New and Improved Skype 5.0
For business or personal use, it’s hard to beat the ease and versatilty that skype offers. A multitude of features and at the heart of it all is free calls to anyone, anywhere. From there you can expand to video conferencing and mobile updates and more. With the new 5.0 update it makes sense to review some old and new features of Skype.
Free Calls
The primary use for Skype is to make free phone calls, generally from one skype account to another. In the past these calls were plagued by poor connectivity, several years later the connection is quite reliable. The major benefits of skype calls are that you can call anyone anywhere in the world for for free if they are on skype. That’s a real benefit for international calls or for anyone looking to make calling simpler and more affordable.
You can of course call land and mobile lines with skype also. The charge is ridiculously low, unlimited calls worldwide for less than $14 a month. Text messaging too, rates vary by country but remain extraordinarily reasonable. That package also includes voicemail and call forwarding. Sweet.
Next up is conference calls. A great resource for businesses to keep costs low and communication high. You can conference for free with any other skype users and there is a small fee to add non skype users. These fees are not annoying add on charges, you will hardly notice them, and with proper organization there is little reason not to have everyone on the call be a skype user.
Face to Face
Another feature you will want to check out is video calls. Face to face conversation, still free, to anyone in the world using skype. A great resource when traveling or to replace costly travel with video conferencing. The technology is pretty good for up to 3 users, also available in HD if all parties are using HD web cams. Skype is still working on developing the infrastructure to offer expanded use of video conferencing. The business version is a little beefier but still Skype recommends 5 or less on the video call for now.
You can make video calls from your tv and phones too. Check out these Skype certified devices with built in video conferencing. I have a skype app on my iphone. I can video chat or mostly I use it for instant messaging. Make sure you have a data plan that won’t charge you extra for using skype.
That’s Not All
While you are on a skype call, you have other tools at your disposal. File sharing is a tool I use every day on skype. Easy to drag and drop and send files including images, songs and documents. Want more tools? Click on the extras link and you will find a ton of useful add ons including call center, outlook integration, and call recording to name a few. Not to mention games and social media. And phone numbers on websites are generally converted into clickable links by skype. Just click and call.
Speaking of social media, now you can have skype open for calls and get your facebook feed built right into skype. One less tab I need open in Chrome now. Make new friends and then add them as contacts. Then just click to call them using Skype. No button pushing for me.
Screen sharing is still a popular feature on skype. I use this sometimes with clients. I can show them how to use programs using their own computer. Trouble shooting and quick issues can be done from thousands of miles away with just a few clicks.
Should You Skype?
Skype isn’t perfect. It’s not uncommon I need to try a call twice to get great connection. The whole thing depends on the internet connectivity of both parties. Sure would be nice to be able to video conference more than just a few people.
The user interface is pretty simple. You can call, video call, chat, play games and Facebook all inside your Skype window. I mostly use skype for chat, video calls, and file sharing. I’ve spoken with clients all over the world using skype and more of my clients are starting to utilize skype for business. Looking for another opton? Check out Fring.
Skype – more than just Free Business and Personal Calls
New and Improved Skype 5.0
For business or personal use, it’s hard to beat the ease and versatilty that skype offers. A multitude of features and at the heart of it all is free calls to anyone, anywhere. From there you can expand to video conferencing and mobile updates and more. With the new 5.0 update it makes sense to review some old and new features of Skype.
Free Calls
The primary use for Skype is to make free phone calls, generally from one skype account to another. In the past these calls were plagued by poor connectivity, several years later the connection is quite reliable. The major benefits of skype calls are that you can call anyone anywhere in the world for for free if they are on skype. That’s a real benefit for international calls or for anyone looking to make calling simpler and more affordable.
You can of course call land and mobile lines with skype also. The charge is ridiculously low, unlimited calls worldwide for less than $14 a month. Text messaging too, rates vary by country but remain extraordinarily reasonable. That package also includes voicemail and call forwarding. Sweet.
Next up is conference calls. A great resource for businesses to keep costs low and communication high. You can conference for free with any other skype users and there is a small fee to add non skype users. These fees are not annoying add on charges, you will hardly notice them, and with proper organization there is little reason not to have everyone on the call be a skype user.
Face to Face
Another feature you will want to check out is video calls. Face to face conversation, still free, to anyone in the world using skype. A great resource when traveling or to replace costly travel with video conferencing. The technology is pretty good for up to 3 users, also available in HD if all parties are using HD web cams. Skype is still working on developing the infrastructure to offer expanded use of video conferencing. The business version is a little beefier but still Skype recommends 5 or less on the video call for now.
You can make video calls from your tv and phones too. Check out these Skype certified devices with built in video conferencing. I have a skype app on my iphone. I can video chat or mostly I use it for instant messaging. Make sure you have a data plan that won’t charge you extra for using skype.
That’s Not All
While you are on a skype call, you have other tools at your disposal. File sharing is a tool I use every day on skype. Easy to drag and drop and send files including images, songs and documents. Want more tools? Click on the extras link and you will find a ton of useful add ons including call center, outlook integration, and call recording to name a few. Not to mention games and social media. And phone numbers on websites are generally converted into clickable links by skype. Just click and call.
Speaking of social media, now you can have skype open for calls and get your facebook feed built right into skype. One less tab I need open in Chrome now. Make new friends and then add them as contacts. Then just click to call them using Skype. No button pushing for me.
Screen sharing is still a popular feature on skype. I use this sometimes with clients. I can show them how to use programs using their own computer. Trouble shooting and quick issues can be done from thousands of miles away with just a few clicks.
Should You Skype?
Skype isn’t perfect. It’s not uncommon I need to try a call twice to get great connection. The whole thing depends on the internet connectivity of both parties. Sure would be nice to be able to video conference more than just a few people.
The user interface is pretty simple. You can call, video call, chat, play games and Facebook all inside your Skype window. I mostly use skype for chat, video calls, and file sharing. I’ve spoken with clients all over the world using skype and more of my clients are starting to utilize skype for business. Looking for another opton? Check out Fring.