It's a question we hear over and over again from the Internet generation, who have grown up with instant and effortless access to everything from TV shows to music and news. Why pay when you can find something for free elsewhere?
It's only natural that this mindset would spill over into the business world, where many are questioning whether they really need to pay for Skype, the world's most popular web conferencing tool (acquired by Microsoft in 2011).
Web conferencing software is a must in today’s working world.
More and more teams are working remotely – the 2017 Gallup State of the American Workplace survey found that 43% of employees in the US work separately from their teammates at least some of the time – and good communication options are critical to success.
This becomes even more important when you consider that more than a third of project failures are due to poor communication .
As a project manager, you have to keep your team connected - for example, for scrum meetings or general meetings - but you also have a budget to take care of. You're probably wondering why you would choose a paid tool when the same video chat features are available in free tools.
Below, we'll take a look at the pricing options for Skype (which comes pre-installed on Windows operating systems, by the way) and take a look at some free Skype alternatives that let you chat face-to-face with your distributed team (and more!).
Do I have to pay for Skype?
The simple answer is no. (Apart from your mobile phone plan.) You can use Skype on your smartphone or computer to connect with another Skype user and their smartphone or computer for free.
Things get a little more complicated when you want to connect with someone who doesn't use Skype or can't access it. This might be the case if you need to call a team member who is working away from the office and doesn't have the Skype app installed on their phone, or if a coworker is in an area with cell reception but no or poor internet reception .
These situations may be rare, but they do happen - and it's nice to have an alternative plan. And we haven't even considered the possibility that someone just doesn't want to use Skype for some reason. Would you rather pressure that person to change their mind so that you can finally start the meeting, or just get going?
If you need to use Skype to call a landline or mobile phone directly (so the person you're calling answers on their phone rather than the Skype app), you'll have to pay for it.
You can pay for such Skype calls with credit or an unlimited monthly subscription:
Calls to landline numbers in Germany cost €3.57/month
Calls to landlines and mobile phones in the USA cost €3.57/month
Calls to landlines and mobile phones worldwide ( with restrictions ) cost €15.47/month
You can buy Skype Credit for €10 or €25; the price per minute varies depending on your location, but research shows that it is relatively cheap.
The overview above refers to the standard version of Skype. You know, the version your mom uses for video chats with her grandkids.
For freelancers and small businesses, this version is usually sufficient. But if you are part of a slightly philippines telegram data larger company or run your own business, you will need additional features.
You'll probably want to be able to talk to more than three people at once, use a whiteboard in the meeting, and share your screen. For all of this, you need Skype for Business.
It is included in Office 365 Business Premium ( €10.50 per user per month ) and Office 365 Business Essentials ( €4.20 per user per month ).
(It's worth noting that Microsoft plans to merge Skype for Business with its own web conferencing tool, Microsoft Teams. No exact date has been set for this, but users can expect all of Skype for Business's features to continue to be available .)
What about free Skype alternatives?
If you don't want to pay to upgrade your Skype account but need more than just the basic features, the following four free web conferencing tools could be an alternative for you.
In addition to the features of the free version, I will also tell you the cost of an upgrade if you ever need more.
Some of these tools even include additional project management features, such as task management and file sharing. You may end up using them for much more than just better communication.