|
Home / Technology
Skype-ing around the world
By:Austin Akalanze
One of the more attractive promises of VoIP is the possibility of a hefty cut in your cost of communication, and in some instances, a total elimination of cost using Skype.
Skype is a program that allows you to make free calls over the internet to anyone else who also has Skype. Best of all, it’s free and easy to download and use, and works with most computers, PC or Mac
Once Skype is installed on your computer, you can start voip calling and talking to friends and family all over the world for free. And in case you are wondering what they sound like, VoIP calls using Skype have excellent sound quality and are highly secure with end-to-end encryption.
There are no configurations necessary. No need to disable firewalls or configure routers and other networking devices. It is a simple plug and play routine.
Skype not only works on Windows, but works on other operating system platforms such as Mac OS X, Linux and PDAs using Pocket PC, “with a native look and feel for each platform.” Also tallking, sending instant messages or even file transfers work, between different platforms on skype. But why don't we all have Skype?
If we lived in a perfect world, everyone would. And we would not have to pay for calls anymore, local or distant. But we live in an imperfect world where things happen for reasons beyond our control.
But not to worry though. Skype is made by real people for real people in the real world. Because Skype knows that not everyone has skype or uses VoIP, provisions have been made for skypers to be able to call their non skype cousins using Skypeout.
SkypeOut is an innovative way for the skpe voip users to talk to family, friends and business associates anywhere in the world, who have not yet joined the skype bandwagon, at a substancially reduced rate.
Implementing SkypeOut is as easy as hopping over to the skype website, loading up on skype credit with your credit card and simple. There are no contracts to sign, no complicated bills to figure out. Call rates are the same for SkypeOut calls to your neighbor across the street and calls to family and friends across the globe in Kualalumpor.
Not being able to call your non Skype friends is not all that is wrong with Skype. Your non skype friends could not call you either. That was true until the arrival of Skypein.
SkypeIn is billed to be a bridge between users of Skype and their non-Skype, non voip POTS (Plain Old Telephone Systems) friends and family or business associates.
Here is how it works. SkypeIn allows you to receive calls from your non skype friends and family, just as you would, if you were on a regular POTS. With SkypeIn, you can get your own, regular phone number.
So, when your non Skype contacts call you, by dialing a regular number, you can still receive the call in Skype. This is true regardless of where you are.
For instance, if you have a Dallas-based SkypeIn number, but you’re living somewhere in Moscow, your Dallas contacts can just dial your SkypeIn number, and your Skype in Moscow will ring as though you were in Dallas. And the good thing is that your friends are only paying whatever their phone company charges them for making a phone call to Dallas.
There is no restriction as to where your calls can come from. However, if your SkypeIn number is a United States number, and someone calls your SkypeIn from Australia for instance, they will have to pay for the international nature of the call.
Anothe neat thing about SkypeIn is that if you have friends in many places, you can get up to 10 SkypeIn numbers in different places and no one would really know where you are unless you tell them.
With SkypeIn you can make it possible for family, friends and business contacts who are not necessarily connected to the Internet or using VoIP to keep in touch with your, without breaking their bank book, but they have to be connected to their broadband wired connections. Well not anymore, at least in some places.
When two or more join together in a partnership, things can happen. One of such partner-ships is the marriage between Boingo, a giant in the wireless fidelity (WiFi), providing communication hotspots, with about 18,000 sites worldwide; and Skype.
Having successfully launched SkypeIn and SkypeOut, Skype is now poised to providing its subscribers the freedom they so much desire by going into this alliance with Boingo, to provide wireless services to its subscribers.
Skype Zones as this WiFi hotspots are now called, will offer discounted Wi-Fi access to Skype’s millions of customers worldwide. And to be able to take advantage of Skype Zones, users will have to install the Skype Zones client software. This can be downloaded from the Skype Store.
Reacting to news of this new partner-ship, Mark Blowers, senior analyst at Butler Group has this to say, “We are going to see more of this. Skype is very innovative and it is logical that they would extend services beyond the desktop like this.
“I think we will see others do this soon too. It is clearly a growing threat to mobile and fixed line carriers.”
