I’ve got three kids and we live about 750 miles from my parents.  They do not get to see my kids (their grandkids) nearly as often as any of us would like. 

For over a year now, I’ve been using Skype a great deal and in many ways, next to my cell phone, it has turned into one of my primary business phone lines.

For personal reasons, I’m now trying to get my parents and my brother set up with skype.  My brother, who previously lived near my parents, is now relocating from IL to TX and it is going to be even harder for my parents to stay in touch with all of us.

So I’m hoping technology can help.  It won’t fill the void, but can help keep the conversations from getting stretched, help keep the little kids familiar with grandma and grandpa’s faces, and help everyone stay better adjusted while apart so that family holidays aren’t so awkward.

So the cool thing is that Skype is of course FREE for all skype users.  They don’t start charging until you want to call out from skype to non-skype phone numbers.

So if I have a skype account (free) and my mother sets up a skype account (free). 

We can talk in video phone calls on Skype for Free.

Plus, if my brother sets up a skype account (free), then all three of us can have a skype video conference call together at the same time for (free). 

Guess you see where this is going.

Skype comes with other benefits that I use sometimes, like chat and voice mail on the skype account.  Plus, if you start using it like a regular phone, it is cheap, cheap, cheap.  About $15-$30 per year, depending on the deal or package they are offering, but that only breaks down to $1 – $4 per month.  That is so cheap, that you pay it once in full and forget it until next year.

The video quality is definitely good enough to be able to see people, facial expressions, even the rooms they are in.  Its not that choppy video that web cams were famous for in the past, but its not theater quality hd either so this isn’t going to be an over the top install requiring home theater carpet, seating, and a new flat panel.

That said, I do advise a relatively new web cam (they sell for $10 – $40).  Not a big investment for the service it provides.

Cost Summary for Skype video calls for grandma

Service is FREE (skype to skype calls)

Webcam $10 – $40 per month

Alternatively – if you want an extra business line for the house or something $15 – $30 gets you unlimited long distance and voice mail.

The thing is that I do a lot of work with technology, including video conferences.  Now, at night if I run my normal web cam, it doesn’t pick up my image too well, because it is dark in the office.  If I turn on too many lights, it will be a bug magnet.

So a year or two back we had some break ins around the neighborhood in our old house.  I happened through Sam’s Club one day and bought a security camera with night vision capability for $40.  Its been sitting in a closet ever since.

But this evening, I am going to try and connect it up through my web cam connections and see if I can use it for a night vision web cam.

I’m sure there will probably not be too many people in need of this type of setup, but if it works, I’ll let you know!

Its this type of weird stuff that makes my job fun anyway and it sure beats the conversations I used to have about budget software, ERP systems, etc. when I worked as a finance manager. ….

During that time I came to like Skype a great deal more, especially the video call capability.

However, it has also been a little problematic.  I sometimes lose sound or video for no reason and feel like I have to live in the Skype Options box, to keep the thing running properly.

The point that I am trying to make is that Skype is fantastic (and cheap) but it is only as good as your computer acts on your computer’s worst day.  That means that if you want to live by Skype, you have to be prepared to die by skype whenever and where every your computer might take a dump on you.

Rant Follows

I do not know why but for some insane reason, my computer likes to automatically change my microphone to mute from time to time without telling me.  It also likes to lose track of my video camera input as well.  Its one of those asinine problems that is about as fun to deal with as going to your doctors office and reading an obscure medical journal on lipovox reviews or something else almost useless for your day to day life.

Now, I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I have a few degrees, I’ve been published, I’ve worked in intelligence and not to toot my own horn, I’ve done some fairly complicated stuff. But I hear a phone menu option and its like I have developed a case of telephony claustrophobia. The thing is I’m not really fearful of phone menus, just instantly lost, like fish hit with sonic waves by a dolphin or a whale.

As a small business owner, establishing my own pbx system however has been something I have been holding off on for quite a while. Its something that I have probably needed for about a year now, but I just can’t quite see putting other people through a phone menu sonic attack.

The time is coming though. I will be walking through my VOIP decisions and we’ll see where things shake out. I’m going to put together a phone system, a pbx system, a virtual assistant, the whole nine yards.

Now, I have looked at the consumer related services like Skype and Vonage, but I think I’m going to need something a little more than that. So tonight I was looking at Packet8’s small business phone systems. I like the pricing plans for their virtual assistant services and their conference bridge service as well.

