Skype Lowers International Calling Rates

Making international calls has often been an expensive proposition for small and medium businesses. In response, Skype expanded its calling plans, so companies may pay as little as $.01 a minute for such calls.The company unveiled a new calling plan that cuts monthly pricing by 60%, down to $1.09 a month. The service is available in 170 countries and allows users to connect with either wireline or wireless phones. Customers can also sign up for either monthly or yearly plans.

In addition, the company is moving into the video conferencing marketplace. It has started a beta program for a new group video chat function that supports up to five users. During the trial, customers can use the service for free but later the company plans to charge for it  although it has not set the service pricing yet.

Skype is software that enables users to send calls from PCs, laptops or mobile phones over the Internet. The company started off with a consumer, but because the software was easy to use and the benefits of running calls over the Internet were so beneficial, it has been adopted by many small and medium businesses.

The latest enhancements should appeal to businesses in need of an inexpensive way to make calls abroad. The service may not offer as much reliability as or as many features as commercial grade voice services but it can help them to trim their telecommunications costs.