Though most people are now turning to wireless, DSL, and broadband connections for their Internet access, those with dial-up modems still know how, occasionally, you can miss a call from someone important while surfing the web. That�s where an Internet answering service comes in. An Internet answering service more or less screens phone calls for subscribers, allowing them to decide whether or not they want to take the phone call immediately as it is received or to have it transferred to an answering machine/voicemail. Just as many e-mail services these days have �spam� filters, an Internet answering service works in much the same way. It works as a caller ID for an individual while they are online. A caller�s name and number are shown to the subscriber, and a message they leave can be accessed and played through the PC�s speakers, allowing the subscriber to either answer the phone call, or let the caller leave a message to be picked up at a later time. Convenience is the name of the game with an Internet answering service. Everything can be controlled with the click of a mouse. An Internet answering service allows a subscriber to take more control over their calls and have greater flexibility in how they take those calls. Internet answering service providers have now branched out to take advantage of other venues that could find their services useful � businesses and cell phone users. By expanding into these markets, Internet answering service providers offer subscribers a sense of peace as they not only identify anonymous callers, but block such callers from getting through to the subscriber. Cell phone callers no longer have to use their precious minutes on unwanted calls, and businesses no longer have to ward off unwanted telemarketing calls. With an Internet answering service, nearly anyone can be in complete control over the calls they accept, with the peace of mind that those calls that they don�t accept are taken care of properly.