September 2009

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business has now been certified as interoperable with Skype for SIP.

If your organisation is already running a Cisco UC500, you can save money by directing your outbound calls to mobiles and landlines via Skype, and also receive inbound calls to your SIP-enabled PBX from Skype users.

We’re on a roll with the Skype for SIP beta programme, which has already announced interoperability with ShoreTel's unified communications (UC) system, SIPfoundry's sipXecs open source enterprise IP PBX unified communications solution and Nortel's Software Communication System (SCS). This is part of our effort to ensure that small and mid-sized businesses already running an IP PBX from one of the leading manufacturers can integrate Skype for SIP into their present communications solution.

For more information on Skype for SIP and to sign up for the Skype for SIP beta, please visit our business website. There's also a short video explaining how businesses can use Skype for SIP.

SIPfoundry's sipXecs open source enterprise IP PBX unified communications (UC) solution has now been certified as interoperable with Skype for SIP.

If your organisation is running a sipXecs IP PBX, you can save money by directing your outbound calls to mobiles and landlines via Skype, and also receive inbound calls to your SIP-enabled PBX from Skype users.

For more information on Skype for SIP and to sign up for the Skype for SIP beta, please visit our business website. There's also a short video explaining how businesses can use Skype for SIP.

This morning, Skype announced that ShoreTel has become the first OEM to secure interoperability between its Unified Communications (UC) system and Skype for SIP. This will allow roughly 11,000 Shoretel SIP enabled systems to register to try Skype for SIP in beta and to connect their UC system directly to Skype.

Skype for SIP allows businesses which have a SIP-enabled PBX to:

• Receive and manage inbound calls from more than 400 million registered Skype users worldwide at no additional cost to the Skype user through their existing PBX
• Also, when a business with the ShoreTel system places a Skype click-to-call button on their website, Skype users will be able to call that business directly for free
• Businesses may also complement their existing communications services and leverage Skype's very low rates by placing outbound calls to landlines and mobile phones worldwide via Skype for SIP
• Separately, businesses will be able to purchase Skype online numbers (aka SkypeIn) to enable callers to contact them from landlines and mobile phones. Skype online numbers are available in over 25 countries around the world
• ShoreTel users still enjoy the benefits of their ShoreTel UC system, including the use of the Call Manager application

For more information on Skype for SIP and to sign up for the Skype for SIP beta, please visit www.skypeforsip.com. There's also a short video explaining how businesses can use Skype for SIP.

A few weeks ago, we announced the results of the Skype for Business Competition. Each week, we're sharing one of the winners stories about how they are saving time, saving money and staying ahead by using Skype in their businesses.

Here's a detailed case study about HyperOffice, the first place winner in the Americas:

When a new business prospect calls from the Middle East with a poor cell phone connection, how can a salesperson get a clear line into this initial make-or-break discussion? If they work for HyperOffice, they immediately invite the potential client to call via Skype.

Recently, a business executive development and assessment company based in the United Arab Emirates called HyperOffice because they needed a better way to share client files. After initial talking over a spotty mobile connection, HyperOffice's global sales team connected with the potential client on a Skype call to learn their key requirements. In the next two weeks, the sales team demonstrated to the company how their "Software-as-a-Service" software tools could help the business with everything from document sharing, online project collaboration, and corporate-wide communications.

"Skype helped us win a significant contract with this UAE-based client because we were able respond quickly to questions via Skype instant messaging and free Skype calls while minimizing our out of pocket investment in high-cost, international phone calls," said Shahab Kaviani, vice president, HyperOffice. "We use Skype in our international outbound marketing, which has helped us increase our worldwide business significantly this year. We expect international sales to grow to about 20 percent of our revenue in 2009, up from five percent in 2007 -- a three hundred percent increase in just two years."

HyperOffice has found Skype ideal to engage with potential clients. "In our e-mail marketing, we embed a SkypeMe icon. Our prospects receive an e-mail campaign and within minutes we have people who we never spoke to before clicking to Skype chat or call with our Internet sales department," said Kaviani.

Small companies and workgroups turn to HyperOffice for cloud computing software tools including turnkey intranet, collaboration software and business e-mail services. For a minimal monthly charge, HyperOffice creates a secure online workspace customized to match the client's look and feel. This makes it easier for growing businesses to collaborate, communicate, manage projects, share documents, schedule meetings and tasks, and manage information, anytime, from work, from home, while traveling, using any Internet connection.

Recently, a London-based public relations firm needed a client portal to seamlessly coordinate all of its project management activities. While the firm was also looking at a local London-area IT outsourcing company, they selected HyperOffice due to its responsive team.

"As we guided the PR firm through our 30-day software trial, our team addressed their questions quickly via Skype instant messaging. With just a simple glance, they always knew who was online and available because of our Skype presence and status updates. Not only did this save them time, but also it and helped us win the business," noted Kaviani. "Now, the firm is able to have individually branded client workspaces where the latest versions of press releases, brochures, timelines and more are hosted in an easy-to-find, efficient manner."

As a company, HyperOffice relies on Skype to keep its own employees connected. While many are in the company's Rockville, Maryland offices, others are scattered across the U.S. and around the world in Buenos Aires, India and the Middle East.

"We hold regular Skype conference calls and find it makes sharing links much easier with the combined instant messaging and file sharing," said Kaviani. "Since some of our team members use English as a second language, they can contribute more to the calls through instant messaging. In addition, we use instant messaging all day long for quick discussions instead of relying on e-mail."

Overall, HyperOffice has increased sales with Skype. "While we have made many improvements to HyperOffice, I would say Skype was in the top three technology investments made in the last 18 months that helped us grow our sales," concluded Kaviani.

Here's a short video demonstrating how HyperOffice integrated Skype click-to-call into their offering:

Businesses around the world can take advantage of Skype’s low-cost calling to landlines and mobile phones and free calling to more than 400 million registered Skype users around the world using Skype for Asterisk.

If you already use an Asterisk-based phone system, you can add Skype as a complementary form of communications by downloading Skype for Asterisk, without additional costly hardware. If you’re an existing Skype user, you can benefit from the advanced call features of Asterisk, including call transfer, interactive voice response, automated call distribution, flexible call-routing and much more.

In addition, with Skype for Asterisk you can:

• Manage corporate Skype accounts with the Business Control Panel
• Get low Skype global rates on outbound calls and make it easy for customers to reach you with local Skype online numbers
• Route calls according to Skype profile fields, online status and privacy settings
• Streamline customer contact by allowing your website visitors to make free Skype calls directly to your business with global click-to-call buttons

What you need

Skype for Asterisk is compatible with:

• Asterisk 1.4
• Asterisk 1.6
• AsteriskNOW™
• Asterisk Business Edition™

and supports both G.711 and G.729a calling.

How to get it

Skype for Asterisk is available to download now from Digium for $66 USD per concurrent call or from Digium Authorized Resellers and Distributors worldwide, and comes with 90 days of installation support from the time of purchase. No additional hardware is needed.