Well, it is quite difficult to find someone who does not use Skype on a regular basis at their office and the only reason behind such popularity are its free features. There are no recent official releases on the number of registered users of its service but Skype sources reveal that there are a total of 300 million Skype users all over the world who use the services on a monthly basis. Not only you, but there will be a whole group of people around you like your customers, vendors and even colleagues who use Skype on a regular basis. However, if you are told to abandon Skype for some other VoIP service then chances are there that you would not even give a second thought to the suggestion.
Let us look at some of the viable alternatives to Skype that can actually add a zing to your VoIP experience and even nudge you to leave behind the ubiquitous Skype.
Google Hangouts
This is probably the most fitting alternative to Skype and is constantly gaining a faithful fan following. There are many people who would hesitate to use the services of a Google product but the truth is that this is being widely used owing to the variety of features available. Google Hangout was launched in the middle of 2013 and it was the amalgamation of several other products from Google like Google Plus Hangouts, Google Talk, and Google Plus Messenger.
This application is capable of replacing some of the popular features of Skype. Though this application does not allow the users to make landline calls but document collaboration and video conferencing are well supported.
ooVoo
ooVoo is the voice/video calling and messaging service which provides instant messaging, text chat, video calls, and twelve-way video conferencing. The best thing about this application is that it allows you to make calls directly from the web browser and calls can be placed to other PC-based users who do not even have the software installed.
The screen and file sharing feature of the software works really well and is considered to be excellent for all kinds of collaborative work as well as online meetings. The premium credits allow the users to place calls to landline numbers spread over 70 countries around the world at low rates. Conferencing too is facilitated by the service but the PC to phone call rates are really high and this is a big turn-off for the Skype loyalists.
Viber
Viber is the latest from the land of Cyprus and it is the free substitute for Skype. Viber allows its users to send free images, messages and even make free calls with the help of the internet connection (irrespective of the location).Viber can be used on the smartphones as well as desktops by downloading the appropriate app.
All the major operating systems are supported by Viber, which includes Windows, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows Mobile, Android, Symbian, Bada and BlackBerry devices.
Facebook Call
Facebook call is the latest offering from its stable and this time it builds on the chat feature to offer the VoIP calling. This application is really useful as there are many other things that you can do on Facebook while still being on a VoIP call. Thus you will be able to receive messages while still being on call. This app is available on smartphones and tabs, so you can enjoy your Facebook activities along with VoIP call.
Author Bio:
Michelle has been working with large telecom companies. She also writes for Universal Com One Blog so that everyone can take advantage of the improvements in telecom technology.