With the use of the Internet reaching almost all countries and economic classes, and with its penetration throughout the Western world, applications designed to harness its potential in increasingly practical ways are constantly emerging. One such application is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which continues to challenge its own limitations. There are some major players fighting for supremacy, including Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Skype, and Vonage.
Recently, there have been many converts to Skype, including this reviewer. There are several factors that have influenced my own personal movement, but my main motivations were innovation, quality and marketability. VoIP has always been an easily marketable application, and Skype has added innovative features that are rich in quality:
or SkypeOut, where you can use your computer to call common phone numbers around the world. SkypeOut’s global rate is currently 1.7 euro cents (about 2 US cents or 1.1 pence) per minute for more than 20 countries.
or SkypeIn, which is a virtual phone number that your friends can call. This is in beta testing at the time of writing this review, but the 12-month subscription is available for EUR 30 and 3 months for EUR 10.
o Skype voicemail, which allows you to redirect calls to your voicemail, is available at EUR 5 for 3 months or EUR 15 per year.
However, the most widespread application of Skype is PC-to-PC calls. Anyone can make free calls over the Internet to anyone else who also has Skype. It’s a simple wizard-based process to download and use the app, and it works over your broadband connection with Microsoft Windows, Mac, Linux, and Pocket PC-based operating systems. All you need is a PC microphone and speakers or a basic USB headset, and what you get is a real-time phone-quality voice conversation with any PC end-user in the world. I found the download to be extremely simple and straightforward and I imagine that anyone, regardless of their fluency on the computer, will find it easy too.
In addition to its ease of setup, Skype’s features are truly impressive. There is a function to search the Skype database, so that you can create a contact list. We have used Skype for Windows 1.4 for a PC-to-PC conversation between Los Angeles and Mumbai, India, and there was no interruption in the half hour call. Clarity was definitely on with a normal phone, maybe even better, without noticeable lag. On subsequent calls between these destinations and other US cities, including Chicago, the quality continues to amaze us and the fact that Skype works in most environments, regardless of firewalls or NAT, extends its reach.
So what is the downside? A comparative analysis will help clarify the situation. For starters, Skype doesn’t offer as many calling features as other service providers like Vonage. Then there have been question marks about the technical / customer support that Skype offers. Another point where Skype loses is the quality of the SkypeOut package, where calls made to landlines are of inconsistent quality. One hopes that Skype will be able to add video chat to its repertoire in the near future, which will put Skype in the same position as other free VoIP providers like Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger, which already have video capabilities. Without a doubt, Skype is ahead of MSN and Yahoo in terms of voice quality and real-time chat experience. On the other end of the spectrum, Vonage offers feature-rich services and better customer service, though all of this comes at a price.
My overall assessment: Vonage is a better option than Skype for traditional phone users because Skype is totally computer dependent and caters to consumers who “live off their computers.”
The future has a lot to offer and no doubt Skype will advance its evolutionary process and hopefully improve SkypeOut and successfully exit SkypeIn beta testing. However, at the moment, Skype is arguably the best option for free PC-to-PC calls. Skype says that “the current focus is to create the best voice application on the planet”; judging by feedback from users around the world, Skype has already come a long way toward that goal.