Phone service has changed a lot over the last few years. Unlimited long-distance calling for one fee made a huge impact on my business. I went from paying over $100 a month just in long distance to one low fee ($25). But now things have gotten even better. I can call anyone, anywhere in the world for free using Skype.
Skype has been around for awhile, but I hadn’t really seen the value in it. No one I knew had Skype so it didn’t seem worth it to figure it out. But recently I’ve noticed more and more podcasters and small business owners had Skype so I wanted to learn the advantages.
The biggest advantage is that its free. Its free to download and its free to call others who also have Skype. For the business crowd, Skype offers conference and video calls, mobile Skype and instant messaging. Through Skype applications you can have a virtual receptionist and even record your calls (which is great for podcasts!).
But Skype isn’t limited to internet calling. You can call landlines and cell phone for a fee. The cost is extremely affordable using Skype Credit in a pay-as-you go manner or through a subscription. SkypeOut calls are about 2.1 cents per minute or for $3.00 a month you can have unlimited calls throughout the United Stats and Canada ($10 worldwide). For about $60 a year you can get a SkypeIn number whereby people can call you from landlines or cell phones.
Skype is very easy to use. In fact, the program walks you through a test call to make sure its working correctly.
I’m not sure Skype will replace other services the way cell phones are replacing landlines, but there’s no doubt that there is a place for Internet calling especially when its so affordable.
Visit Skype to learn more.
