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matthewart
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Skype is a terrific tool. It is a software based phone that allows VoIP calls anywhere in the world. If you place a Skype call between computers--your computer and the computer of the person on the other end--the call is free. It costs pennies a minute to call to a cell phone or land line. Skype will allow you to do video calling, share documents, and IM others on the Skype network. How can a nonprofit use Skype? I think it can be particularly useful when working on collaborative projects. These projects could be technology based or not. - Conference calls become free using Skype.
- If you have documents to share, they can be sent to everybody in the group by dragging and dropping into a Skype chat.
- Skype's chat feature allows you to see when others in your group are online--and potentially available to talk.
I use Skype pretty much everyday in collaboration with programmers and other project based colleagues. Paired with other tools, Skype can become a powerful--and free--tool in your virtual kit. It is a free download, works on MacOS, PC, and Linux.
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http://www.dogstar.org Imagespace--NonProfits and Web 2.0
NonProfit Technology Consulting
http://revver.com/u/matthewart1/
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Rog
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Ditto
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___________________
Roger E. Rustad, Jr.
Roger @ Continuity Networks.com
949 209 9737
HackMyIdea.com (my tech blog)
Out-of-Band Solutions: KVM switches, KVM over IP, Console Servers, Avocent & Cyclades
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Susan_Tenby
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DOes anyone know about the free mother's day promotion from SKype? I heard rumors but have little info on it.
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Susan Tenby, Online Community Manager, TechSoup.org.
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tsfbeth
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I love SKYPE too. I use it to for conference calls with colleagues in Europe, Asia, and Australia - and the main reason - it's free. If someone doesn't have an Internet connection, you can also purchase "skype out" credits which let you call a land line.
With that said, there is a drawback to using skype.
To use skype with a large group (more than 9) you can use a phonebridge like Highspeedconferencing. This allows you to connect a larger group, but also people with a landline of mobile phone can call into the same conference. This can be a great advantage when you have a mixed group of people, people with good skype access and experience, and people who prefer to use 'ordinary' telephone.
For conference calls with folks in the US, I think I preference free conference because we rarely experience technical glitches -- not everyone is comfortable or experienced using their computer's mics, speakers, and headphones.
And, of course, while the tools are great -- it is also useful to have some good process and a skillful telephone facilitator.
Ten Tips for Advanced Skype Users
More about highspeed conferencing
Telephone Facilitation Tips
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christianlegalaid
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Our organization has been using Skype as our primary phone service and I have been a little disappointed. Unlike Vonage (which I have at home), I've found that the Skype out calls are not very good. People say that there is a whirling noise, like that of chopper, in the background.
Do any of you know if there is any way to minimize the static on Skype out calls?
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jcravens42
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Skype is great if you have the very latest software and a fantastic operating system.
But for those of us using older computers and software, or who don't have lightening-fast Internet, iVisit is a much better alternative. I've been using iVisit here from Kabul, as well as back in Germany, and I've been much more pleased with it than Skype. It's also free.
iVisit was created by Tim Dorcey, the inventor of IP video conferencing.
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PsyberTech
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As in all things, the quality of any communication product is equal to the sum of its parts. Even with the best of internet connections, operating systems and software, ones poor voice quality could be just the $14.00 headset you purchased at WallMart.
(The rest of this message was overtly self-promotional, so it has been removed by admin).
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Bill Carroll Sr.
Engineering/Tech Support
Tellan One, Sacramento CA
916-565-0665 x-103 Office
916-565-0535 Fax
e-mail: BillC@tellan1.com
web: www.tellan1.com
VoSky Skype: tellan-one-1 x-103
Skype Direct: billc.tellan1
[This message was last edited by Susan_Tenby on May 16, 2007]
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Susan_Tenby
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Are there other free VOIP applications, like Skype that don't have the annoying echo? I find it makes having conference calls nearly impossible. I would love to know of a conference call number or VOIP tool that will allow for free calls for multiple parties without an echo.
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Susan Tenby, Online Community Manager, TechSoup.org.
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matthewart
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Usually an echo means that your microphone is picking up sound from your speakers.
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http://www.dogstar.org Imagespace--NonProfits and Web 2.0
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http://revver.com/u/matthewart1/
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tsfbeth
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or the person you are talking to didn't put on their headset ..
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PsyberTech
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Well,
Know that I am a telecommunications engineer, and I am not a salesman.
I was trying to help out with some of your questions about SKYPE, but it looks like someone took it upon themselves to erase my entire post from two days ago.
My wife works for a non-profit in Sacramento called the Center for Collaborative Planning. She lives in these forums and had asked me to come here to assist with questions, but if you are just going to erase my posts it is not worth my time.
I will repost it once again, but if it is erased again do not expect any free help from me.
+-+-+-+-
As in all things, the quality of any communication product is equal to the sum of its parts. Even with the best of internet connections, operating systems and software, ones poor voice quality could be just the $14.00 headset you purchased at WallMart.
If voice quality is an issue, I would whole heartedly look in to any of the products by VoSky. (Voice over Skype) at http://www.vosky.com
With our VoSKY 9040 unit, we have four Skype out phone lines tied directly in to our ESI phone system. If you program ARS (Automatic Route Selection) you can have your phone system grab a Skype Out line off your VoSKY 9040 rather than your normal business lines.
