Revolutionizing the long distance phone service landscape, Skype sets conversations free by providing new and easy ways to stay in touch over the internet. Millions of people every day make free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls and send instant messages using Skype software.

Put simply, Skype is a popular software program that allows users to make telephone calls from their personal computer to other Skype users free of charge, or to cell phones and landlines for a small fee, which makes it an attractive option for socializing, telecommuting, and in work environments.

The company generates revenue through its premium offerings such as SkypeIn, SkypeOut, and Skype To Go. The most basic Skype application is free of charge and allows users to call other people on Skype, transfer Skype calls to other Skype contacts, make video calls on Skype, participate in one-to-one and group chats, set-up conference calls with up to nine people, and forward calls to other Skype users.

Meanwhile, the SkypeIn premium feature gives users a personal telephone number that allows them to receive phone calls on Skype from anyone, anywhere in the world, from any ordinary phone line.

On the flipside, the SkypeOut feature allows users to call any phone, anywhere in the world, freeing them from expensive long distance and international charges. For $29.95, users can make unlimited calls to any phone within the United States and Canada for one year, while international rates will set users back 2.1¢ per minute with a connection fee of 3.9¢ charged for each call.

Skype To Go is an attractive option for those individuals who make a significant amount of international calls from a cell phone, as it allows calls to be made at the previously mentioned SkypeOut rates and does so by assigning a local Skype To Go number to an international phone number. When a user dials the local Skype To Go number, it’ll automatically connect to the international number.

Whether using it for business, pleasure, or a little bit of both, Skype is undoubtedly changing the ways in which people across the globe communicate with one another. For its cost effectiveness and convenience factors, it’s worth the few minutes to go online (www.skype.com) and download just to see for yourself what all the hype is about.