Getting the most from Skype
Skype is a free communication tool that allows you to make discounted phone calls and SMS, talk via voice/video or text over the Internet. It is also a storage place for your contacts and a powerful Instant messenger tool that can replace MSN, Yahoo Chat and other Instant Messenger tools.
Getting the most from Skype
Disclaimer
Check your version and or update Skype
What is Skype
Before you use Skype
The Skype interface
Skype.
Contacts.
Call
View
Tools
Help
Skype Test Call
Transferring a call to another contact
Adding your friends
Sending a SMS
Screen Sharing
Using Skype for meetings
Online number
Use a local phone number when travelling internationally
Transferring a call to another contact
Calling Toll free numbers
See more details of your contacts
Installing Skype on iPhone
Skype Business Control Panel
Skype Business Manager
Getting started
Adding members to your Skype manager
Adjusting Skype credit
Monitoring Skype accounts
Skype Business manager allows this to occur. To do so
Assigning Online numbers
Skype calls from your web site
Other Skype resources
Skype on various applications
Using Skype in your own Language
Translate into your own language
To load an existing language file
This article describes the latest version (at time of writing) of Skype version 4.02 unless otherwise stated.
Version 4.02 differs greatly from all previous versions and has many additional features.
If you are unsure of which version of Skype you have or want to upgrade see the following section.
To check which version of Skype you have or to upgrade to the latest version of Skype use the Help menu and select:
a) 'Check for updates' to upgrade to the latest version
or
b) 'About Skype' – for the version you have.
Skype is a free communication tool that can be used for both personal use and as an alternative phone system within your organisation.
Skype is an economical communication tool for today’s virtual offices where people roam the country and the world and yet are required to have the one phone number, or several national and or international phone numbers, without the large telco costs and the need for multiple physical phones.
The latest version of Skype seamlessly integrates into your web browser as an application that can call any phone or Skype account on pages you visit. This also has implications for the meta tags of your web pages where you could add your phone number to the Meta so it is easily seen in search summaries of search engines.
Skype is free software that can be installed on multiple platforms and systems including:
- Windows
- Mac OSX
- Linux
- Symbian
- Nokia N800/N810
- Nokia N900
- iPhone
- PSP®
This article concentrates on a Windows installation unless otherwise stated.
Skype can be freely downloaded from: http://www.skype.com
There are a number of areas within Skype that you should personalise prior to adding any contacts and using Skype as a communications tool.
By personalising Skype you will give your contacts the added confidence that it is you and not someone pretending to be you on Skype. It is also an organisation branding exercise for your stakeholders and allows easier and more powerful communication from Skype to your contact numbers.
The key details you should personalise include adding your name, contact phone numbers, photo/organisation logo, web address, email address, location and language.
The Skype application has 6 toolbar menus that perform most of the powerful functions of Skype. They are “Skype, Contacts, Call, View, Tools, Help”
1. Online Status
Online shows your contacts that you are free to chat, Instant Message and Video Call.
Away shows that you are either away from your computer or have not used Skype for a period of time.
Do Not Disturb shows your contacts that they should not contact you. Any calls and messages will not appear on your screen but will appear in the background.
Invisible is an option if you are logged in but want to appear offline.
Offline as it suggests shows that you are not online.
2. Profile
This is the area that you should personalise prior to using Skype.
3. Privacy
A number of options to stop people from contacting you, how people see you online and what information you share. It is advisable to go through each section and modify it according to your own requirements. Adverts and FaceBook status alerts can also be turned off from this section.
4. Account
This will access your personal Skype account at: http://www.Skype.com
Most of the options give you the flexibility to change the way you view your contacts, including only seeing your contacts who are online.
1.Advanced. Backups and Restoration of contacts. Files used are *.vcf format.
Consists of a number of calling options for audio and video calls.
Testing of Audio and video settings can also be completed from this menu.
1. Conversations and History allows you to see current conversations and historical conversations of up to several years depending on how you have customised your account.
2. Call Phones displays a dial pad to call phones.
3. Directory search the Yellow Pages and allows or local country equivalent.
4. Shop Is the official Skype shop to purchase Skype equipment and Skype credit.
A number of accessories and options are available here:
1. Extras consists of a number of accessories that can make Skype a more powerful business and communications tool, or more for entertainment. Skype tools include fax addons and various other communication tools. Some are free while others are commercially available.
