From the category archives:

Skype Markets

Over the past week I have been experimenting with two relatively new features that build out the Skype video experience:

HD video using the recently released FREETALK® TALK-7140 HD webcam and Skype for Windows 4.2
Skype Group calling using the beta release of Skype for Windows 5.0

FREETALK® TALK-7140 HD Webcam
At a price point that makes [...]

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Categories Communications Technology, Skype For Business, Skype Hardware, Skype for Personal, Using Skype, Video calling

New Skype Subscriptions: The Reality

by Jim Courtney on Fri, May 7, 2010 7:05 pm

Yesterday Skype introduced new subscription or calling plan options that provide more flexibility in terms of matching a subscription option to an individual user’s specific needs. In summary:
Ongoing Plans
The previous local country, regional and worldwide calling plans remain in place with three two changes that I have encountered:

some price increases: for instance, while “Unlimited [...]

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Categories Communications Stories, Service Providers, Skype News, Skype Operations, Skype for Personal, Using Skype

This morning Skype issued a press release, Call Your Friends and Family Anywhere in the World For Less, announcing new consumer calling plans (subscriptions) that cover over 170 countries and introduce more granularity into the choices such as calling time, termination country(ies) and plan period (1-, 3- and 12-month).
While still awaiting to see the [...]

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Categories Communications News, Mobile Applications, Skype News, Skype for Personal, Using Skype

In the past I have written about how WiFi is becoming the de facto unregulated stealth wireless carrier; I have also mentioned Boingo as a service that provides significant convenience when on the road, with its 125,000 access points at airports, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and other public locations worldwide.
Over the past year Skype [...]

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Categories Communications News, Mobile Devices, Service Providers, Skype For Business, Using Skype

Over the past six weeks I have attended four local social media and technology events – a PodCamp, a monthly social networking seminar, an annual project management ski day and  WordCamp Toronto 2010. At each I was able to bring along a few Skype Everyman headsets to be given away as prizes.
Prior to selecting [...]

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Categories Communications Stories, Skype Bytes, Skype For Business, Skype for Personal, Using Skype, Voice On The Web

Three weeks ago Skype made available the “Gold” release of Skype 4.2 for Windows. In the interim I have had the opportunity to experience many of its new features, several of which I have found improve the call experience in somewhat subtle but very beneficial ways.
Call Quality Indicator
This is what I have found [...]

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Categories Communications Stories, Conversation Providers, Skype For Business, Skype News, Skype for Personal, Using Skype

Yesterday’s announcement that Skype will become available as a supported service on Verizon Wireless has to have sent a tsunami through the wireless operator world. To review the offering:

A Skype client will be included on nine models of BlackBerry and Android smartphones in late March; current customers with these devices will be able to download [...]

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Categories Communications News, Embedded Skype, Mobile Devices, Skype News, Skype Partner Solutions, Skype Platform, Skype for Personal, Skype on Mobile, Using Skype, Wireless Carriers

Over the past several months I have written three posts about WiFi’s ever-increasing role as a complement to the wireless carriers:

WiFi: The Real Threat to the Mobile Carriers
Is WiFi Becoming the Unregulated Stealth Carrier of the Future?
Traveling in a Bipolar Mobile Mode

Basically, in my recent travels I have found that WiFi access is becoming [...]

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Categories Communications Stories, Mobile Applications, Skype For Business, Skype on Mobile, Using Skype, Wireless Carriers

At CES 2010 last month I had the opportunity to record interviews with Skype CEO Josh Silverman as well as Russ Shaw, Vice President and General Manager of Skype Mobile and EMEA, and Matt Jordan, Enterprise Business Development Manager.
In this first interview Matt Jordan talks about the evolving Skype for Business Program. After giving [...]

Categories Communications Stories, Skype For Business, Skype Hardware, Skype News, Skype Partner Solutions, Skype Platform, Using Skype

Last fall Phil Wolff at Skype Journal mused on the topic of “Why Collaboration is Strategic for Skype”. His conclusion – collaboration is a competitive edge:
Skype could advance the best collaboration practices and technology. And with Skype’s distribution (one billion accounts by 2013), could easily become the tool of choice for producing results, enjoying [...]

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Categories Communications Stories, Service Providers, Skype For Business, Skype Partner News, Using Skype

Since its launch about two years ago, I have blogged several times about iotum’s CalliFlower Conference Calling service. More significantly I have used it for several conference calls of up to 25 people, including a couple that ran for over two hours. While permitting up to several hundred participants into a conference call, Calliflower’s [...]

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Categories Communications News, Conversation Providers, Mobile Applications, Service Providers, Skype For Business, Skype Partner News, Skype Partner Solutions, Using Skype

Pardon my exuberance but I am about to write about a product that I have been beta testing for the past few months. Seven months ago I knew very little about small business PBX’s other than to know they had big $$$ signs associated with their operation.
Back in 1992 my employer of the day [...]

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Categories Communications News, Communications Technology, Mobile Applications, Service Providers, Skype For Business, Skype Hardware, Skype Partner News, Skype Partner Solutions, Skype Platform, Skype on Mobile, Using Skype

Skype launches an Open Beta phase for its Skype for SIP service. Over 10,000 businesses worldwide have lined up to join the program.
Over the past eight months, Skype has been running a closed Skype for SIP beta program. A couple of PBX vendor agreements have been signed while Skype personnel have been having discussions [...]

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Categories Communications News, Skype Channels, Skype For Business, Skype News, Skype Platform, Using Skype

Building on Skype’s recent announcements of its evolving Skype for Business activities, Chief Strategy Office Christopher Dean gave a keynote address yesterday at a joint VON/Channel Partners Conference session. Three posts have followed up on the session:
Khali Henderson, in Skype Not Just Telecom’s “Bad Boy”, CSO Says, reports Christopher’s overview of their approach to [...]

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Categories Skype For Business, Skype News, Skype Partner News, Skype Partner Solutions