I’m not looking for a large system or package, just some of the basics that enable me to organize things at a simple level and enable group work over long distances. I’ll keep you posted on how things develop. If you have VOIP or PBX system stories or recommendations, I’d like to here them and would be happy to reference your thoughts from our site.

1. Small Business PBX System
2. or VOIP Answering System
3. or Skype Add in Answering System
4. or Much Much More

CallButler (http://www.callbutler.com) has three offerings, one is a stand alone VOIP Software and Telephone Answering System.  The other offers a Skype based telephone system that configures in a Free or a Pro Version.

They both integrate with Outlook so that you can receive your voice mail and listen to it through Outlook through a very useful interface.

But the system also let you add in options that are typically only available in very expensive PBX systems.  You can setup a call flow system and phone menu option.  You can even let the system customize the responses so that your customers get personalize messages on the menu when they call your system.

With the system, you can create extensions for all of your employees.  You can sign up for an 800 number and get a number of very useful features for a fixed and relatively low price.

They do offer a very complete Skype plug in as a free version, but the Skype Pro version provides even more services. 

If your company is not looking for a skype solution, the software comes in a stand alone configuration also that gives you the full power of a PBX system in a software package that can be configured and run in under 10 minutes!

Technorati tags: skype, voip, pbx, call management system, CallButler, Skype add in, voice mail in outlook, set up phone extensions softwar, Auto-Attendant, IVR, Skype, Small Business, Voicemail, Music on Hold, Answering System, Telephone System, Windows, Text To Speech

Under a beta plan users will be able to make free calls to other Skype users.  Users can also utilize their Skype in and Skype out accounts to make and receive calls to landline phones as is available with normal skype products that are not resident on cellular devices.

Skype was previously available on Pocket PC devices.  Over 5 million Pocket PC device downloads have occurred under that service plan.

Skype will now charge $29.95 (the industry standard rate) for a years worth of unlimited calling service.

Customers that sign up for a yearly plan prior to January 31, 2007 will receive a half price discount.

Foonz then sends out a message to everyone in you invite group.  They send messages via text messages or by email or even by instant messaging services.

The members of your group can then call in to the number provided in the Foonz message notification.  When they call in they are joined to the group call.

Sign up for free at the foonz web site

Foonz has separate agreements with existing phone companies that covers the expense of the call, which is how they receive funding and keep their service free to the end user.  Foonz has a policy of not sharing or using your personal information nor that of your contacts, other than the occasional promotion for a new Foonz service or upgrade.

Foonz does push for users to utilize their cell phones, which seems to work best with their system allowing for users to automatically log in as soon as they phone into the system to establish a new call.  This does not stop the service from being available from any phone you may wish to utilize. 

Foonz is available for service in the US and abroad as well, however text message notifications to people in the intended conference group will only be delivered to US based cell phones.  That won’t stop notifications through IM or email.

There are many services that will charge $50 a month or more for similar functionality plus the foonz service can rapidly allow users to establish a conference call rapidly at anytime with out having to schedule the conference online or through outlook.  The convenience is fast, friendly and definitely geared towards spontaneous conversations of groups, associates or even friends just catching up with each other or hoping on the phone after an online conversation.

ViaTalk provides internet phone service at rates that start out at $10 per month to $200 year for service that starts off with 500 minutes of calls per month all the way up to unlimited calls and a large set of features.

These plans like their competitors cover calls in the US and in Canada and ViaTalk is currently offering a 6 month free service plan, which as of today (Nov 7) actually makes the plan more attractive than Skype’s free offer, which expires in 2 months at the end of the year.

They also offer broadband phone service plans for businesses with rates based on the term of contracts.  Contract time frames can be as short as 1 month or extend out 24 months with rates that run from $35/ month down to $30/month respectively.

Skype is hoping to offer their VOIP plan in the US, where many people use VOIP services at work, but still rely on traditional phone systems or cellular plans at home.

Detail on Skypes offer:

Or Shop for Skype Products and accessories at Skype Store USA !

“The promotional offer, which extends through the end of 2006, covers calls within the United States and Canada. Calls from North America to conventional phones in other countries will incur charges. Skype already offers free calling to users worldwide who call from computer to computer.”
Skype launches free call promotion in US, Canada