2. Change Language changes the Skype user interface. If your language is not available, you can edit the menus into your preferred language with little technical skill.
3. Options is the same as the 'Privacy' option.
Has several options for assistance. Alternatively you should visit: http://www.Skype.com
All users have a contact called “Skype Test”. This is an automated service that allows you to test your audio and video settings by calling a Skype computer that allows you to record your voice and test various other settings.
If your organisation has Skype installed on the desktop or there is a requirement to transfer Skype calls from one conversation to a contact in your list. This is done by “Adding” a new person to the conversation and then leaving the call to the two people.
There are several methods to synchronise your contacts who use Skype into your Skype address book. Alternatively you can add contacts who do not use Skype but who have phone numbers.
You can add anyone as a Skype contact and they will appear as being offline in your Skype address book until they accept your add. Once they have accepted your Add you will be able to see when they are online, busy, offline and away.
By default Skype can scan your Gmail, FaceBook, Microsoft Outlook and multiple other address books to find contacts who also use Skype.
You can also add contacts manually if you know the email address, Skype name or the person's name.
To add your contacts via the Skype inbuilt method:
- Log in to Skype.
- Select 'Contact'
- 'Import Contacts'
- Select the online service to import contacts from. The “Other” option has many more suggestions other than Gmail, FaceBook and AOL.
To manually select contacts to add to your Skype address book.
- Log in to Skype
- Select 'Contacts'
- 'New Contact'
- Complete your contacts details
- 'Find'
To add a non Skype user as a contact.
- Log in to Skype
- Select 'Contacts'
- 'New Contact'
- Under 'More things you can do', select 'Save a phone number in your Contact List'
- Enter your contact details
- Select 'Save Phone Number'
By default, Skype will change the country flag to the associated country based on the country code of the phone number you add.
Skype allows you to send an SMS (txt) to any mobile phone in the world. The recipient will see a SMS from your registered mobile number. Depending on which country the mobile phone is located in, it could be cheaper than using your own mobile. The same is also true with sending a SMS between the various New Zealand mobile networks.
To send a SMS from Skype you need to register your mobile phone number.
- In Skype go to 'Options'
- Add your mobile number to the SMS Options
- You will receive a verification SMS
- Add your contact and mobile number
- Right click your contact name and select Send SMS
The ability to share your screen while engaged in an audio discussion is only possible in the latest version of Skype. You can choose to share a part of your screen or the whole screen.
At the time of writing it is not possible to share your screen while engaged in a text conversation.
Skype is an ideal communications tool for both local and international meetings. The most obvious use is that of a free telephone conference option. Instead of dialling phone numbers or dialling into a telephone conference facility Skype can be used to call multiple Skype users by ringing one contact then using the “Add Person” option to make a multiple call meeting.
Meetings using the text function can be stored for months, providing an accurate account of what was said and by whom. The same chat can be re-initiated by any of the contributors at any time in the future.
This text feature is ideal for projects and events that require planning over different days and even different time zones.
To initiate a text meeting that is archived:
- Right click on a contact
- Select 'Send IM'
- Select 'Add People' from the top menu
- Add other contacts
An online number is a phone number that is purchasable via Skype and can be forwarded to any Skype account or phone number.
Online numbers can be registered for many countries and New Zealand regions, then used in New Zealand or any other country. The online number works exactly the same as any phone number but has much more flexibility and portability than a phone number as it can be used anywhere in the world from any physical device that accepts phone calls or has Skype installed. An online number is also a cheaper alternative than a fixed landline number from a telco.
By registering an online number for your residential city, you can travel the world or the country and allow your stakeholders and family to keep in contact with you without toll calls by using a local online number.
People will ring the number from a physical phone and you can answer it via Skype.
If your organisation has multiple people using Skype with online numbers or with only Skype usernames you can transfer calls from Skype to another Skype account.
While in a Skype call use the Add Person to add the new person to the call and then hang up. This is the same as transferring a call on a complex and expensive phone system.
No matter what country in the world you are in, you can call any worldwide toll free phone number at no charge with Skype.
This option makes calling international support phone numbers free and easy depending on the time zone of the toll free country.
If you require the phone number or time zone of your contacts, web address or any opther information your contacts want to share on Skype you can do so by:
- Right click on their name in your Address book
- Select 'View Profile'.
