Item: Skype
Rating: 9
Author: Shawngela Pierce

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Skype mostly for online video consultations with my clients. Skype is a great tool to have and use because it helps me to contact my clients for free—even my clients who are in another country. I can use it to chat with them, video calls or just use it to call them without the video.

Pros and Cons

Skype does video calls very well. The connection is usually good and the video quality is good.
The app for Skype on my iPad Pro is pretty awesome. I hardly ever use Skype on my computer because it has all the features I need.
I like that Skype is free for what I need. I have never needed to purchase Skype credits because I don't need to use voice mail, send SMS texts or make calls to a landline, cell or outside of Skype.

Honestly, I wish Skype was integrated more into the other apps I use. Although I do use Skype a lot, I prefer to use Google Meets because I automatically get a conference link when I add a meeting to my calendar. This just makes it easier for me.
Other than the above, I think Skype does a really good job - so good that most people mention Skype when I offer to do a video chat.

Return on Investment

Since Skype is free for the features that I need, it has definitely had a positive ROI.
Skype is very useful to have as a tool, especially when I have trouble using Google Meets or a client prefers to use it.

Alternatives Considered

Skype is very robust and is very comparable to Google Meets. The only problem is the integration with the Google calendar on my Mac. I do not have the integration so it makes it far more convenient to use Google Meets. Having said this, I still heavily rely on Skype for many of my clients.

Support Rating

Skype has excellent customer support. Their documentation is very thorough so most of the time you don't even need to contact anyone. The turnaround time is very quick when you do though.

Key Insights

Do you think Skype delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Skype's feature set?

Yes

Did Skype live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Skype go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Skype again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

Skype is definitely suitable for businesses that need to meet in a virtual environment. It is free if the other person is using Skype. I have never done the group calls but I could definitely see this as being beneficial for companies that have employees in different areas. Using Skype for that scenario would be very cost-effective.

Skype is an excellent tool for online video conferencing!

Overall Satisfaction with Skype