new to the market prompting an incredible boost in its usage and sales. Although it would seem that the change from regular phones to VoIP phones and services is predominant in large enterprises and the small to medium enterprises, as well as domestic settings are sticking with the traditional telephone services available, VoIP is still taking over the world.

The VoIP Race
With the influx of demand on VoIP services, communication carriers and suppliers are taking up the trend and converting to these services, offering customers the best in VoIP technology whilst being teamed with an existing carrier. However, an issue affecting the service providers' business is the usage of VoIP. Many companies are installing it simply for the extra benefits and complex applications such as voice mail and relying on traditional telephones as means for direct communications instead of converting their entire PBX to VoIP. Most people are happy with regular telephones and high bills - something new is somewhat frightening to them. With these perceptions and "fears" of new technology such as VoIP, the industry will not progress as quickly as it should.

Due to the race for better prices, more features and lowest costs, the marketing features surrounding VoIP companies comes at quite a price, leading fees to increase. The cycle is a vicious one and the only provider able to combat this problem is the provider who focuses on their features being better than the rest. Small business enterprises will benefit greatly from the better features available from competing companies.

Times are a-changing!
The fearful perception of VoIP is a huge downfall for businesses still relying on old methods. The out dated methods of communication simply do not offer the advantages a VoIP PBX can. Many small businesses are fearful of moving to this technology because the technology is advanced and relatively unknown to employees and leaders of the companies. However, VoIP providers today have managed to escape the confusion and fear labelled to their services through clever changes. For example, some providers allow calls to be made through the normal phones over PSTN until clients are ready to receive calls using VoIP.

Users and observers not "in the know" may be under the misconception that VoIP is only concerned with phone calls using the internet. VoIP is not simply "talking over the internet." Features such as voice mail that is accessible over any phone or internet connection, Call Forwarding; CLI; Hunt Groups; Call Barring; Call Restriction; 3-way Conferencing; Music and Message on-hold email, fax, multiple connectivity, easy access to user features settings and much more.

Smart Communication
Many communication companies are catching on to the benefits of joining forces with VoIP service providers, incorporating good value for money deals whilst expanding both companies customer base. This amalgamation of companies allows cheaper calls and services to subscribers in the sphere of customers of both companies.

The VoIP generation is growing. Despite some fears from the public as to the technical side of the services, the growth of VoIP in the communications market, especially in corporations and businesses, is becoming greater and greater.

Author Bio:
Inclarity is a provider of Hosted VoIP services in the United Kingdom, allowing corporations and households a saving in call costs, maintenance fees and other advanced features not available with traditional communication methods.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rosemary_Grace_Brooks

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