Skype to roll out five-way video calling next week, remote partying to surge
By Joanna Stern 
posted May 5th 2010 10:39AM
posted May 5th 2010 10:39AM
Call Your Friends and Family Anywhere in the World For Less
Skype introduces new monthly calling subscriptions to 170 countries
LUXEMBOURG - May 5, 2010 - People can now call landline and mobile phones worldwide more simply and affordably than ever before, thanks to the new monthly calling subscriptions offered by Skype.
Starting tomorrow, Skype is rolling out calling plans to more than 170 countries that provide customers with a savings of up to 60 percent compared to Skype's standard Pay As You Go rates.
Customers will also have more choice with subscription plans available in 60-minute to unlimited packages, and the ability to buy 1-month, 3-month and 12-month calling subscriptions.
Skype's range of subscriptions start from as little as €0.89* ($1.09/£.69) per month and offer effective rates as low as €0.01 ($.01/£.01) per minute to almost any destination around the globe.
With the new subscriptions, Skype users have the flexibility to customize their calling plans in just three easy steps:
1. Select the countries you want to call
2. Decide whether you want to call mobile phones, landlines or both
3. Choose the plan that best suits your needs from 1-month to 12-months or 60 minutes to unlimited
"Skype's new monthly subscriptions lower the cost of international calling and make it simple to choose the plan that best meets your needs," said Neil Stevens, General Manager of Skype's Consumer Business Unit. "People around the world can now have the simplicity and flexibility to call almost any phone in the world for less."
Skype is well known for providing free voice and video calling for users around the world. Since October of 2005, the company has also offered low-cost options for Skype users who want to call landline or mobile phone numbers. Calling through Skype now accounts for 12 percent of the world's international calls according to TeleGeography Research.
Skype users can continue to call mobile phones and landlines globally without subscriptions by purchasing Skype Credit and using the Pay As You Go option. Skype will also continue to offer its popular unlimited world monthly subscriptions.
For full details on Skype's calling subscriptions, visit: www.skype.com/go/subscriptions.
Fair usage policy applies. Excludes service special, premium and non-geographic numbers.
*.€1.02, $1.25, £0.79, including VAT where applicable
About Skype
Skype is software that enables the world's conversations. Millions of individuals and businesses use Skype to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages and share files with other Skype users. Everyday, people everywhere also use Skype to make low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles.
Download Skype to your computer or mobile phone at skype.com.
Access to a broadband Internet connection is required. Skype is not a replacement for your traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling.
Skype, associated trademarks and logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
Skype introduces new monthly calling subscriptions to 170 countries
LUXEMBOURG - May 5, 2010 - People can now call landline and mobile phones worldwide more simply and affordably than ever before, thanks to the new monthly calling subscriptions offered by Skype.
Starting tomorrow, Skype is rolling out calling plans to more than 170 countries that provide customers with a savings of up to 60 percent compared to Skype's standard Pay As You Go rates.
Customers will also have more choice with subscription plans available in 60-minute to unlimited packages, and the ability to buy 1-month, 3-month and 12-month calling subscriptions.
Skype's range of subscriptions start from as little as €0.89* ($1.09/£.69) per month and offer effective rates as low as €0.01 ($.01/£.01) per minute to almost any destination around the globe.
With the new subscriptions, Skype users have the flexibility to customize their calling plans in just three easy steps:
1. Select the countries you want to call
2. Decide whether you want to call mobile phones, landlines or both
3. Choose the plan that best suits your needs from 1-month to 12-months or 60 minutes to unlimited
"Skype's new monthly subscriptions lower the cost of international calling and make it simple to choose the plan that best meets your needs," said Neil Stevens, General Manager of Skype's Consumer Business Unit. "People around the world can now have the simplicity and flexibility to call almost any phone in the world for less."
Skype is well known for providing free voice and video calling for users around the world. Since October of 2005, the company has also offered low-cost options for Skype users who want to call landline or mobile phone numbers. Calling through Skype now accounts for 12 percent of the world's international calls according to TeleGeography Research.
Skype users can continue to call mobile phones and landlines globally without subscriptions by purchasing Skype Credit and using the Pay As You Go option. Skype will also continue to offer its popular unlimited world monthly subscriptions.
For full details on Skype's calling subscriptions, visit: www.skype.com/go/subscriptions.
Fair usage policy applies. Excludes service special, premium and non-geographic numbers.
*.€1.02, $1.25, £0.79, including VAT where applicable
About Skype
Skype is software that enables the world's conversations. Millions of individuals and businesses use Skype to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages and share files with other Skype users. Everyday, people everywhere also use Skype to make low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles.
Download Skype to your computer or mobile phone at skype.com.
Access to a broadband Internet connection is required. Skype is not a replacement for your traditional telephone service and cannot be used for emergency calling.
Skype, associated trademarks and logos and the "S" symbol are trademarks of Skype Limited.
FINALLY.
Always puzzles me how a mediocre product like skype has virtually no competition.
@doutorpiranha it takes a critical mass for there to be a viable alternative, and it's extremely hard to hit that kind of ubiquity. I originally had a thought that Google Voice would try to directly compete, but it seems that for the most part they haven't even tried to get it's usage cases to be as wide-spread but perhaps for good reasons.
If it can support 5 way video, why are the two kids on the same webcam when they have two computers. OMG I JUST REALISED THAT IT IS AN RM ONE!!!! We have those in our school. They are Urmm.. a bit rubbishy
@doutorpiranha What do you mean finally? Who in the hell needs a 5-way video chat?
