- Skype is completely free to download and use to call other Skype users
- Subscriptions are available which include unlimited calls to various countries
- Unlimited US and Canada: £1.45 per month
- Unlimited to one country: £2.95 per month
- Unlimited Worldwide (40 countries): £6.95 per month
- Widely used free voice over IP based conferencing tool
- Call anyone else on the Skype network for free
- Make video calls to anyone using Skype
- Integrated instant messaging functionality
- Send SMS messages to mobiles anywhere in the world at low rates
- Make conference calls with large numbers of participants
- Receive calls from a standard telephone
- Easily send files to other users
- Business control panel to manage your employees credit limit
- Low cost calls to landlines or mobiles
- Mobile versions available
- Call forwarding features
- Voicemail included in subscription
- Add a 'call now' button to your website
- Screen sharing (beta version only)
- Online support available
- Versions available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux
Skype is probably the best known and most widely used voice over IP call provider out there. The easy to use tool allows you to call any other Skype user absolutely free of charge using a microphone connected to your computer. It also provides a wealth of other features many people don't realise exist and very low cost, unlimited use subscriptions for calling standard telephones.
Signing up for a Skype account is completely free and very easy to do. Simply enter your details and download the application, which comes in Windows, Mac and Linux versions, then you are ready to start communicating with any other Skype users in the world. You can attach a headset to your computer to talk, or simply use a microphone and speakers. During calls you can also switch on your webcam to allow the other person to view a live broadcast from your computer. It is also possible to invite other people to join the call and participate in a full scale conference call. The one thing Skype lacks that some of the other services we have looked at offer is the ability to share your screen. At the moment this feature is only available in the beta version of the Mac application, but soon it will be rolled out across all versions.
To take advantage of some of the extra features of Skype there are two options for payment. If you choose pay as you go you can top up your account with credit at any time using a variety of methods. The credit in your account allows you to call landlines and mobiles anywhere in the world at very low cost, send SMS messages and use the voicemail and call forwarding features. Some of these features can be especially useful for businesses and it is possible to set up a business account to manage your employees' credit. The other option for payment is to take out a monthly subscription that allows you to make unlimited calls to your own country, one other country or the whole world. Subscriptions prices are extremely low and well worth considering if you often top up your account with credit.
Skype is an excellent application and used by so many people that you can all but guarantee the person you want to call already has an account. The free functionality will probably be enough for most people, but business users will benefit from features like voicemail and call forwarding. The one aspect which is lacking is screen sharing, but this will be available on all versions of the application very soon, making Skype even more powerful. Signing up is free so we recommend trying it out today.
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