SKYPE Use its own phone network Allow video calls Own SMS network all over the world. Call from computer, smart phone, tablet. Receive calls from regular phone line if you pay for a Skype In number. Call any phone for a fee. Adapter to receive Skype calls on your home phone. Voice mail not included.

GOOGLE VOICE Connect to any phone system No video SMS with any cell phone, no international SMS. Call from computer and tablet, cell phone via a US pnone number. Free incoming phone calls Free outgoing calls to the US and Canada when called from US and Canada, any other phone call for a fee. Either have GV forward the call to your home phone or use an adapter to receive it. Voice mail included, written transcription of your voice mail with voice message sent to your email or via SMS.

Skype

Skype is great tool! It is now mature. The original developpers are back in the company and they will improve the service more and more.

For the very few who do not know about the service, I will give you a brief description of the service.

Skype allow you to call another Skype member, free of charge, with your computer, your tablet or your smart cell phone. There is a Skype App for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Window. If you have a camera connected to your computer or in your smart phone, your can have a video chat as well.

If you want to call a real phone number, if someone wants to call you from a real phone, Skype is not free any longer. You need to pay for a phone number for the people to call you and pay to call outside the Skype community. If you want voice mail, you have to pay as well.

One inconvenience with Skype is the need of a computer, a tablet or a cell phone with the Skype App activated to receive a phone call. This is not always convenient, specially when your battery is low. A new gadget allow you now to call over Skype and receive Skype calls from your home phone. You just plug it in the internet. I have not tried it yet but everyone who tried like it. Check: http://shop.skype.com/phones/phone-adapters/connect-me-nau/ . If you spend a bit of time on the internet, you may find a cheaper deal for this very interesting tool.

Next week, I will compare Skype with Google Voice.