Skype to It: Cost-effective VoIP Communication for SMEs

Communicating in the twenty first century, a decade dominated by social media, instant messaging and ever-changing technological advances have completely revolutionised the way we think of keeping in touch with business associates.

The thought of using a red public payphone or sending a letter to simply catch up seems distinctly historic. Or how about the mobile phones, the aptly-named "bricks", that the "yuppies" carried around with them in the 1980s?

With many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implementing tough microeconomic saving measures, it is surprising that not many know of Skype - an incredible cost-effective ‘telephony’ internet service - or use it as part of their business telecomms infrastructure.

Skype is a global leading communications company in the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) market that involves individuals using their PC and internet connection access as the main source of making FREE calls to other Skype users.

According to the Guardian;

“Skype is one of the great unheralded success stories of the internet: where Facebook and Twitter are busy shortening attention spans and relieving us of our sense of private space, Skype has quietly changed the way we talk. That Facebook has 500 million users is well known but there are 560 million registered Skype users who have made a total of 250bn minutes of calls since it was founded, seven years ago.”

Successful business activities require making logs of call time - Calling suppliers, customers, overseas contacts and employees who are travelling can be quite expensive. Therefore by adopting Skype your business can become more productive and profitable.

Why use this invaluable business tool?

The benefits

Here are a few points why you should make Skype part of your business communication infrastructure.

• FREE download and easily understood. Skype is compatible with operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac. Using the computer to talk may not be ideal for private conversations in many small business environments and so, most significantly, Skype can be installed on numerous smart phones including the iPhone, iPad and Blackberry.
• Skype's instant messaging tool removes the case for interrupting colleagues with a phone call. The added benfit is that Skype's IM window leaves a "paper trail" of messages, so all the information relayed is recorded including weblinks.
• FREE audio/video/group conferencing Skype to Skype calls with those on the network. Additinally there is the low-cost option of calls to landlines and mobiles by purchasing SkypeOut credit; cutting the cost of local, national and most particularly, international calls. Such credits can be allocated for up to 20 accounts for individuals. For times when calls are missed, Skype voicemail keeps you connected as a normal landline would, while the group conference feature - used by up to nine people – makes face-to-face meeting more accessible without having to board a plane or travel just to conduct a simple business deal.
• Professional elements of Skype targeted at businesses include file sharing, screen sharing (which is useful for presentations) call forwarding and recording - useful for businesses with employees who are constantly on the go. As employees become increasingly mobile, your business will never be out of touch with key players particularly outside regular working hours.
• Revolutionary. As the popularity of the software has grown, so has its development. Skype is now connected to Facebook, allowing users on your company’s page to directly Skype you. With Skype you can improve customer service by simply placing a “Skype me” link or a Skype number on your website - customers can effortlessly get in touch and receiving queries is easier for your business.

For SMEs perpetually conscious of saving money on all costs, Skype Business Product is based on providing a quality service that businesses appreciate. As global economies become more integrated, effective and cheap communication for organisations has become increasing important; especially from the fact that it forms a considerable percentage of the business’ expenditure.

Provided by Touch Financial - Providers of Factoring and Invoice Discounting Quotes