Modern business is heavily dependant upon fast communication tools, and Skype fits this requirement beautifully. Business has grown globally and the whole world has shrunk considerably, with modern technological advances, such as, high speed Internet and e-commerce. Skype has added a new dimension to this communication aspect and is providing many benefits to small businesses that are largely dependant on the Internet.

Skype Is Inexpensive
The biggest benefit of Skype is that it is inexpensive. In fact, it is free as long as the phone call is made from one Skype subscriber to another. Many small businesses rely heavily on a high volume of telephony, and if the cost of this aspect is controlled with Skype, the whole complexion of the profitability of the business will improve dramatically.

SkypeIn Service
The latest innovation in Skype technology is the SkypeIn service, whereby, you can buy a local phone number, in any part of the world, and use it in your home. As an example, if you live in San Francisco and if most of your clients are based in Chicago, you can buy a Skypein phone number for Chicago, enabling your clients in Chicago to call your number free. Up to ten such phone numbers can be bought, with each number costing only $40 per year.

SkypeOut Service
Skype calls to other Skype users are free, but calls to landlines and mobile numbers do cost money. In order to help the small businesses, Skype has come out with SkypeOut service, which enables you to make calls to landlines or mobile phones free, anywhere in the U.S. Moreover, the rates for international calls have been brought down to make it easier for the businesses to conduct their negotiations with international clients.

Skype Voicemail
The voicemail service of Skype is similar to other such services. If you are not available when someone rings up your Skype phone, a message can be left on your voicemail, and you can retrieve it later on. This facility is very important when you are using the Skype phone for your business, as it is crucial to receive business messages on time. If you have one or more Skype phones, the voicemail service is free. You can also buy it for about $20.

Skype DualPhone
This is a novel concept, in which the Skype DualPhone can work as both your landline and your Skype phone. This is useful, if you have both these phone connections. However, if both the calls come in at the same time, the DualPhone can get confused.

Drawbacks of Skype
Like any new technology, the Skype services are also prone to errors, and as such, if you wish to make business sensitive calls or receive them, it is advisable to use the traditional phone systems until such time, that all the drawbacks of Skype phones are ironed out.

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