Four Good Reasons to Use Skype
Any questions?
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
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Dear Team, I’m not sure where you all are with voice over internet protocol (VOIP), so I thought I’d start with my results rather than bore you with details.
However, if it’s details you want, just ask! I’ll be happy to relate how I got to the stage of giving less money to my less-than-fabulous phone company.
Caution is required when using Skype – the idea is good, the technology is not bad – but make sure you have alternate means of communications if there is a power failure or similiar
The cost savings can be tremendous, that I am not denying – but caution is required DO NOT make it your only form of communication with the outside world.
Thank you, SWAS. You’re dead right. If your internet access goes down, you’re sunk. And I believe you can’t call emergency numbers on Skype.
However, if you have both systems, and one goes PFFHUTT!!!, you can keep your business ticking over. Which is always a good thing.:)
Ooh! Now you’re getting tricky
I use Skype when I can (my friends, businesses, still seem to find it somehow challenging?)…and I too agree with SWAS.
I pay $87 per month for 5Gb of mobile broadband, which of course, my computer uses to convey Skype.
It is now (or soon), possible to get a Skype phone ( http://www.broadbandbuddy.com.au/voip/skype-mobile-phone ).
Is this a good thing? I’m not sure!
The introduction (or should I say ‘assimilation’ – Insert BORG Collective Here), of this Skype Mobile Phone stuff, seems to me to be shaping up as the harbinger of death for the rapidly blurring message that Skype initially conveyed: i.e. Voice communications do not need to be very expensive!
Naturally, our Telcos, with their customers’ best interests at heart, seem to have no problem in finding new and improved ways to make everything cost more, whilst saving us money (haven’t worked that one out yet either…looks fishy though
).
What I want to know is, if I have a Skype Mobile Phone, how cheap is it really?
Do I have to have a Skype provider to actually save some money?
Because if I don’t it looks like I’ll have Skype Mobile Service Charges (to Skype), PLUS Mobile Service Provider Data Charges (to the Telco Carrier – which look like this – http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile/prepaid/callrates/browsing_charges.html ), PLUS my $85 (& seemingly redundant), Mobile Broadband Charges?
I’ve got an all singing all dancing mega-mobile-wanka-phone that I got so that I could do mobile purchase transactions for my business. Even with that I get charged per transaction PLUS service charges for each card PLUS Merchant Facility Fees + Mobile Data Charges at the above (or similar rates).
So I don’t use my phone for anything but the very bare essentials.
Will Skype ultimately make communication cheaper, or has yet another ‘good’ message gotten lost in the ‘greater good’ and the ‘common wealth’?
I’m still dubious.
Cheers
Stephen G
Phew! They said: ‘Leap and the Stephen will appear’. Thank goodness you did. It was getting a bit quiet in here. New Art needs reliable patrons like you!
I got put off by Skype’s poor call quality at first. But lately it’s been fabulous. Interstate clients have no idea my calls to them are costing a tenth of what they used to.
Haven’t looked into Skype mobiles. Fonnie and I rush around Empire House with a WIFI headset doing the dishes and pretending to be Madonna. There’s no reason to go outside!
Many thanks for raising your questions. I hope we can attract some cluey sorts to join the dots. Best regards, P.
Firstly, I’m a fan of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) – which includes products like Skype. I personally use Skype (stephen.hamilton.id.au) and get some good use from it. But like anything, picking the right tool for the right job is key.
Many people has seen results similar to the ones Paul has shown above, so the potential merit is, in my opinion, indisputable.
Stephen: you main gripe seems to be with Skype over a mobile broadband connection. Using the data on these plans certainly can be expensive, but if you’re making long distance or overseas calls, it can still work in your favour. FYI – I have Skype on my iPhone, but it only works over a wi-fi network i.e. not over the 3G network. Funnily enough, for me, this renders it largely useless on the iPhone.
If you are running a business with more than a couple of people, and are interested in VoIP, most telephone (PBX) systems these days support VoIP. For this application, you need to consider using an enterprise grade (i.e. expensive) broadband service. This can increase the time you get a return on your investment, but still often works out better over a period of time.
Additionally, Skype gives me value above merely being an alternative to the phone – the opportunity to use the video to see the person I am speaking with is incredibly useful for some business calls, and just plain neat for speaking with friends and family I don’t see very often.
Struth! Leap and TWO Stephens will appear! This is better than telly, Stephen H. Thank you for your very helpful exposition.
Thanks Stephen…as usual, very clear and helpful
I wouldn’t say my gripe is as much with Skype over mobile broadband per se…it’s more to do with Data Charges over Mobile Phones when using Skype (or not, even
). The technologies (Mobile Phone v Mobile Broadband), if not exactly the same, are so close that the distinction/s (especially from the customer’s perspective), are nigh on semantic ad nauseum.
On closer inspection of my previous comment, one might argue that my gripe is simply this:
If I can use Skype over Mobile Broadband and get 5Gb got $87 (or whatever), why can’t I get at least the same over a Mobile Phone provider instead of paying $2.00/Mb (or $10,000.00 for 5Gb) or if not using Video/Multimedia, at best, normal phone call rates? The lines between the products delivered over these Wireless/Mobile Services (not to mention between the services themselves), are getting thinner as we speak…and add Skype to the mix and the lines are all but gone.