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Austin Akalanze is an avid watcher of VoIP and also likes to make money, while he sleeps.
|
|
| Top Technology Articles |
- 1). Sound Proofing Techniques By : Barney Garcia
Are you frequently disturbed by different sounds entering your room while you are working or sleeping? It is then time for you to take a look into the different sound proofing techniques.
|
- 2). The Market for Used Business Phone System Equipment By : Kingston Amadan
Business phone systems and the companies who sell them exist in a world all their own. The competition is stiff, with several different retailers and wholesalers carrying the same brands. The competition for used and refurbished business phones and business phone systems is even fiercer, as many companies are searching for equipment that can be used to expand their current system.
|
|
|
- 4). Elevator Action By : James Monahan
Elevators are enclosure or platforms that are operated by cables, motors and other equipment or accessories enabling the vertical shaft to go up and down, and transport people, freight or both.
|
|
|
- 6). Pagers - How Do They Work? By : Trevor Dumbleton
How do those beeping things work that people carry around on their belts? There are several types of pagers but, basically, it’s all done by good, old- fashioned radio waves. Someone sends you a text message with a touch-tone phone – or it can also be sent by email – and the message is forwarded to the thing on your belt, which then emits a beep or vibration to tell you you’ve got a message.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| New Technology Articles |
- 1). Which Online Gaming Console Is The Best? By : Gregg Hall
Computers used to be the only way to access the internet and game online, now you can hook up most gaming consoles. Access to other gamers through the internet has brought gaming to another level, making competition for the best gaming console fierce.
|
|
|
- 3). HDTV Introduction By : DavidZ
Are you looking to buy a HDTV? Take a look at our guide to find out what HDTV is about.
1. What does HDTV stand for?
High Definition Television
2. What is HTDV?
It is a new technology and way of filming that has a higher bit depth resolution and gives you a sense or realism while watching the program. Sports are one of the leading industries in high definition programming.
|
- 4). Perform Conference Calls Without Having Prior Reservations By : Amporn Saechin
Other teleconferencing services allow subscribers to perform conference calls without having prior reservations. If you're looking for conference bridgeline services or conference recording services, I highly recommend e-Teleconferencing. Unlike other automated teleconferencing services, ReadyConference gives you a permanent dial-in number and passcode you can use any time, from anywhere - 24/7.
|
- 5). Amazing Communications By : Analeese Burnabaker
As history has progressed and technology has continued to advance, life has become full of more and more good things. Without a doubt, one of the best things that our society has gained from the advances of technology is communications.
Consider for a few moments all of the amazing forms of communications that have made your life easier and more full.
|
- 6). A Look At Cordless Phones By : Angel Estrella
Cordless phones, also known as portable telephones, use a wireless handset in order to communicate with the phone’s base, which is connected to a telephone landline. In order for cordless phones to function properly, they must be used within a specified proximity to the base. Most individuals find that they can use their cordless phones throughout the house or in the yard without interruption.
|
- 7). Send Greetings For Better Communication By : CD Mohatta
Greetings are probably as old as the civilization. People always greet each other whenever they meet or talk. A good morning, hello, how are you, how are things at your end, etc are some of the common ways to begin the conversation. A greeting in everyday life connects us better with another person. One generally does not immediately come to the subject matter without a greeting in almost all meetings.
|
- 8). Pagers - How Do They Work? By : Trevor Dumbleton
How do those beeping things work that people carry around on their belts? There are several types of pagers but, basically, it’s all done by good, old- fashioned radio waves. Someone sends you a text message with a touch-tone phone – or it can also be sent by email – and the message is forwarded to the thing on your belt, which then emits a beep or vibration to tell you you’ve got a message.
|
- 9). Palm Treo: Getting Started With Your New Treo Smartphone By : Christopher Meinck
Copyright 2006 Christopher Meinck
Getting Started With a Palm Treo Smartphone
For many, adding a Palm Treo smartphone to their life is an exciting time. Most are coming from a traditional cellphone and the capabilities of a smartphone never seize to amaze. The Palm Treo features a large color LCD screen, full keyboard and software for syncing your personal data with your PC or Mac.
|
- 10). Cheap Prepaid Calling Card - Making The Work For You By : Melissa Wayan
So most prepaid calling cards are cheap prepaid calling cards. I mean when you think about it, the calling cards really are significantly cheaper than the cost of calling from a landline. My parents pay around 20 cents a minute to call me and I have found calling cards from the United States to Venezuela for a low at 3 cents a minute. I found most of these online.
|
|
|
