July 2011 - Skype

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services transmit voice traffic over an IP-based network, which, in layman’s terms, means you’re going to get phone service over the Internet. It’s similar to talking over a normal telephone, except it’s often much cheaper than regular phone service and doesn’t always have to involve a traditional telephone. People who are accustomed to using traditional phone services will encounter a significant learning curve when they decide on one of the many quality services out there, but that’s all a part of getting used to something new.

Skype is a VoIP software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chats over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free, while calls to both traditional landline telephones and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Skype has also become popular for its additional features which include instant messaging, file transfer, and video conferencing.

Skype has 663 million registered users as of 2010. The network is operated by Skype Limited, which has its headquarters in Luxembourg. Most of the development team and 44% of the overall employees of Skype are situated in the offices of Tallinn and Tartu, Estonia. (Wikipedia)

Pros:

Calls to other Skype users are free

Video conferencing

Cheap rates to call landlines

Cheap international calling

Cons:

Variable voice quality

No 911 service

Computer must be on to make calls

No service during power outages

Scant technical support

Professional reviewers and users alike love Skype because it allows you to have free PC-to-PC VoIP calls or video calls. One drawback is sound quality that is decent at best, and poor in some reviews. If you want to call landline phones, you'll need to subscribe to Skype's pay service. Reviews recommend Skype for free international calls to other Skype users, as well as for very inexpensive international calls to landline and cell phones. Skype isn't designed, however, to be the sole telephone for the household, mainly because it can't make 911 calls.

(ConsumerSearch.com, October 2010)

Service Plan and Fees:

One of the advantages of dealing with Skype is the options they give you in terms of how you can pay. You can either pre-pay, pay as you go or pay monthly with PayPal, credit card, Moneybookers or prepaid cards you can buy at Wal-Mart.

This service offers three plans (Unlimited U.S. & Canada, Unlimited North America and Unlimited World) for $2.99, $6.99 and $13.99, respectively. The distinct difference between these plans is where you can call. The Unlimited U.S. & Canada plan gives you unlimited calls to the United States and Canada. Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey (landlines only, discounted rates to the rest of Mexico) are added to the Unlimited North America Plan. You’re able to call 40 other destinations with the Unlimited World Plan. The good thing is that even the most expensive plan doesn’t cost you very much.

Features:

Skype offers their customers a solid list of 17 features. The difference between what they and their VoIP services competitors have to offer is the fact they’re a video chat based VoIP service. As a result, you’re going to get several options like the ability to send files and screen sharing. You can also take advantage of the fact you can call other people who have this service for free. Other free features this service offers include video calls, Skype-to-Skype conference calls and instant messaging and group instant messages.

If you want to get in touch with someone who doesn’t have this service, it will only cost you about two cents a minute. The costs for receiving calls from landlines and mobiles, sending text messages and having voicemail are very low as well. Subscription plans have these features included at no cost to you or are discounted. Accessing this service via WiFi hotspots is another inexpensive option this service provides its customers.

Ease of Installation/Setup:

The process of setting up Skype is easier than what you would find with any of their competitors. You don’t have to deal with any equipment or the hassles that go along with it. All you have to do is download the program and install it on your computer. If you want to talk to another person, you need to have a headset or external microphone. They have Mac and Windows versions of their software, so there’s no need to worry about whether you’re compatible or not. The most important thing to have with this service is an internet connection. If you have a good internet connection, the rest takes care of itself.

Help/Support:

Skype provides their users with a list of popular answers to frequently asked questions and help topics that focus on particular aspects of their services, such as Payments & Billing, Products & Features, Skype for Business and Technical Issues & Using Skype. On the right side of the support menu, you can take advantage of their helpful step-by-step tutorials, glossary, information on how you could look for the information you need better, reports on whether parts of this service’s system are operational, user forums, data on their payment options, the ability to view purchase limits and how you can get more help. The get more help option is a little disappointing because all it does it is bring up a search box for the FAQs section.

Summary:

When you use this service, you will find that it’s one of the most flexible VoIP services out there. You can do a number of different things and pay them exactly how you want to pay them. There aren’t any rigid guidelines holding the customers back from truly enjoying the services Skype has to offer. For that reason alone, you should choose them over the VoIP services that have plans that are a lot more rigid.

(www.Voice-Service-Review.TopTenReviews.com (2011)