How Skype Can Benefit Your Business

Although high-speed Internet, e-commerce and other technological advancements have revolutionized the way Americans (and everyone else around the world) does business, the steady growth toward a brave new world continues to present new problems without easily identifiable solutions. For example, it is now easier than ever for a small business in Nowhereville, Kentucky to work with a multi-national corporation headquartered in London; however, communication can still be a problem. That is why Skype is becoming increasingly popular among small and Internet-based businesses.

How Skype Can Benefit Your Business: What is Skype?

Skype is a service provided by eBay which allows users to connect with anyone else in the world at no charge, as long as they also have Skype. You download the software to your computer and it allows you to use your computer's microphone and speakers as a makeshift "telephone" through which you can make calls anywhere in the world. One of the reasons that Skype is so convenient is that the basic service is free as long as you are contacting other Skype users.

How Skype Can Benefit Your Business: The SkypeIn Service

If the regular free Skype service just isn't getting it done, they are now beta-testing the new SkypeIn service. This allows you to purchase a local phone number anywhere in the world and use it from your own home. For example, let's say that you live in New York but lots of your clients are based in Los Angeles. You would purchase a SkypeIn phone number for Los Angeles, and anyone who lives in that area can call your phone for free. You can purchase up to ten SkypeIn phone numbers, and each costs around $40 per year.

How Skype Can Benefit Your Business: The SkypeOut Service

Since everyone is not hip to the new Skype trend, you will probably want to call friends and colleagues who have regular old land lines and mobile phones, which is entirely possibly with the SkypeOut service. You can use this service to call any landline or mobile phone in the U.S. for free, and they even have reasonable rates for international calls. This is definitely helpful when you have lots of clients with Skype, but a few who don't have it yet.

How Skype Can Benefit Your Business: Skype Voicemail

The Skype Voicemail service works just like any other voicemail service. When friends, family, colleagues or clients call your Skype phone and you are unavailable (offline or busy at work, for instance), they can leave a message for you to retrieve later. If you have been in business for long, you know how important it is to have a professional voicemail message when you simply can't get to the phone. The Skype voicemail service is free when you purchase one or more SkypeIn lines, or you can purchase it separately for around $20.

How Skype Can Benefit Your Business: The Skype DualPhone

This is a relatively new device that works great if you use both a work landline and a Skypeline for your business. The DualPhone connects to a USB port in your computer for your Skype service and connects to your wall plug for your landline. It will take both calls, but it does get a little confused when two calls are coming in at the same time. You might want to wait on this product until they work out all the bugs.

How Skype Can Benefit Your Business: The Drawbacks to Skype

As I've mentioned before, the new Skype services are relatively new and they aren't error-free. If you are concerned about losing calls or if you are uncomfortable with techno-gadgets, it might be best to wait until a more improved version of Skype is on the market. This is not to say that Skype isn't adequate - it is - but sensetive calls might be better made from a regular mobile or landline service.