Outlook Toolbars: Simplifying Communication
Making calls through your computer using a service provider like Skype, JAJAH or Yahoo has never been easier. Once it was a service known only to dedicated computer fans who followed every esoteric development with intense interest. Then, through word of mouth and by the simple fact that calls are very cheap, more people started making free computer-to-computer calls.
Even if this was not possible, rates to call international numbers and mobiles were incredibly competitive. Today, it is not unusual for parents to use web-activated telephony to keep in contact with their children. It is official: Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has gone mainstream.
The obvious advantage to customers is cost, because they only need to pay for their Internet service. Additional charges by a phone company are no longer relevant. Communication is simplified: having to ‘top up’ a mobile or follow the precise terms of your mobile contract can be demanding. If you are already at your computer, which, to face facts, most people are a lot of the time, you might as well just make a phone call using the computer. If the call is to a number that is not free, then you can simply top up without leaving your seat. VoIP providers are banking on the fact that it is easier for people to carry out multiple tasks on their computer, especially when there is a financial incentive to do so.
The popularity of Skype and its competitors is also driven by their ease of use. Only dedicated technophiles would put up with a complicated service to save money. However, as more people look to their computers as a means of making phone calls, there is a rise in expectation as to what the service should offer in addition to the ‘basic’ product. Once it was enough for customers that they could download a programme like Skype and then open it every time they made a call. Now, providers are beginning to offer complementary services in an attempt to keep customers loyal.
Integrating VoIP technology with an existing email service seems high on the list of attractive extras. Skype email toolbar, for example, is integrated with Microsoft Outlook and allows customers to see when contacts are online, and to call phone and mobile numbers that are written in emails. The new technology analyses the body of emails in search of numbers and Skype names. Also, you can add a Skype button to emails so people can click to call you back.
Rival JAJAH offers an Outlook Plugin Beta: just clicking an Outlook contact will initiate a JAJAH call. However, not everyone users Microsoft Outlook, so Skype, JAJAH and competitors have some room for improvement, even if most PC users will be satisfied.
Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Outlook Toolbars: Simplifying Communication