Switching on to Skype
Published August 8, 2007 at 2:26 pm · Filed under Features
Skype is not just a low cost telephony option for consumers and individual business travellers. It can also be integrated into corporate phone systems for affordable business communications. Ian Robin explains how
Businesses of all sizes are already exploiting VoIP technology to reduce telephony costs. But what happens if you don’t have the budget or headcount to justify replacing a legacy telephone system with a new IP PBX? Is there any other way that smaller companies or those with low budgets can experience the benefits of VoIP?
One obvious solution is Skype. Already used by millions of people for personal and business use, Skype supports free Internet-based voice calls between Skype users located anywhere in the world. You can also make and take calls to non-Skype users worldwide, via the SkypeIn and SkypeOut services.
Any business that makes frequent or lengthy national or international calls can achieve significant cost savings using Skype. However the difficulty of integrating Skype with an existing phone system has restricted its use by small businesses. Because Skype tends to reside on users’ PCs, separated from the office phone system, there has been no control over Skype usage and no easy, manageable way to put Skype’s features at the disposal of all employees.
The launch of gateways that bridge the divide between Skype and office PBXs removes this limitation, making it easier than ever for businesses to cut corporate phone bills. VoSKY Technologies’ Exchange gateways offer four or eight outgoing Skype lines in a stackable, rack-mountable design and can be installed in under half a day, with zero changes to existing PBX equipment, phones or PCs.
The gateway allows users to make and receive Skype calls on their regular office phones instead of having to use a PC and headset. User training is negligible: you simply dial ‘9′ for a PSTN outside line (as normal) or ‘8′ for Skype. Apart from the installer and the IT team, users don’t even need to know they are making calls via Skype.
Powerful applications
Exchange gateways are particularly useful for businesses with multiple locations, such as retail outlets. Installing a gateway at each site doesn’t just save on call costs to customers and vendors: it also makes all intra-office calls Skype-to-Skype i.e. completely free-of-charge. The same holds true for remote workers, who can use Skype to access office phone facilities for free.
Another significant application is click-to-talk. The ability to contact sales or customer support via Skype over a Web click-through offers free calling for both you and your customer from anywhere in the world, helping to reduce operating costs and improve customer service levels.
In addition, Skype can support your bid for global domination, offering a low-cost means of setting up virtual offices internationally. With a leased SkypeIn number costing just £30 per year, companies looking to expand overseas can set up a local company contact number, which will automatically route non-Skype callers onto the company’s phone system so that all calls can be handled centrally at your headquarters or call centre.
Whatever your motivation for integrating Skype and an existing phone system, you can look forward to significant and on-going cost savings. With free calls between Skype users and very low charges for calls to non-Skype users, a gateway solution will pay for itself in a matter of months.
Ian Robin is European general manager at VoSKY Technologies. www.vosky.com/skype
