I had upgraded to a multi-handset cordless phone system several years ago after moving into a bigger house. The built-in answering machine offered me the freedom to check messages from outside, which meant dropping another service from the phone company. The freedom to operate up to eight phones throughout the house using only a single phone jack meant I could save even more by avoiding expensive new wiring projects, and could move individual handsets around the house as I pleased when we rearranged furniture. And finally, the handset-to-handset paging meant no more shouting up and down staircases or through rooms. My family has gradually evolved(?) to this more sane communication medium using the handsets as both housewide intercoms and convenient tools for transferring incoming calls.

But the most exciting development has been the decision to add a second phone line to the house. As an early gadget adopter, I had my eye on the new Voice Over Internet Protocol or VoIP technology that was starting to make waves. Back in late 2002, I was intrigued by what seemed to be the latest attempt to overthrow the next great power using the seemingly unlimited potential of the Internet. In much the same way that Napster and its ilk had stuck it to the big music companies, and in the same vein as the Tivo vs. the big television networks, here was Vonage offering an alternative. Better yet, a cheap alternative

to the telephony behomeths.

Well, I signed up as soon as I could, and in no time had my new VoIP service working as a second phone line. Vonage and more recent competitors have made considerable progress since those early days, and you can now walk into your nearest big box store and buy this VoIP equipment off the shelf. Setup is easy, but you must be a broadband subscriber using DSL, cable modem, or similar equipment to deliver high-speed internet service to your home. The VoIP equipment plugs into your network and provides a familiar phone jack, just waiting to be utilized by your existing phones.

In my case, the VoIP jack went right into the second line input on the Panasonic phone system. Just like that, I now had the power to use two lines on every handset throughout the house. With absolutely NO EXTRA WIRING, I now had a flexible and powerful phone system operating two lines, but using two entirely different phone technologies!

Needless to say, I am a big fan of these cordless phone systems, and look forward to ongoing innovation in this area as the vendors look to add color screens with photo caller id, increased signal strength for longer distances, speakerphone handsets, and more. You can, of course, use the phone company for one or both lines (some phone systems support 4 or more lines!), but VoIP as "new kid on the block" offers a very attractive alternative for local and long-distance service. It's worth checking into.