I will categorically say that there is no family in existence that will get a grandmother a father and a son in a 3-way video chat ever. Even the people in the picture aren't in a 3-way chat, they are Photoshopped into place.
There may be the odd business case for more than 2-way but even that's a bit dubious. I can't maneuver into a position to look down the girls' tops from a video chat.
Not that I'm complaining about features, the more supported the better, it's just not that important.
@TinWard you'll be surprised but in my family it can happen. My grandmother is over 80 years old and still she uses skype. It happened before that we had a multiple family members conference on skype and my grendmother did participate some of them. which means that in one conversation we had her, my father and me. agrandmother, a father and a son.
@doutorpiranha
Now I wish there was an option to have a user interface like Skype 3. Skype 4 is nice and all, but I'm sticking to Skype 3.8 because the user interface is better.
@doutorpiranha
I've been using this on OSX for quite some time now... well, 4-way chat anyways...
Kid, wash your hands.
"Charlie bit me!"
@Ryan Deen
is this real life?
It's about time, I have been doing that on OOVOO more than 2 years now!
@Tony Montana oovoo ftw
Alternate title:
Your D&D Fridays just got more convenient, nerdy.
@bluesoul so i'm not the only one to whom this occurred.
"we'll be even more stoked should this ever land on camera-equipped smartphones and tablets."
Well it's on my n900...
@choufleur47 PR1.2 on the N900 brings video calling to the already excellent skype support.
It's pretty much the only thing this device does well mind.
Please don't charge for 3 way calling, 5 way okay, but keep 3 way free
@10nisman94 Completely agreed!!
@10nisman94 I'd be happy if they only make one member (the "host") be a paid subscriber. I use Skype much more than my family, and would be happy to pay to video-chat with all of them from time to time. I don't know if we would agree if we all had to pay...
Maybe a "My Circle" payment plan- like $10 per year for 5-10 people to be able to multi-video chat whenever. Yes, I was on Alltel before.
@10nisman94
Whats the current free max amount of video call/conferencing?
@FORDY 2-way
Yet there is still no Skype over 3G....f u Skype
@Plazmic Flame Somehow i doubt it has anything to do with Skype.
@justlior
Actually, everything to do with Skype. The Voip ban was lifted by Apple themselves and gave free reign to developers. Then Skype decided to get into a contract with Verizon (probably because they needed money) and it's probably the main reason why Skype over 3G on the iPhone won't be coming anytime "soon" as they like to always say.
@Plazmic Flame
That's really the more the fault of carriers and phonemakers. I can make Skype calls over 3G on my 150€ unlocked smartphone with my 4€/GB data plan.
So, better complain about that. Skype wants you to use their service.
@Plazmic Flame Well that's not Skype's fault is it? It's your greedy monopolistic carrier doing that.
Let me guess, you've got an iPhone or something and you're on AT&T in the USA?
@Plazmic Flame if you are jailbroken.... 3GUnrestrictor does the trick. No probs here... that combined with Backgrounder and ProSwitcher is all I need... well maybe a power source to charge my phone at least twice a day ;)
the press release here doesn't mention this five-way video calling anywhere.... what's the deal?
@curos The press release is just about the calling plan; I think the announcement about group video calling was just in an AP release (which also mentions the calling plans): http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gO4iqKI11feBS4zB3oGRFbquLmOAD9FGMS4G0
about damn time
anyone else been doing this on their ps3(6 way chats) for years now? now if only sony would allow me to vid chat w/ computers!
doesn't iChat do this for free?
@TomSawyer
and years ago...
@TomSawyer Yes it has, the only down side to this is PC's don't have iChat and are incapable of doing a 3-5 way video chat between OS's.
@TomSawyer
I'd like to see Apple extending iChat functionality to VoIP, to compete with Skype.
@AlfaCat That'd be something!
Oh.... and I was starting to love ooVoo
"we'll be even more stoked should this ever land on camera-equipped smartphones and tablets."
Well,.. The (by americans) always bashed symbian is doing this for quite some time already..
What about Mac and Linux client support? They seem to leave those behind, especially the Linux version which is something like 1-2 major versions back.
Now if skype would just beat down Verizon into letting them let their software make calls over wifi on the Droid I would be a happy camper. F***ing verizon.
@admlshake
Why does it matter? Skype calls made over verizon on the droid are free anyway and don't use your minutes. That's what I heard, anyway.
@frenchie16
Because I'm stuck in a building that has near 0 cell signal on any carrier. But wifi through most of it. So if I could get skype over wifi to work, I could forward my cell to my skype number and not miss calls.
@admlshake
Verizon won't do it Wifi Skype calling because then you could possibly use Skype overseas or with prepaid as long as the phone supported it. They want to ensure you have the dataplan and make sure they keep the cheapskates out.
Symbian phones do both 3G and Wifi calling on Skype. I'm hoping they will get video calling soon. I'm glad I can use it either way.
About damn time! However if they charge for it that'll just bring us back to square one
"It will initially be free, but Skype plans to start charging for the multi-party video fun later in the year." :(
I hated skype for not allowing this before. But now they want to charge for it? This is stupid, you could do the same thing in messenger, you can open multiple video chats, for FREE!
common skype
ive been using oovoo in a minute now.. Its really good so far! Skype is always traffic! too many user mostly on weekends!
Hope 5 way is free!
FINALLY!!! Hooray for Skype!
If Skype allows 3-way calling for free, I'll be happy.
I liked Oovoo when I tested it out, but stopped using it as soon as they started charging for the "extras". 3-way video calling for $10 per month? EFF THAT!
Doesn't tinychat do up to 12 way video calling for free?