Software

Skype is one of our recommended communication tools that we use everyday, for talking to friends, family, customers and business associates around the world, often for free.

Easy to Try

To get started you'll need to a headset (around 20-30 euros) to  be able to talk to other users. Some PCs and Laptops have microphone and speakers built-in and this can be OK for casual use.

Firstly Download Skype here. After installing and setting up yourself as a User you can import your contacts or add them one by one. The contact you added then OKs you as one of their contacts and you're set to talk to each other whereever in the world they are. Included in this is Instant Message for you to send each other written messages and file attachments.

If you'd like to test Skype, click this link below after you've installed Skype.
 
 

The Computer-to-Computer calls and chats are free and the call quality is excellent. Additional functionality we find useful is the ability to conference-call other people for group conversations, . Its an idea way for farflung family or remote businesspeople to stay in touch.

In addition, if you and the person you are calling have Webcams you can video chat which is a big hit with the neices, nephews and grandkids.

Other Services

Calling phones and mobiles

As mentioned above Skype offers free Computer to Computer calls and for alot of users this would be the limit of their use. But Skype is a viable alternative to make calls to landlines and cellphones and is particularly competitive in the international calling business - their long distant rates are some of the best available, far better than terrestrial services for the most part.You can select from a wide range of subscription and minute plans to call landlines and mobile phones around the world and buy these on the fly as you need them from inside the Skype Application.

Skype has become so successful it is now the Worlds largest international call carrier - selling more international call minutes than any other company.

Inbound Calling numbers

Skype has other services like inbound calling numbers you can subscribe. Like signing up for a local phone service and getting a local phone number a key advantage of Skype' service is that the number you purchase doesn't have to be in the country you are located in, rather the country your callers are - allowing them to call your inbound number as a local number. Ths is a great feature if you have family or customers in the US for instance and you are in France, simply offer your US based callers a US number to call (which includes voicemail). Subscriptions are very cheap, sometimes as low as $10/mth, you receive your phone number immediately and you aren't locked into a long term subsciption for the number, you can set them up on a monthly renewal plan if you prefer. Some of these plans also include free calls in the country that your subscribed number is located further decreasing your calling costs while increasing your flexibility.

Skype has been around as a professional quality product for a number of years and these days there is usually 10-20 million people using it at anyone time. Could some of them are people you already know?