I am a huge fan of Skype, the Internet telephony application that allows free computer to computer phone calls. I use regular computer to computer Skype, also the SkypeOut service. SkypeOut lets me make calls from my home base in Australia to customers' regular phones in the US for 2 cents/minute.
But "cheap" is not the main thing about Skype, as far as I am concerned.
Computer to computer the sound quality is way better than a regular 'phone, and I can even use a webcam if I wish to show off my ugly mug. Also, I can use programs like Unyte to interact with people on other levels. Unyte, specifically, lets me run a program (typically SPLat/PC) on my computer and show it to the other person while I describe what I am doing. An almost perfect Show and Tell tool for talking people through how to do stuff. So if you are looking for tech support from us, we can do a better job for you if you install Skype! The only cost is about $20 for a headset with microphone.
There are rumors around that Skype is a security risk. Some of our larger corporate customers are barred from using it on their company networks. So is this true? Are you taking a dreadful risk using Skype? How dangerous is Skype?
A friend (and fellow Skype fan) just pointed me to this article in Computer World where Skype expert Michael Gough calmly and rationally discusses the issues. And the conclusion? My take on it is this: If Skype worries you, you had better stop using Windows, Outlook and IE quick smart!
Comments (1)
Skype is a pain for business basically because you need your computer running. For business use a ATA (Analouge Telephone Adaptor) and it gives you a phone socket and plugs into your router or hub. You can then use a normal phone off of it or hook it into your PABX. www.engin.com.au have a ATA called a voice box or head over to www.ozvoip.com and they can help you with many solutions. I would probably use skype if I had broadband everywhere and it worked with my mobile phone but in Rural Australia that would not be economic YET!
Posted by Ian | March 17, 2007 5:54 PM
Posted on March 17, 2007 17:54