Software Research |
Skype is freeware that allows users to make telephone calls to other users of the service, and to free-of-charge numbers; calls to landlines and mobile phones are made for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging file transfer, and video conferencing.
Skype was founded in 2003 in little Tallinn, Estonia, and is now available in 28 languages, and is used in almost every country around the world. Recently Skype reached new popularity in 2008 with its release for the Sony PSP hand-held gaming system, and obtaining the new video chat “Ask the Expert lifeline” segment from Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. So even with the introduction of full-service VoIP providers like Vonage, we think Skype is still a strong contender in the Internet Telephony category.