pintiniblog

7 things you should know about Skype (Educause):

"Skype is an application that turns a personal computer into a telephone. Skype uses voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology, which converts voice signals into data streams that are sent over the Internet and converted back to audio by the recipient’s computer. Although Skype is not the only company that offers VoIP services for consumers, it functions on a P2P model rather than as a centralized application. With the P2P model, users download a piece of software that allows computers to communicate directly with one another, without having to be routed through a central location. This decentralized model allows Skype to function as a robust, distributed medium for communication. The service allows communication between Skype-equipped devices, which is free, or between a Skype device and a conventional telephone for relatively modest fees. Skype offers features such as voicemail and call forwarding, and the service also now supports video communication."