Does that make it any clearer?
Cheers
Stephen G
PS Dear Paul,
DON’T SELL YOUR MATON!!! JUST SAY NO!
Cheers
Stephen G
Stephen – I think I know where you’re coming from, and I can see your point. It is kind of complicated why the two technologies are treated separately: some good technical reasons, and some that are purely artificial.
Sadly, time does not permit to expand on this at present, but I’ll try to drop by again lately.
Are you selling a Maton, Paul? More of a Fender man myself, but I do find myself coveting some of my mates Matons.
I’m afraid you’ve lost me on the mobile discussion, Steven G. I must leave that one to the pundits. Doesn’t help that my brain is suffering 38 degrees of separation!
Alas, the Maton must go. Its musical energy must be released to take other forms in my life. Like minimum Visa payments.
The Maton ad is here Stephen: http://bit.ly/15m4UI
Feel free to covet it the tune of $1.5K!
Fenders are tres bon too.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Paul Hassing and Paul Hassing, Megan Wilson. Megan Wilson said: Blog: four good reasons to use Skype http://bit.ly/4jqhoC [...]
Ovation acshulleee! How do you do snobby pursed lips…you know?…like a cat’s bum? ;-P
I hope Fender’s getting their pooh together and not still resting on their name?
Fortunately Maton have ever been and yet remain Maton…even though, after caressing the svelte & slender form of my Ovation, a Maton is like playing a Fridge…it’s a Fridge I can get used too very quickly
JUST SAY NO! Bluddy Visa! Pfffft! ;-P
Cheers
Stephen G
I’ve found (as have a number of my clients) that installed VoIP products do not work very well in this region for some reason. Maybe it’s something to do with the third world telecommunications infrastructure we have around here. There are commercial and industrial areas very close by which cannot get ADSL, and where I lived before (about 15 minutes from here) I had to pay for an expensive microwave internet connection.
That being said, I love Skype for calling overseas and have found it reliable enough for my needs. I stick with my mobile and home phone Fusion plan for Aussie calling, and that’s been very cost effective for me.
I must say I love Skype and do not have any problems. Just in the last couple of weeks I have had discussions with people in the US and France. Calls lasted about an hour. Could not imagine the cost if I used the usual telo.
Great to see you back, Meredith. And to have your valuable take on this matter.
Amen to OS, Susan. I did a daytime Skype-to-Skype call to a client in CHINA for an HOUR and it cost me NOTHING! And my client had a webcam, so I was able to get a really good sense of the guy. I shudder to think what that would have set me back had I used the phone.
I guess it’s fair to say that while Skype doesn’t do everything, it does do some things rather well.
Topical article!
Google acquires VOIP start-up Gizmo5, could challenge Skype: http://bit.ly/1mbUYr
Interesting post Paul but just goes to show that we’re moving to cheaper forms of telecommunication. We’ve just moved offices and have gone completely to VOIP for all communications.
Skype has been around for ages now and has become an integral part of communicating overseas for both our business and personal lives. I also use it for interstate more and more.
The copy of your bill says it all. Small business owners love a cost saving where they can find it!!
Thanks a lot for that, Andee. I’d love to hear how you get on with VOIP in the long term.
Would it be fair to say that you’re 100% happy with VOIP, or are there some things left on your wish list for the technology?
Hi Paul,
I guess the other thing we’re doing at the moment from a technology point of view is migrating our email away from Microsoft onto Gmail. Gmail gives you the ability to have your email ‘in the sky’ like an Microsoft Exchange but at a fraction of the price. It’s been a bug bear for years trying to keep all the diaries and contacts in sync and now we’ll be able to do that seamlessly.
Well, you know you couldn’t talk technology without me weighing in too
Meredith, the quality of Skype & other VoIP solutions is absolutely reliant on the quality of your broadband connection. VoIP quality issues can be caused by your ADSL hardware not being up to scratch, ADSL filters not being installed on your landline phones (if the use the same line as your ADSL), different or additional settings being required on your ADSL hardware. The best bet is to get an ADSL modem that supports ‘Quality of Service’. This allows you to set it to prioritise VoIP traffic over your standard IP surfing/downloading traffic.
ADSL speeds are also a factor, though its now a lot cheaper to get a decent speed plan .. though some people just haven’t bothered to investigate internet plans lately and may still be paying old rates for a lower speed & limit than if they ‘upgraded’ .. which may not even cost them a cent more .. or may even save them money.
Skype is an interesting beast in that it does not have a central communications infrastructure. In English, that means that your call doesnt go from your PC to their Skype server, then to your friend’s PC (or phone netwwork). Instead, your call actually bounces across the internet through other people’s Skype connections. No eavesdropping has ever happened (yet) but it may betechnically possible for this generation’s hackers.
Of more concern is because you are actually transporting other people’s Skype conversations, it may increase your internet usage. There have been cases where people have reported very high upload/download traffic, attributed to Skype, and they have in fact become a ’super node’, completely outside of their control.
