Skype tossed their new version 1.4 for Windows into the VoIP on Thursday. The newest version offers some keen new features for the Internet communications firm and should push the envelope further for competitors as well as make eBay stockholders grin slightly.
The new feature that will grab people’s attention will certainly be the WiFi aspect. Something David Utter picked up on in his initial story last night:
The new Skype for Windows Version 1.4, which was first available in beta in August, incorporates two new premium services requested by Skype callers, and fortifies Skype’s role as a preferred complement to ordinary cell phones and landlines. It builds on Skype’s already extensive product offering which allows people to instant message, set up group chats, make conference calls, transfer files, send and receive voicemails, call and be called from a traditional phone system, and access Skype over Wi-Fi for extremely low rates.
Skype is also adding Call Forwarding, a service common to most callers these days that allows incoming calls to be forwarded to another Skype name or up to three landline or mobile numbers. Skype numbers are free, traditional numbers will be forwarded at “low SkypeOut rates.” The problem with this one is while most traditional carriers have a flat fee for call forwarding, Skype, by the nature of its statement, will have to be a per call charge.
The other upgrade, which has also been around for a while in t he mobile market, is a personalization feature called Personalize Skype. It allows users to pick their ringtones, other sounds and images for their VoIP service.
“Skype pioneered free Internet phone calls, and even with more than 56 million people already registered, we’ve recently seen our growth accelerate to over 170,000 new registrations a day,” said Niklas Zennstrm, CEO and Co-founder of Skype. “We are passionate about really understanding what motivates people to want to make Internet communications a part of their everyday lives, and listening to our callers about what they want from Skype allows us to stay ahead of the game.”
“Today, we are thrilled to be delivering on this promise by offering a new version of Skype which both new and existing callers will find adds powerful and innovative new features like call forwarding and personalisation, as well as offering our best ever sound quality on our simplest product to install and use.”
Some other addons include pulling from the Outlook personal contact list into your buddy list and access to Skype’s directories. Skype also has tool bars to plug into IE and Outlook as well.
Lots to think about in their announcement but the most significant part is the WiFi aspect. WiFi VoIP could potentially cut through much of the mobile market just like the plan to cut through the land line market. I’m just waiting for the electricity to go out.
John Stith is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
