Using Skype? 5 reasons to switch to business VoIP

Skype is a communication service that changed online communication. It was launched in 2003, and has since been acquired by eBay and Microsoft in turn. In 2013, Skype announced that it had 300 million users.

Skype is certainly very established, but for many businesses, it may not be the best internet phone service. It gained a massive foothold because it was first, and free, but many business VoIP services are better, despite being technically very similar.

1. Adverts

Most of us are used to seeing adverts while we browse, but ads in a work call are another matter. Skype’s conversation ads appear if you use the Windows client to place an audio call, and you don’t have any credit or a subscription. In a professional setting, these ads are unhelpful.

While you pay for features on a VoIP service, the cost is minimal, and this guarantees you an ad-free experience that will never distract or confuse your team.

2. Security

Skype has been subject to all kinds of security problems, from leaking sensitive personal data through to sending messages to people who have been deleted. Ars Technica even detected Microsoft staff visiting links it sent in chats.

The new Skype platform is cloud-based and has been improved, but people are still getting random friend requests and calls from scammers. And it is theoretically easier to intercept calls, so there’s still a question mark over end to end encryption.

3. Features

Skype’s features are useful on a basic level, and are great for personal use. But they do not compare to a hosted PBX, and they are no substitute for a proper business telephone service.

Skype can forward calls to a landline, but that’s about it: there’s no PBX, and no call handling features. There’s no queuing, and no ability to create menu options, and you can’t transfer calls to other users. You can’t change forwarding according to the time of day automatically, and Skype’s voicemail features are pretty basic.

Business VoIP offers you far more options: see here for details of what Sipcentric gives you for free.

4. Apps

If you use Skype, you have to use Skype apps. Previously, there were limited ways to connect using third party software, but this has changed since Skype moved to the cloud.

With VoIP, you can use a wide variety of apps from many different vendors, as well as a broad range of hardware. Developers can also create their own integrations, pulling Sipcentric call records and other data into their other applications.

5. Cost

VoIP is usually free when both recipient and caller are using the same service. That’s true for business VoIP and Skype. When you cross from a VoIP network to a traditional telephone network, costs start to creep in.

Skype has a range of different price plans, charges and subscriptions, which can make it quite confusing to adopt. When you have multiple users with different needs, it becomes very difficult to manage or control your spend.

With VoIP, the basic service is free and you just pay for the features you need. It’s much easier to control costs, and you can manage costs from one central location.

Make the switch

If you already have a Skype In number, you may be able to port it seamlessly to your new internet phone service and enjoy simpler management, better features and a more flexible approach to VoIP. Speak to us about switching your VoIP provider today.