SMS to Skype
By Peter Rojas 
posted February 4th 2005 12:20PM
posted February 4th 2005 12:20PM
It's technically still in beta, but Connectotel is showing off a new service called SMS to Skype that lets you send
free text messages to anyone using Skype's Voice over IP service. It feels a bit jury-rigged—anybody who wants to
receive text messages has to add the Skypename "smsgateway" to their Skype contacts list before you can send anything
to them—but we are definitely hyped on how Skype is blurring more and more with the rest of the phone system. They're
adding voicemail soon, and SkypeIn, which will add the
ability to receive calls from the regular telephone network, is on the way, too.
[Via TRFJ]
I can wait to see whether Skype's model migrates into the business space. They've got great mindshare among the consumer early adopters. But their future survival will depend on whether or not they can convince normally-conservative IT decision makers that their service can stand up to the rigors of a more commercialized application.
I'm still not convinced, but hope the model pioneered by Skype makes inroads beyond the largely fluff-based consumer market that also covets iPod Shuffles and fancy cell phones.
Oops, I wasn't finished...
Essentially, either Skype figures out how to move beyond its current market, or it is doomed. Thoughts?
Carmi Levy
http://writteninc.blogspot.com
I...shall.....have..............this......
If it works.
Now, I use SMS quite a bit, so I know the keys. And granted, this service is only incoming, it would seem. But isn't it eventually going to be a problem that the handsets shown in the photo don't have the letters on the keys?
Seems like a less functional version of mobile AIM. Seeing that at least one person will need the PC client, might as well set up an AIM account and have two-way communication.
I opened an account about three weeks ago. I currently have about 19 dollars in the account. On Feb 4, I got a message saying the password was incorrect. I was then instructed to open a new account with a new user name and password. The old account won't open and apparently the credit in the old account did not transfer to the new account, because I am unable to use the new account. Please advice by e-mail how to rectify this problem.
It's not working anymore :( It seems that Skype and Connectotel ended the beta phase of this service, as they say at http://freesmsrants.blogspot.com/