Who uses Skype? and for what purpose?
For example, I've used Skype for international calls on a personal level for the past 3 years.
Many companies still pay extravagant phone bills for international calls while this service could reduce their costs exponentially.
What's your experience on this?
Good Answers (4)
Al D
Controller at Clients First Business Solutions
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We use Skype for many purposes and I have found it to be reliable and affordable.
1. Mobile Office Telephone Line: As my business is mobile based, I have a Skype number for my office number. it is less expensive than our old phone service, and it goes with me wherever I go. I can take calls on my laptop, on my Skype WiFi phone, and on my Smartphone.
2. We also use the Skype client for customer service. I give the free download to all our clients, and they can contact us instantly for tech support or questions. It has never been abused.
3. At my previous employer, our owners wer ein Italy. We used skype for video conferencing, conference calls, meetings, and more. It saved us a ton of money in long distance and the wuality was good. The only problem we found here was the Italian internet service sometimes was slow, and that affected call quality 50% of the time. However, that is not Skype's fault.
We also have the Skype Out as well. I can make unlimited calls from my PC, Skype phone, or PDA for no additional cost. I find it to be convenient and cost effective. I recommend it.
Links:
I'll add that I use Skype as a kind of mobile phone when I'm traveling out of the country to avoid high roaming charges. If there's a situation, like a new client planning teleconference, where call quality is an absolute premium, I use a land line even when calling across borders. There are some pretty low cost long distance accounts you can set up to do that (like OneSuite) that have good land line rates on calls from anywhere to anywhere.
Skype is a very handy medium to, as you put it make cheap international calls or free calls. I use this to speak with my collegues and staff all the time and it saves my GSM bill by over 60%. This is a very good reason for using skype also You can call any number from GSM to Landlines if you have an account. The other key thing if you can hold conference call if you are negotiating deals with suppliers and Clients.
What more can you as for. Ooh yes while talking business you can play a game of Backgammon with a friend to keep you going.
Bill C
A visionary futurist, experienced in TV/Film, new media production, and instructional design.
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Our organization doesn't officially use Skype. However several faculty use it. When I moved and started telecommuting, I purchased SkypeIn. This allows allows the campus to call me via a local number.
I have faculty and students distributed around the world and it makes for easy communication. We also have guest lecturers in the classroom via skype (sometimes with video). We also use screen sharing software. This allows us to bring "in" experts who's schedules or distances would not allow them to share with us.
Naturally with any technology there are failures and issues. But in general Skype has been very useful.
Bill
More Answers (22)
Terry M
Interim Manager / Service & Operations Specialist
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Lina - My main use if social but i do use it for business in a limited fashion for voice and IM. I know of some small companies who use it to reduce telephony charges between offices. Also, some family and friends are starting to use it more in a mobile context either via phone or PSP.
Quality can sometimes be an issue but a drop in quality is acceptable to me versus normal call charges, especially international.
I operate a small scale non-profit organization which has operations in the United Kingdom and has previously done work in Canada. We have used Skype for communication within these operations and it has worked very effectively. I highly reccomend skype for business use.
Links:
Gino T
Business Development Manager at Faurecia
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Skype has had significant issues with reliability in service in the recent past. When they did, companies which relied on skype as a sole source provider for long distance were without service.
This service has created cost reductions for our business calls, but to rely on it completely presents some risk.
On a personal note, I use Skype for personal calls all the time. No matter where in the world I travel, I can see my wife and kids. I love it.
Sonny M
COO / CTO at Transworks, LLC
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We use Skype (in all its facets) quite extensively. We have several offices in the Asia Pacific and European regions - it works quite well. We use the conference calling feature frequently for adhoc get togethers when discussing some biz concept, etc...
On a personal note, I use it to talk to my wife and little one while they are on an extended stay in India - the video chat is definitely a big plus.
Vincent L
Responsable Marketing Officines at Teva Sante
Best Answers in: Market Research and Definition (1), Ethics (1)
Lina,
I use Skype a lot because my family is spread around the globe (France, UK, USA, Africa, Singapore...). Professionaly I wonder if there aren't some worries about the security level of using such systems. It is a valid question, and will ask our IT department.
Vincent
Besides the obvious free global calling, etc...I use skype to record interviews with companies and people in my industry. My firm leverages podcasts in its consulting operation. So, we have people use our Skype IN number. My side of the call is conducted using a studio microphone so the quality is superb and the call in quality is better than your average phone call. There are wonderful recording software packages out there that are free or nearly free that capture each side of the call independently for better editing.
Links:
Jerry E
Auto, Home & Life Insurance Professional
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I have noticed a lot of network marketers love Skype. It helps them recruit around the world.
