Say Good-bye To 2006 - And To SkypeOut Free Calls

End Of Service Announcement: Free SkypeOut calls to US and Canadian phones ends December 31, 2006.

Well, it was nice while it lasted. Skype, the world leader in online telephony is about to close the door on their VERY popular promotion - Free SkypeOut calls in North America. So, if you’ve been putting off making those holiday greeting calls or best of the New Year calls to friends, family and colleagues, you better start budgeting your time over the next few days. When you finish doing your count-down on December 31st, you’ll be also counting down the seconds left to make those calls.

If you are not familiar with Skype, or didn’t even know they HAD this promotion, not to worry. Skype has one more little trick up their sleeve to keep you in their corner. While regular SkypeOut calls will be charged at US $.021/minute, you can still take advantage of their NEW promotion of unlimited North American calling - for US $14.95 for the year (US $29.95 after Jan. 31st). Not quite as attractive as free, but no doubt will still attract a large number of subscribers.

For those still scratching their heads over this with the predictable “I thought Skype was ALL FREE?!”, let’s be clear about the services. Calls between computers with the Skype software, a Skype account and a headset (or other equipment) are still FREE. So is video conferencing, text chat, and a plethora of other services you are now able to plug into the software. The catch is calling a REGULAR (i.e., non-computer) landline or cell phone FROM Skype. This bridge requires some sort of money or credits, which in the Skype world is called SkypeOut. My own personal experience with the service has been it is OK. One use I have had for this feature is to CALL FORWARD people trying to connect with my regular cell phone. Since my number is North American, this transfer WAS free, but now will require individual credits or the unlimited plan.

When eBay purchased Skype for the phenomenal amount of US $2.6 billion in September 2005, they weren’t fooling around. And as we begin to see their attempts at monetizing the service more and more, they’re certainly proving they weren’t stupid either. Enjoy!

This article was written exclusively for Profy.com by Technology Evangelist, Presenter and Consultant Robert Sanzalone.