A Skype Journal briefing
Skype for SIP
Phil Wolff
December 2009
Today’s announcement
• Skype for SIP Beta program is going– From closed (starting March 2009)
• Fewer than 1000 concurrent channels
– To open (starting December 2009)
• Anyone with a Skype business account
• Buy at your Skype.com Business Control Panel
• 10k Beta requests in March 2009
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SFS is like SIP Trunking
SIP Trunking– Connects your PBX to a local or long distance
phone service provider
SFS– Connects your PBX to SkypeOut, SkypeIn, and
inbound Skype-to-Skype voice calls
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SFS is a limited add-on
• No emergency dialing– You still need a regular phone service to dial
police, fire, ambulance
• No phone number portability– You need a Skype Online Number
– You don’t get to use an existing number
• Service levels aren’t regulated or guaranteed
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SFS isn’t free
• US$ 6.95 per month for each channel– One call at a time per channel
• Online Skype phone number for the business• SkypeOut at published rates
– Skype Global Rate: 2.1¢/minute, 36+ countries, more for mobiles in most places
– No flat-rate calling plans
• Calls from the Skype ecosystem are free
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Which trunk for this outbound call?
• Write PBX rules to choose best trunk for each call. – Best rates
– Private networks
– Emergencies
• Skype may cost less– World calls
– No buying power
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Skype Builds Distribution
• PBX Makers signed up– ShoreTel
– Cisco
– SIPfoundry
• And thousands of their resellers – earn referral commissions
• More PBX makers to come (Pareto’s Law)
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Skype
SIP Partners
Phone VARS
IT/Telecom Department
CallersConsumer Marketing Channel Marketing
Skype Journal, 18 September 2009
SFS Relies on Push Channels
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So Skype gets to know your Phone Guy
• A beachhead in your company• A relationship to sell more Skype products• A champion for Skype technology
• For many institutions, it is much easier to buy more from an established vendor than a new one
• This makes it easier for the rest of the org to adopt Skype
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The other SFS champions?
• Remote workers– Skype to the company phones for free
– Add your company switchboard as a contact
• Sales and Marketing– Global marketing to Skype users
– Let prospects and customers Skype
– Keep call center gear and software
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When Skype users dial Call Centers
One Click to Skype your Call Center
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SFS Builds on Existing Suppliers
• PSTN Termination and Origination Services
– Connect Skype to public phone networks
– Provide Skype with phone numbers
– The same suppliers connect SkypeOut services for all of Skype
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Barriers to Skype for SIP Adoption
• Prices are not competitive in many markets• Small businesses don’t know how to configure
phone switches for new providers• Telecom VARs don’t know
– About Skype for SIP
– About Skype’s affiliate programs
– How to support Skype at their customers
• Small biz changes phone service when changing hardware
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What’s in it for Skype?
• Easy Billable Minutes• A small, growing share of the $billions
companies pay to local, long distance, and international phone carriers
• A share of the whole company’s spend without winning individual hearts and minds
• High return on small Skype team• More buying power over Skype’s suppliers
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What will Skype learn?
• How to support and lead a Channel• Massive business call data record database
– Mine for behavior patterns
– Design new business products
– New ways to find future Skype customers
• How company telecom departments shop and buy
• Politics between telecom and IT departments
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Future for Skype for SIP? Maybe…
• Free calls to other Skype for SIP customers– Skype doesn’t need to pay termination fees
• Subscription plans for business
• Management wizard to help admins manage SFS channel capacity – You’re at capacity 94% this month. Add a channel?
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Tell your Skype For SIP Story
• [email protected]• twitter.com/skypejournal• +1-510-444-8234• Skype:evanwolf?chat
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