Details that you can view include:
Skype Name
Birthday
Age
Language spoken
Number of contacts
Location
Gender
Local Time Zone
Skype is a free iPhone application that can be downloaded from the iTunes store. Once installed, sign in to your Skype account to view all of your contacts and settings.
Skype Business Manager/ Skype Control Panel
Formerly called Skype Control Panel. If you previously accessed your control panel you will need to log in with the same details but to the Business manager which is a more comprehensive tool for organisations.
Skype Business manager is a management tool for multiple Skype accounts enabling you monitor and manage online numbers, credit balances and people's access to various Skype accounts.
A Business account allows a person in your organisation with financial authority to apply credit to your organisation account and then allocate the credit to specific people.
Online numbers can also be managed from the Business Manager. One online number can be allocated to a person or a physical phone number and changed at any time depending on that person or your organisation's requirements.
An example of moving an online number is if a staff member is leaving for an overseas trip and will not be able to answer the online number. The Skype Business Manager person can move the phone number to a new person to answer the calls. Or perhaps the same staff member would like to be able to answer calls to that number after a period of time - this is achieved by moving the number to another staff member then allocating it back at the specified time.
It is recommended that you set up a new Skype account that is exclusively for managing and administering the Skype Business Manager.
Creating a new Skype account and Business Manager account can be completed from the URL above.
You should create new accounts for staff from within Skype Manager as opposed to importing other accounts.
- Sign in to Skype Manager with your Skype details
- Go to the 'Members' section.
- Click 'Add members'. Only add business users and not personal accounts as the personal accounts will lose their ownership.
- Click 'Create Accounts'
- The members are added to your Skype Manager, and will appear in the Members list.
Often with limited budgets organisations are required to move credit around between active and non-active accounts to ensure that all credit in the organisation is used before purchasing more credit.
To move credit:
- Sign in to Skype Manager.
- Click 'Features' in the toolbar. The Credit allocations page is displayed. This page contains a list of all members. Alongside each member is their Skype Credit balance and their Auto-recharge status.
- Check the box next to the member(s) whose credit allocation you wish to take back.
- In the 'Add credit' tab, click 'Take back credit'.
- Confirm that you wish to take back the credit by clicking 'Take back credit'.
As with any technology, it is important for organisations to see how the technology is being applied and for what purposes. To monitor Skype accounts:
- Sign in to Skype Manager
- go to the 'Reports' section.
- In the 'Usage' tab click 'I want to access the reports'.
- Enter the name of the member you want to view detailed activity reports for.
- A report on the member’s Skype Credit usage for the specified month is displayed.
- Sign in to Skype Manager
- Click 'Features' in the toolbar.
- In the Features menu on the left, click 'Online Numbers'.
- The Online Numbers for your members are displayed.
- Tick the box next to the members to whom you wish to allocate Online Numbers.
- Click 'Assign Online Numbers'.
- Specify the country of the Online Number you would like and click 'Continue'.
- Choose the area codes to use for your Online Numbers and specify how you would like to be billed and click 'Buy now'.
If your organisation has a website and has a Skype account that you would like your stakeholders to contact you through, adding a Skype button to your site (usually on your Contacts page) that rings your Skype account is as simple as choosing code from the Skype website and adding it to your own site. Very little technical knowledge is required.
The code can be sourced from: http://www.skype.com/share/buttons/
It is recommended that you allow people to add you as a contact so that your stakeholders are able to contact you with ease again in the future. Your organisation should be prepared to reply to both phone and video calls as well as Instant Messengers.
Skype is distributed by default with a number of pre-set languages to choose from or the ability to translate your own Skype interface without any technical knowledge.
To change your language in Skype:
- Click 'Tools'
- 'Change Language'
- Select your language
To translate the current menu items from your current Skype language setting:
- Click 'Tools'
- 'Change Language'
- 'Edit Skype Language File'
Double click on the Skype menu item that you would like to translate into your own language.
This will produce the window as below where you can type your own translation. Skype will recognise most languages as it uses the international character set referred to as UTF-8.
If you have already translated Skype into your own language Skype will ask you to save the file. Ensure that the file is saved to a location you can remember. It is also advisable to make a backup of the file.
The file can then be copied and distributed to other groups and individuals who can then also install your language file.
To install a customised language file:
- Click 'Tools'
- 'Change Language'
- 'Load Language File'
- Select the relevant file to install.
Skype can be interchanged between languages with no technical issues.