Things move very quickly these days, especially in the technology industry.
No sooner had I posted commentary yesterday about more developments at Skype including SkypeIn – the new pay-for service from Skype, where you can get a phone number and people can call you, expected to be launched soon – than a tip-off from a friend in Canada last night alerted me to the fact that the service is now available as a beta.
So I logged in to my account at the Skype website, and sure enough – there was a note on my screen about the new SkypeIn service (you don’t see this option unless you log in to your account). It asked me if I’d like to purchase a number. You can choose a number in the US, France, the UK and Hong Kong. Of course, you don’t have to be in any of those countries.
So I purchased a number, a UK one, which cost €30 for a 12-months subscription. You can also buy a 3-month subscription for €10. And you have an option to pay by PayPal instead of by credit card if you prefer.
Now, anyone can call me at my SkypeIn number from a normal phone (or via SkypeOut, for that matter). What’s more, the SkypeIn number includes a free subscription to Skype Voicemail which has been in beta test for the past few months.
See the detailed knowledgebase FAQ on the Skype website for more information.