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Skype's hype(Wisconsin State Journal, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)Jun. 3--Paul Hanson uses a free online voice communication service to stay connected with his students and colleagues around the world. A research scientist at the Center for Limnology at UW-Madison, Hanson said sometimes e-mail just won't do. "There are times when you need to have a conversation," said Hanson, who studies lakes, ponds and streams. "But a long-distance phone call to, say, Thailand can be just too expensive." To cut costs while reaching out to faraway scientists, Hanson uses Skype. With more than 100 million customers around the world, this free system is growing in popularity and is as simple to use as your home computer. If you're already familiar with Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP, technology that allows you to make phone calls through your computer may be nothing new. Many companies offer a range of ways to make Web-based calls, and some bundle those services with broadband Internet for high-speed Web browsing. Users can get the bonus of being able to make unlimited phone calls, local and long distance, for one monthly fee. But the free service offered by Skype takes Internet-based communication in a different direction. Unlike VOIP, which transfers audio data through an Internet server, Skype is a network that links computers one to another. Once connected, users can make voice calls or exchange instant messages, text messages to mobile phones, large data files and voice mail with any Skype-loaded computer anywhere in the world. "I love the teleconferencing feature," Hanson said. "Three or four of us can get on line and talk at the same time." All you need is an Internet connection and Skype software. It can be easily downloaded and installed for either PC or Mac. There are no user fees and nothing to buy. You can dial up users right on your computer screen. And incoming voice calls come straight through your headset, USB phone or system speakers. This blending of voice communication and Web access is markedly different from systems that connect your standard telephone to your computer. "There are services that put themselves out as a replacement phone service," said Henry Gomez, general manager of Skype in North America. "Our business is about letting you download a piece of software that is anywhere you are and lets you get as good or better (sound) quality than anything else out there." And it's not just computer to computer. Skype also has the ability to dial directly to a landline or a cell phone in the U.S. and Canada free of charge until the end of the year. For overseas calls to Europe and Asia, Skype can make the connection for 2 cents per minute. Skype software will come loaded with all new Dell computers. And the company is working with cell-phone makers to make the service available through handheld devices over a Wi-Fi network. Festoon, a communications software provider, also offers Skype users the ability to send and receive live video along with voice and text messages. Gomez said Skype opens up a range of possible applications. Skype can be used for long-distance learning with text, audio and video programming. Turn on a computer in your child's room and you have an instant baby monitor. "There're going to be dozens upon dozens of ideas that people will come up with on how to use Skype because it's free," he said. "It's free for people to experiment with. People will come up with businesses and ideas we never thought of." Software can be downloaded at www.skype.com. |