Chapter 6 - Skype and Other Computer-centric Services
Skype and Competitors
The SIP World
SIPphone
FreeWorld Dialup
Skype
Regulations
Stumbling Blocks
Getting the Firewall Out of the Way
Regulations
Computer-centric Phone Features
Standard Skype Features
Advanced Skype Features
PDA support
Presence
Future Skype Features
Voicemail
SkypeIn
Skype For Business
Services Comparison
Computer-centric Features
Compared to Vonage
Passion
How to Sign Up
Requirements
How Much?
Checklist for New Users
Using Skype
Calling Skype Users
Chat (Instant Message)
File Transfer
Client Configuration
Controlling Your Account
The Skype Web Site
Your Skype Application
Skype for the Pocket PC
What Skype Forgets to Tell You
Technical Details They Don't Mention
Business Details They Don't Mention
Troubleshooting
Redial
Opening to Chapter 6:
Let me be upfront: Skype and other Computer-centric Internet Telephony providers will not satisfy most traditional telephone users. Skype's ease of use and community drew millions, but they remain tied to their computer and can't get incoming calls from non-Skype users (yet). Skype's competitors are niche products which appeal to a techno-savvy demographic, and will remain so for many years. Skype will not replace traditional phone lines in more than a handful of households.
However, these services now pioneer new types of communication services far beyond what Phone-centric providers have to offer. Computer-centric phone applications remain true to the rule that technical trailblazing products never have mass user appeal, but are fun to watch and provide great benefits for a few early adopters (although the early adopters in this case number in the tens of millions). Skype cleverly hides their technology and makes their service fun, something I wish other technology companies could emulate.
Skype's slogan is “Free Internet telephony that just works” and for the most part they're exactly right. Other softphone applications seem to follow the Skype model, but use different telephony standards and business models. But once you have your computer connected to the Internet via a broadband connection, it's easy to make voice calls with Skype. And Skype happily avoids any problems getting through your firewall.
Different software phone services have more problems. It takes some effort to get other softphones working beyond what it takes to get Skype going. You must deal with the same types of firewall port concerns discussed in the previous chapter for the phone-centric providers.
This chapter could be titled “Talk Is Cheapest” because of the pricing structure used by Skype and competitors: free calls anywhere in the world to other users of this service. While you might assume Computer-centric telephony only provides value to technology-obsessed youth who are never far from their computer, Skype reports that half of their customers use the service at least part of the time for business.
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