All that said, I’m a fan of Skype too, especially for talking to my franchisees … just make sure you’re keeping an eye on your internet usage!
-Sonia
P.S. If I lose power, I lose my landline phones too – they’re cordless and need power into the base station
My goodness! I’m going to do ALL my posts as a simple header and picture from now on.
You guys write heaps better stuff than I do. And so authoritatively!
Thank you, Andee and Sonia, for taking us to the next level. I’m rapt that you see fit to spend your time sharing your knowledge and experiences.
Dear Sonia,
Just wanted to pop in and say thanks buckets for adding your expertise and for both pointing out and clearing up what for me is a very valuable issue.
It simply never occurred to me. It was only after reading your comment, that I vaguely remembered reading somewhere (probably on the Skype site when I joined some years ago), that Skype works very similarly to a Bit Torrent.
I was wondering why my usage had skyrocketed in the past couple of weeks. I was leaving Skype on so that a couple of friends could easily contact me.
Well buggger that! Such is revealed the hidden cost of Skype! I’m sure you’ve saved a lot of folks like me, a lot of bandwidth.
I so look forward to the day when Fine Print becomes Advertising and that businesses (and people in general), aren’t punished for saying it how it is, but rather, respected. How does one obtain customer loyalty indeed?
Cheers
Stephen G
Stephen, you’re very welcome .. in fact, you’d have a hard time stopping me from adding my two cents anyway
I agree totally – fine print does evoke a sense of ‘needing to hide’. Wouldn’t we love it if there was more truth in advertising!
-Sonia
Did somebody say Truth in Advertising?
Chances are you’ve seen this searing expose of the ad industry.
If not, you’re in for a treat.
Note that it contains some ribald language and mature themes. But all well within context.
http://bit.ly/sBWYn
WOW! The postie just came with this month’s phone bill. For the first time in my life, I was actually looking forward to opening it!
Sure enough, my continued Skype use has further reduced my phone bill. Last month it totalled $200.88. This month, it was only $146.95!
Fonnie and I are now using Skype so regularly that my combined service bonus of 125 free local calls no longer makes sense.
I’ve just called the phone company to switch to a $20 discount off my monthly line rental. This will further reduce my costs.
I hope you found this news from the front useful and I hope you enjoy some savings as a result.
PS. I got $1,500 for the Maton. That eased my pain a lot!
Well I hasn’t bluddy eased mine!
I can only hope she went to a good home.
Boo hoo, whimper, whimper, sob, sob.
Cheers
Stephen G
Sure did: a guitar teacher, no less! Thank you for your tears.
Love skype too. We used it the first time two and a half years ago to bring in a presenter from the States to a conference in Alice Springs. Fantastic quality. All free. VoiP in general is a great tool for organising events from city to city, state to state…If it’s good enough for Oprah~!
Good on you, Bambi. It’s great to be getting such a wide spectrum of responses on this topic.
And may I say that your website is looking mighty fine!
Paul,
Well at least she’ll be looked after (I hope).
Now I don’t want to hear any stories of you going out and buying one of those new fangled bluddy Wii thingies…Ok?
Cheers
Stephen G
Negative, Blue Two. I get enough Wii when I take the doggies for a walk! Blue Three out.
‘Google is about to challenge Skype for the global “free” internet phone call crown.’
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/google-vies-for-slice-of-voip-20091118-il5l.html
Do you think we should run a Sweep?
Cheers
Stephen G
My understanding is that what Google wants, Google gets.
RED ALERT! I just found out the hard way that Skype does chew through one’s broadband allowance.
For the past nine months, I’ve been averaging about 8 gig of content download per month. Since getting Fonnie onto Skype and deciding to give Telstra as little as possible, we’ve used 12 gig this month.
I found this out last night, when Telstra choked off my access without any warning. Now I’m on dialup speed. This page, for instance, took six minutes and two attempts to load.
I am disgusted at Telstra for failing to give me any kind of heads up. Not so much as an SMS or email. Their automatic systems for recovering money are diamond hard and porcelain smooth. Would that they could take the same care with service.
And what of all the months I paid for but didn’t use my monthly 4 gig allowances? Lost in the mists of time.
Anyway, though I’m a big fan of Skype, I now realise I need a more generous plan. Not surprisingly, I shall be seeking this plan with another ISP.
I thought I’d post this warning, in case any of you are furiously embracing Skype as a result of this discussion.
I was going to play YouTube videos for my visiting nephews today, but the Testra ROBOT has strangled that idea. It’s my own stupid fault for staying loyal to this wretched supplier. Lesson well learned.
Paul, I’d suggest giving Internode a try. You can buy one-off data packets from them if you hit your limit in a month, so no more slowdowns! http://www.internode.on.net/products/broadband/adsl2_/
-Sonia
Thank you, Sonia. This looks very interesting. I’ll check it out in detail. Best regards, P.
Just got this month’s Telstra phone bill. It’s down a further $24.33 to $122.61. Fabulous!
Latest:
http://www.theage.com.au/business/telstra-profit-slips-users-hang-up-on-fixed-lines-20100211-nsye.html