Skype
Free
Skype has enjoyed an incredible rise to its current position as the de-facto choice for many small and medium-sized firms, and with good reason. It’s a simple system that goes far beyond the instant messaging rivals here, and gives even the high-end video and video-conferencing systems a run for their money.
At its most basic, Skype allows free voice calls and text chats with other users. Video calls are also available, and quality is excellent – with a decent broadband connection, high-definition video is possible, and images look great even when blown up to full screen.
Everything is organised via a clean, well thought-out interface, with none of the cluttered, ad-ridden looks of some competitors. Setting up conferences is simple, although video conferences are limited to two participants.
The key to Skype’s success is in its billing. Calls to users, be they voice or video, are free. However, with a service called Skype Out, it is also possible to call landlines, and often far more cheaply than by other methods. This has proved hugely successful, and for many firms could seriously reduce the cost of calling customers who haven’t yet made the leap to online communications. It’s also possible to use Skype from a lot of different devices, even mobile phones.
Skype really is the benchmark for online voice services. While as a video-conferencing system for corporates it is lacking, for most small firms it is a superb way to communicate while keeping costs down.
PROS Available on everything from mobile phones to TVs
CONS Limited participants in a video chat