The main advantage of this for us is the fact that we purchased Unlimited Skype Out for all four of our lines connected through our VoSKY 9040. The cost per line is $29.95 a year per line. This grants you unlimited access to any phone number in the United States and Canada for one year. (Yes, read that twice!) For $29.95 a year per Skype Out line, we can dial any number in the United States and Canada.
Just last week I was able to set up a telecommunications exhibit for a business expo in Sacramento using a 4 line VoSKY 9040. For my internet we used a wireless broadband connection which allowed us to have both inbound and outbound dial tone to all of our equipment. With both Skype and VoSKY, you can not only enhance your current system by offering yourself cost savings, but with a wireless broadband connection you can even offer disaster protection.
At this time we are offering to assist all of our customers to take advantage of the huge cost savings, and with VoSKY, we can hear the quality within the audio.
As for the rest of you out there, feel free to look at the VoSKY product on their web-site, or you can call me for free to answer any questions. Again, I am NOT a salesman trying to spam your forums with some sales junk. I am just the husband of someone in a non-profit who has been asked to share the toys I use with the rest of you.
Thank you and have a nice day.
Bill Carroll Sr.
Engineering/Tech Support
Tellan One, Sacramento CA
916-565-0665 x-103 Office
916-565-0535 Fax
e-mail: BillC@tellan1.com
web: www.tellan1.com
VoSky Skype: tellan-one-1 x-103
Skype Direct: billc.tellan1
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PsyberTech
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Again, I am not trying to sell anyone anything, but if you need to use a speakerphone with SKYPE, you can go to Fry's Electronics and they have a small VoKSY Skype speakerphone for about $10.00-$20.00. It connects with a USB cable. If you do not live near a Fry's Electronics, you can go to their website or the VoSKY website.
They also have 2 other small VoSKY single line boxes that allow you to plug in your computer via USB, your phone line into the back of the little black box, and then out to a standard telephone.
What this does is give you normal phone line access, 911 access on your regular phone. Press ## and you can access Skype Out and can call any other skype member for free. But to do that on your phone, you would have to make up your skype speed dial phone book on your PC.
You would then lift your handset and get normal dial tone, then press ## and you hear Welcome to Skype. You would dial a speed dial like 23 which you would have programed to connect to a Skype Account name. You can also press ## then 00+1+AREA CODE+PHONE NUMBER if you have skype out credit.
Again, Unlimited SKYPE OUT for all numbers in the USA and Canada is $29.95 a year per skype account.
And yet again.. *I* am not trying to sell you anything!!! I am just waving a BIG HUGE RED FLAG IN YOUR FACE to let you know you have other viable options to look at which can save you thousands of dollars in long distance charges.
Your Choice... $49.00 a month per line plus usage and long distance charges on a business line or $29.95 a year per line. I may be bad at math, but those kind of numbers rather hit hard and hit home.
In this weeks Tech Soup they were talking about disaster recovery. Get yourself a Linksys WRT54 Mobile Broadband Router with a Sprint Wireless PCMCIA Broadband card and hook it uo to your network. If your normal internet goes down, you can automatically switch to the Sprint Broadband which is Unlimited access, max speed 3.1 mega bit down and 2 megabit up. Add to that a VoSky (Voice Over Skype) box with Skype-in and Skype-out and no matter where you are, if you have power and Sprint cellular access you have both internet and a phone line(s).
My job is to think of ways for people to be able to access both their voice and data anyplace they go. With all of the options out there now, it is funny when someone asks me how to do something, and I tell them just buy some of this hardware and it is free from then on. Skype to Skype is like a gift from God, and it is hard to pass up on free.
Bill Carroll Sr.
Engineering/Tech Support
Tellan One, Sacramento CA
916-565-0665 x-103 Office
916-565-0535 Fax
e-mail: BillC@tellan1.com
web: www.tellan1.com
VoSky Skype: tellan-one-1 x-103
Skype Direct: billc.tellan1
( my stupid spelling errors caught after the fact )
[This message was last edited by PsyberTech on May 18, 2007]
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josh-milane
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Skype is indeed great, but I actually prefer the Yahoo Messenger tool over Skype simply because it has so much more overall utility.
VOIP is cool. It needs to get better before it is too much of a player, though.
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Best,
Josh Milane
MIT Technical Consulting
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PsyberTech
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I did not know that the Yahoo messenger tool allowed you the ability to call any number in the world if you wanted to, or the ability to have a real routable phone number that a person with an actual telephone could call you at?
Or even the ability to use Yahoo Messanger to connect all of your business locations together over a free voice network that you can hook up to any type of telephone system(s) and allow you to use your desk phone to communicate for free anyplace in the word for free using Skype to Skype and some cheap VoSky equipment?
Sure, I could ride a bicycle to work and save money, but if I can fly in a jet for free I would be taking that jet...
But I will look into the options available from Yahoo to see if they can actually be used in a real business application and have some cost saving advantages. But I kind of doubt it can be used in any real business applications other than point to point internet chat with some headphones. Who knows, I may be wrong and find something really cool!
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Bill Carroll Sr.
Engineering/Tech Support
Tellan One, Sacramento CA
916-565-0665 x-103 Office
916-565-0535 Fax
e-mail: BillC@tellan1.com
web: www.tellan1.com
VoSky Skype: tellan-one-1 x-103
Skype Direct: billc.tellan1
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Skype
RE: Skype
