Skype is a service for its users to communicate with each around the world over the internet and in many cases for free! Here are the primarily features of Skype:

Free services:

1. Worldwide Skype to Skype communication, including video and audio calls
2. Chat (instant messaging)
3. Conference audio calls
4. Forward calls to another Skype account

Fee services:

1. Calls to regular (PSTN) or cellular phones (SkypeOut)
2. Receive calls from regular or cellular phones (SkypeIn)
3. Voice mail
4. Text messages (SMS)

As the first major company in this market, it has grown to become the largest long distance company worldwide. Since its inception, 1.6 billion copies of the software were downloaded. There are over 15 million online users. Even though new major players, such as Google and Yahoo, have shown up, Skype is easily the most dominant player.

Over the years, the voice quality has increased significantly. Many businesses and call centers rely on Skype as their primary means of receiving and making calls. Universities use Skype to conduct video interviews with their applicants. Teachers conduct classes with students remotely. Dating services use Skype video calls for initial meetings between couples. The use of Skype has flourished exponentially.

The chief advantage of Skype is cost and convenience. It is free for most services and relatively inexpensive for others. In US, the monthly service fee is under $6 for unlimited calls to US and Canada. None of the regular phone companies (such as AT&T and Verizon) can even come close.

Implementing Skype on your PC is simple and can be completed in less than 5 minutes.

Skype does have two limitations. The first is that it needs high speed internet access and its voice quality depends on it. This is not a severe restriction as high speed internet has become more. The second limitation is no 911 (emergency) services. If this is important to you, you would need cellular or regular phone service; however you can get the cheapest possible plan.

To use Skype, you would need high speed internet access plus either a computer with microphone and speaker or a pc-free Skype phone. Read our Skype Quick Start Guide.