So, San Jose State University won't be banning Skype after all. Quite right, too. Skype has huge potential value as a long-distance education and research tool – and, of course, it's extremely cheap.

Remember Dr Doug Yu? Skype has transformed his working life down in the Peruvian rainforest, where he works with a group of native Americans called the Matsigenka. Thanks to Skype, Doug and the team can maintain a “virtual lab group,” working remotely with each other whether they're in Brazil, Germany, Peru or China.

Skype has appeased San Jose by enabling a firewall-friendly version of the software that, for example, can have its file transfer feature switched off. Not ideal for students wanting to trade research notes, but better than nothing. Perhaps now more universities will start to recognise Skype's power for enhancing their role as educators and centres of research – not to mention its capacity for saving them a few quid.