Full Skype Call Transfer Arrives on the Scene
And demystifying North Americans' need for SkypePro
With the launch of Skype 3.5 beta yesterday, Skype beta users are introduced to the ability to perform Call Transfer within the Skype client. Don "ZOverLord" Kennedy has written an excellent summary of how Call Transfer works; he has also provided his own "free-for-non-commercial-use" Skype Call Transfer Example utility which can also be obtained as a Skype Extra. (Call Transfer is also available as a feature within Pamela 3.5.)
Call Transfer from Skype Name to Skype Name is free. However, Call Transfer for Skype Name to SkypeOut or for SkypeIn to SkypeOut require that you purchase Skype Pro -- as a complement to SkypeOut offerings either on a per minute basis or via Skype's North American Unlimited Calling Plan -- at $3.00 per month. The amount is simply deducted monthly from your Skype Credits balance. The good news is that a 12 month SkypeIn subscription is reduced from $60 to $30 if you are a Skype Pro subscriber and Skype Voice Mail is included as a Skype Pro subscriber.
In addition, as a Skype Pro subscriber, you are eligible to have a Skype-To-Go number. This recently announced service allows you to obtain a local number for calling a remote Skype user such that you can call that friend, wherever s/he is worldwide at their designated phone number. There are two costs associated with a Skype To Go call: (i) the local carrier charge for use of your phone to the "local" number and (ii) the Skype calling rate to the remote number. Skype To Go is limited to one number worldwide per Skype user. An added benefit -- you can call that "local" Skype To Go number from either a mobile or landline phone.
With your Skype To Go number, you can call your friend from any phone, anytime you want. You can also store your Skype To Go number on your mobile phone and talk to that special friend no matter where you happen to be.
And, returning to Call Transfer, note that within the Skype 3.5 client you can make a Call Transfer to a single destination. However, as demonstrated in Don's SCTE program, the API set is such that:
The above Call Transfer example program also has an automatic transfer check box, so that you do not need to manually transfer the call. Also the Box that says “Or Enter One Skype name or Phone #” now supports multiple Skype names and/or phone numbers, separated by a comma, so that you can do Group Call Transfers using any combinations of Skype names and phone numbers separated by a comma.
This Call Transfer functionality has been long awaited by many of Skype's (prospective) Partners, such as OnState and partners considering implementation of Skype for Salesforce.com (written for Skype by Pamela), who needed this functionality to make market disruptive service offerings. How much disruption? I have spoken to several partners who are about to come out with offerings that will eliminate the need for any PBX in a small office; in some cases (such as I overheard today at an eBay Live booth) we are talking six figure numbers.
Powered by Qumana