Mike D
Owner, Michele Productions
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I have programmers in Sao Paulo. Occasionally we communicate via MSN Messenger, but I find Skype to be more immediate. It also allows hands-free communication, and I can still send links via MSN for review during the conversation.
I love Skype. The clarity of the conversation is great, the price can't be beat, and neither can the price.
Christopher R
Lively ghostwriting for business and nonprofits
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My wife and I live in California. We use the new and improved video function to connect to family in New York and England.
We both use Skype telephone numbers for our businesses.
I sometimes interview people over the (Skype) phone for articles I'm writing. When appropriate, I find it helpful to use a plug in called Pamela to record (always with permission) those calls.
In the last twelve months, the quality of the service is much better. I'm impressed!
Matt G
Community builder in Austin, Texas; Hardware verification engineer, software consultant.
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Two words: India, Free.
Sallie G
Ghostwriter, Linguistic Alchemist, Podcast Consultant, and WordPress Fangirl
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Many podcasters use Skype to record shows with co-hosts or interviews with guests. The audio quality on a good Skype call (reliable high-speed connection required) is far better than that of a telephone call, and there are readily-available software solutions for recording. There's a good video on recording Skype calls produced by the Conversations Network.
I've also used Skype video to introduce my fiance (in Rotterdam) to my nephew (during a family vacation in Nag's Head).
Links:
Eileen B
IT Professional, Information Security Quality Assurance Operations & Administration / President, CMU SEI LI SPIN
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Hello Lina,
Skype has made great strides in improving reliability on the last two years and so my usage is up for communicating verbally all over the globe as well as online presentations.
Eileen
Wei L
Global Citizen; Volunteer; Social Entrepreneur; Creative Thinker & Strategic Partner; CEO; Bridge & Matchmaker
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Hi Lina,
This is my philosophy that knowing all options available and evaluating them for different purposes.
skype is one of the most popular communication tools that I use for local & global as well as for business & personal. For basic use among skype users is FREE. Occasionally, I also use yahoo, hotmail and gmail chat.
My satisfaction rating for skype is 85%.
Best,
Wei
Cristina M
Independent Business Performance Advisor
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business & personal uses - to stay close to colleagues & friends w/o additional costs (even for local communication)
I agree with your point - why pay for communication bills when you can avoid that? If this channel fails to function, the option at hand is the mobile phone provider I use, so I guess I'd never rely solely on one solution for communication
Amanda H
PhD Student, Modern History, at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Best Answers in: International Law (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
My former company used to rely on Skype for all phone calls and chat with clients/contributors. It was cheap and (from my viewpoint) didn't change the way I used the phone in my business communications.
In my current position, however, I experience the flip side of the coin: I receive a lot of calls via Skype. All I can say is that I hope the quality of the calls wasn't this bad when I used it professionally! That said, I never had complaints, so it may just be the way my current contacts are using it....
Douglas L
Group Director at SGS International
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I've used Skype for 3 years. From a business perspective, I use it to speak with remote associates in Europe when collaborating on a project. From a personal perspective, I used to contact an old high school buddy in St. Bart's, where the phone costs are extravagant.
Service is adequate.
I use Skype for international calls for both business and personal. I also use the web cam although it can slow down the connection which some days, especially with a third world country can make it impractical.
Will P
Director, Asia Pacific at Lux Research, a strategic advisor in energy, environment, and nanotechnology
We use it all the time for business calls back and forth across the Pacific between offices, as well as our consultants when they are onsite at clients. We do conference calls and video as well. I like you, have been using it personally for years as well.
Ken C
Digital media consultant to the entertainment, licensing, and publishing industries
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I use Skype regularly for international business calls... (more business use than personal in my case)
I use Skype for both personal and business in the US and International.
It has good connectivity overall but I sometimes lose the connection.
The ability to see and talk is wonderful.
Louis R
louis(at)r2computing.com; Business Technology Coach, Author of NearlyFreeIT.com
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In big companies, most phone calls are made by employees that don't care about the cost of long distance because the company is paying the bill. However in small companies I see people using Skype and other VoIP services whenever they make routine long distance calls.
Júlio 柔慮 P
Translator/Language teacher at Serviços de Tradução
Best Answers in: Internationalization and Localization (1), Career Management (1)
On a personal level I use Skype to talk to my family in Brazil since it would be a rip-off to call from Japan :)
I also use Skype for teaching online (Japanese, German and Portuguese) and contact clients about my translation projects. To be honest I prefer iChat because the video and sound quality are way better...But macmaniacs are still rare...
Cheers,
p.s. My skype is "servicosdetraducao" (Without the quotes) and feel free to add me.
