Salestrakr already is helping businesses to bypass the telephone company. Click on a telephone number in Salestrakr and it will use Skype to make your call. If you have a Skype subscription and are logged in, the call is cost free (perhaps even to other countries depending on your subscription. And if you don't have a subscription, you can use SkypeOut credit. This is a very helpful feature for a salesperson who needs to work their CRM system.
This past week I registered my new Google Voice number. It's totally free. It's not perfect. When you make an outbound call inside of Google Voice, it first calls your line (mobile or land line). Once you pick that up, it then connects to the person you are calling. OK, not perfect. But, let's say you need a line for your small business. Really for inbound calls. You no longer need a hosted PBX or line somewhere. People can call this number and it will ring to your mobile or other line and even record voice mail when unanswered.
With iPhones and similar devices, such as the new T-Mobile MyTouch, having near full computer capabilities, we may see that these devices are our new PBX extention. Only the phone system is Google or Skype and available from anywhere at anytime.
Skype is great, but a word of caution: make sure you have a fast internet connection, a fast computer, and that your router ideally uses QOS to give Skype traffic priority. Don't do anything CPU or internet intensive during the call.
Delays during Skype calls can really hurt your ability to have a smooth conversation. Because you seem to take longer to respond, or you end up seeming to talk over each other.
Posted by: Ben Strackany | December 05, 2009 at 01:39 PM