News

Ask the Expert


Question

In very simple language can you explain what Skpe is, and what it offer the smaller business?

Answer

Skype is an example of VoIP. (Pronounced VoyUp). Standing for Voice over IP and translating as “having a chat using a network which uses the same protocols as the internet.”

Here is the good news; it is not as complex as you may think. In fact, you may already have used VoIP technology.

Products like Microsoft Messenger allow real time instant messaging, if you have 12 year old kids you’ll know that. These solutions often also allow you to have a voice conversation, computer to computer. Therefore, if you and your business partners all work from home, all have broadband internet and all have a PC in front of them for most of the day, you can make person to person calls. Not ideally if you or your contacts are mobile. Also these solutions are not ideal for making calls to fixed line phones.

One solution I have experience of (in fact I wrote the launch material) is BT’s “Your office anywhere” solution. This allows you to use a mobile phone to make VoIP calls using your wireless Internet connection to any UK number – FREE. You can also make calls using BT OpenZone hot spots without needing an Openzone account. So now, we can stand outside McDonalds and call home to see what’s for tea without incurring a cost.

Skype, now owned by eBay, offers similar capabilities to Messenger, you can make free calls to other Skype users. The MAJOR difference is that Skype make it easy to call and receive calls to and from “normal” telephones. The popularity of Skype has resulted in many organisations releasing supporting hardware. For example, a wireless DECT phone (the sort you may already have) that can make calls using the Skype network.

A Skype call to a fixed line phone is not free – but it is a lot cheaper, especially when calling from or to overseas. I use the Skype software on my SmartPhone. 10 Euro’s of credit will last me weeks. Trips this year to the US and Australia with calls home to mobiles have not made a big dent in that fee. Want to call a mobile in Australia… ?I can do it from my mobile for £ 0.133 per minute (assuming I can get to a wireless network )

If you are reading this as chairperson of ICI, Skype isn’t really for you (but there are solutions that are). If you are a small business, perhaps making calls abroad or to colleagues in the UK then this maybe a solution that genuinely saves you a few quid. However, as with all things that appear too good to be true, you need to be aware that your voice is sent across the Internet, contending for space with someone doing their shopping at Tesco.com. You may experience times where the quality suffers. Particularity if that person shopping at Tesco.Com is actually in the same house as you.

Gary Duffield is Chief Learning Architect for Xpertise Training Limited. The views expressed here are his and his alone. If you want to know more about where he works see www.xpertise.co.uk
If you would like to drop him a line then feel free to mail gduffield@merit.org.uk




« back

Not Yet Registered? Click Here