How to Learn Telephony

1. Take a basic telephony class. Learning telephony may be complicated because it is highly technical, and you may need to know specialized terms to understand how telephony works. Taking a general communication class will help you understand how it impacts communication between people. Taking a communications class with a focus on media and technology will help you understand the broader technological framework of telephony, down to its scientific details.

2. Attend an expo. Doing this will help you learn more about the industry, which is important, to give you an idea of where the trend is moving toward. You will also be able to network with established professional in the fields of media, Internet and technology. The annual Internet Telephony Conference and Expo (www.tmcnet.com/voip/conference/) is the prominent conference in the industry. It offers free workshops and seminars about telephony trends. Another conference is the Emerging Telephony Conference (www.conferences.oreillynet.com/etel2007/), organized by O'Reilly.

3. Visit a call center. You can use Business.com's extensive directory to find a call center company in your area (see Resources). A call center is a great learning ground for someone who wishes to learn more about telephony, since it demonstrates telephony in action. Service representatives use telephony, whether through long-distance calls or voice over internet protocol (VoIP), to reach consumers in foreign countries.

4. Tour media and technology companies. This includes cable networks, television stations and even Internet startups. Call HR departments and inquire about doing a tour. You will learn a lot just by seeing what they do on a daily basis, since these companies are at the forefront of telephony developments. Voice communication is important to their business. At media and technology companies, you can learn more about backstage aspects and the inner workings of telephony.

5. Read more about telephony. The IT company, Cisco, publishes books about telephony, such as 'IP Telephony' by David Lowell, which demonstrates what it's like to use Internet/digital telephony. It will give you insights about how areas within telephony relate to each other, as well as how the communication that telephony makes possible impacts connections among people who live in distant places.