• In May, 2006 Skype announced free SkypeOut for all calls to the PSTN originating and terminating within United States and Canada. At the time they announced that this offering would end December 31, 2006.
  
• In December, 2006, Skype announced for 2007 their Skype Unlimited North America plan whereby for US$29.95 (C$34.95) U.S. and Canadian Skypers could have unlimited calling to the PSTN, again for 12 months of calls originating and terminating within U.S. and Canada. This plan again was to last to December 31, 2007 but with a review to consider what to offer in 2008. As an inducement to sign up early, all those who subscribed prior to January 31, 2007 received a 50% discount. The biggest shock at this point was having users realize they got one year, not one month, of unlimited calling for such a low price.
  
• In January, 2007 Skype announced Connection Fees - a per call fee for making a connection, based on country of call origination. This fee amounts to 3.9 cents for call originating in United States and 5.9 cents for call originating in Canada (who said there was no telecomm monopoly in Canada?). However, the Connection Fee did not apply for calls made under the Skype North America plan; as a result this change was masked from Unlimited North America subscribers unless you made calls outside North America. At the same time they announced a new Skype Pro offering for Skypers in certain European countries, involving fixed monthly cost for calls to landline phones within the home country.
  
• In August, 2007, with the release of Skype 3.5 that introduced Call Transfer (free for Skype-to-Skype call transfers), Skype announced Skype Pro for North America with the following features, for $3.00 per month - deducted monthly from your Skype Credits:

• Skype Call Transfer for SkypeIn to Skype/SkypeOut
• Skype Call Transfer for Skype to SkypeOut
• 50% reduction for annual SkypeIn number
• Free voice mail

• In December, with no press announcement, Skype consolidated Skype's Unlimited North America plan into Skype Pro such that there is again one offering for U.S. and Canadian Skypers involving, for $3.00 per month deducted from your Skype Credits:

• Unlimited calling to both landline and mobile phones where the call both originates and terminates within U.S. and Canada
• When traveling in any of 28 countries (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, etc.) free landline calls within the country you are visiting
• A fair use policy applies to both the above features
• Call transfer: SkypeIn to Skype/SkypeOut and Skype to SkypeOut
• 60% reduction on annual SkypeIn fee for an online number
• Voice Mail
• Skype-To-Go for up to six (overseas) speed dials; connection fee applies

If you subscribed to Unlimited North America during 2007 you subscription will continue to run until the expiry date. So my friend whom I helped subscribe to Unlimited North America last November can use that plan until November, 2008. Three weeks before my UNA plan expired January 8, 2008 (extended one week due to the Skype outage) I received an email from Skype alerting me to the changes outlined above.

As a result, for effectively the same price charged for Skype Unlimited North America, Skype Pro provides additional features such as free Call Transfer for connections from/to the PSTN, SkypeIn discount and free calls within a visited country while traveling. The other difference is that Skype Pro fees are deducted monthly from Skype Credits rather than paying a one-time annual subscription fee.

So while U.S. and Canadian Skypers receive additional benefits for effectively the same price with this transition, it would have behooved Skype to make some form of press release at the time. Currently I am encountering a few instances of customer confusion (and unnecessary distress) during this one year transition period. One of the challenges and achievement benchmarks for new CEO Josh Silverman will be to introduce marketing communications 101 processes into the business operations of Skype.

Tags: Skype, SkypePro, Skype Unlimited North America, Skype Connection Fees, Skype Call Transfer, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Marketing, Skype CEO, Josh Silverman

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