SkypeIn

A. Summary:

With SkypeIn you can get calls on your Skype computer software from users who are not connected to the Internet. You can also get a local phone number with SkypeIn in at least 14 different countries if you have a lot of local callers in a particular country. Or SkypeIn will allow you to take one telephone number with you wherever you travel. You will need to set up an account with Skype to use SkypeIn.

B. Key Points:

· SkypeIn will allow you to get calls into your Skype from people who are not connected to the Internet

· SkypeIn will allow you to have local phone numbers in up to 10 different places in at least 14 different countries

· You can keep the same SkypeIn “phone” number wherever you travel

· You will need to set up an account with Skype to use SkypeIn

· SkypeIn will give you voicemail with your subscription

· Link to Star Point on SkypeOut

· For corrections, updates, or clarifications on this Star Point, please email ewallace@afsc.org

C. Details:

SkypeIn will allow you to get calls into your Skype software from people who have no Internet connection or who are not at their computer. These calls will be less expensive than regular landline phone calls.

You can get up to 10 SkypeIn numbers in total from the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia or Japan. More numbers will be available from other countries in the future. If your SkypeIn number is in the United States and your caller is from another country, they will pay for the international nature of the call. If you have contacts in many places, you can get up to 10 SkypeIn numbers in different locations and save them the cost of an international call.

SkypeIn will allow your callers from regular phones to leave you a voicemail message.

Warning: SkypeIn is currently in beta testing. That means they have not worked all the bugs out of it and it should have added features in the final version.

Once you have a Skype account (see the paragraph Charges for SkypeOut in the Star Point SkypeOut) you will next pick the country (or countries) in which you want to have a SkypeIn telephone number. Currently these are your choices:

Numbers in the United States will be selected based on a telephone area code. There are many numbers available in most states.

SkypeIn Pricing

SkypeIn numbers are sold on a subscription basis: a 12-month subscription is 30 Euros; a 3-month subscription is 10 Euros. You will get voicemail free with this subscription.

The SkypeIn number is a regular phone number so any charges that might regularly apply from calling a number in that location still apply. For example, if you have a SkypeIn number in New York and a friend living in New York calls your SkypeIn number from a regular landline, they will not be charged anything. But if a friend in Los Angeles calls your New York number they will get charged the long-distance fees that they would normally get charged for an LA to New York call..

Voicemail Service

SkypeIn comes with a voicemail service that is currently free once you have paid for your SkypeIn subscription. Your Skype Voicemail screen will look like this:

With SkypeIn Voicemail you can record messages and send them to your contacts without disturbing them. You can pick up messages when you’re away or busy on another call, and you can keep the messages for as long as you like. You don’t have to be online for someone to leave a message.