Skype touts biz credentials

Skype is touting its voice over IP (VoIP) technology for small businesses keen to work globally and keep costs down.

According to Skype research, 30 per cent of its 309 million users use it for work and the company is trying to shed the perception of it being just a consumer tool.

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Ian Robin, director of Skype for business said: "It's kind of showing Skype is a business tool already. Saving money is just the start."

But cost saving remains a big attraction with 95 per cent of business users saving money by using Skype and around a third slashing their phone bills by 50 per cent or more, according to the company.

In addition, more than 60 per cent of businesses not currently using Skype are considering it, while 70 per cent of business users said they use it for travelling with work.

Robin said Skype can give businesses an edge through a number of recently introduced business specific services.

These include a range of subscriptions for land line calls, introduced in April, and the Business Control Panel, which allows people to manage their users and subscriptions more effectively.

One example of how mainstream Skype is as a business tool is the many people who now have their Skype address on their business cards, said Robin.

Another recent innovation is a Skype button which businesses can place on their websites to allow people to call them with the click of a button.

When the call is made users are directed to the relevant company contact for the section of the website they've come from. The system can also display adverts or offers related to business.

Emma Jones, who runs home business resource website EnterpriseNation.com, said she chose Skype because of its low cost and simplicity.

She said: "They put it in terminology that small businesses get."

Jones said Skype can act as a "virtual water cooler" for those who work at home. "It gives that feeling of the team spirit even if we're not working in the same place."

Karen Hollands, founder of online language school Toniks, has built her business around Skype to link pupils to language tutors based across the world.

She said the sound quality on Skype is sufficient for the subtle nuances of language to get through, although she added: "Like any business with technology you get the odd hiccup."

Skype said it is happy to focus on smaller businesses for now - despite interest from bigger enterprises. Robin said: "At the moment I don't think [focusing on big companies] is necessary. We always think of small groups."