Skype

I see we can now put skype ID's into our profiles. I wonder if someone could explain how it works and what the advantages are over a traditional phone? We have staff travelling all over the place, so would putting everyone on skype allow them to communicate better? Or would it just be cheaper. Presumably it may bring confusion as if you wanted to contact someone, sometimes they would be on-line (so one should use skype) where as other times you would find they were off line (so would have to use a phone). this sounds like a bit of a flimflam to me that would frustrate people so much that they would just resort to the phone (we already have people who don't bother ringing landlines but resort immediately to the mobile number as they know they will get a response).

Does it save money if used with GPRS on a PDA?

Sorry to be a drongo again!

[Decker]

Well to be honest it sounds as though you'd benefit more from an integrated VOIP solution. In the office we have 2 ADSL lines, one for data one for voice. The phones are IP phones - they look and feel like normal phones but they connect via the dedicated ADSL line (so no interference from data downloads like you get with Skype). We have a Phone Management Web Page provided by the phone provider (http://www.inclarity.co.uk) where we can go in to manage our voice mail or say "please direct all phone calls to extension XXX to this number" either a new one or one of several pre-stored. So if I leave the office and go home I can log onto the web and instruct all calls to my extension to ring at my home phone or to redirect to my PA.

The latest development is a "SoftPhone" - a piece of software I run on my PC. It emulates a phone over IP, so with my bluetooth headset connected to my PC I can make handless VOIP calls over the data line. This integrates completely with the phone management web page so I can go there and say "direct all calls to my extension to my softphone" and my PC will ring. So I can be sitting in my hotel room in the US and someone can call my extension and it will ring on my PC. And of course calls I make from my hotel room in the US are at cheap VOIP rates and show up as coming from my office phone (if I allow the caller display).

All a bit leading edge but easy to use and fairly reliable.

Honesty statement - my brother is one of the top VOIP salespeople in the country and we were early adopters because of this. We do pay commercial rates however and are still happy with the service!

Firstly if used as a phone style device you need either to utilise the speakers/mic on the device you have it installed or purchase a USB phone or similar.

Secondly Skype phone over GPRS is really a non-starter, the quality, IMHO, will not be good enough.

Yes you will have the "flimflam" you mention above, but Skype to Skype calls are FREE.

I had heard that Skype users open up their connection for others to piggy back off (part of the T&Cs I believe) and again I have heard reports that this can slow down your connection to the internet.

I have seen a couple of other that Skype ids on this board so will leave them to give you their personal experiences.

Paul

[Decker]

I Skyped a fellow mod the other evening and abandoned the call due to packet drop - went back to normal VOIP. However NYE I had a 30 minute conversation with a colleague in Brisbane clear as a bell and free. In my limited experience long distance works better than national. YMMV.

I love Skype--use it for overseas calls--and am exploring the new video component. Personally have never had a dropped call--and it's free (as long as the callee has an account). I like free.

RR

Is anything ever genuinely free, as the saying goes 'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch'

Paul

Whisper this quietly....[y]

A little tip-ette; when in Hong-Kong even if you're not in the Club House its surprising just how far those naughty little radio waves radiate for those with WiFi on their Laptop, Skype and a headset..... worked a treat for me to call the office and home.[:w]

I love skype, use it everyday with a skypeout account to call my GF's landline in china, costs 2 eurocents per minute i think. Call Quality is good, and I use a bluetooth headset to my computer so its just like the real thing.
Just spent all weekend testing SkypeVideo with the GF. The quality is streets ahead of MSN video, and of course skype to skype is free.

My next purchase is going to be a Wifi Enabled Smartphone... one of the Orange ones I think. I've read good reports of Skype working well on those. And with the number of non secured wireless access points around it really does make for cheap mobile comms!!!

I heard today that Sony are releasing a number of bolt on's for the PSP shortly, and one of these is likely to be the facility to do VOIP on it. Now that will be interesting!

[mcmbenjamin]

Skype is having a promo, Free calls to US or Canadian landline or mobiles. Promo runs til the end of 2006.

Text as published on Skype.comSkype is a little program for making free calls within the US and Canada to all phones until the end of the year. Skype to Skype calls anywhere in the world are also free. It's easy to download and use, and works with most computers.

[mcmbenjamin]

Skype is free this weekend to call the UK 12:01AM July 15th until 11:59PM July 16th EST.

I use it fairly regulary both PC to PC and PC to landline. Generally works a treat and it does save a fortune on the International calls to UK and Russia.

It can get a bit fuzzy though depending on the time of day:D

Iain