One of the largest household and office expenses is communication. Today, with new computer technology making calls through the computer can cut those costs significantly. Here is a review of the options to dial within the country and overseas to regular phones and in some cases even to mobile phone almost for free.
Calls from one computer to another
One of the better known options and most economical is to converse via computer, from computer to computer, and this can be done through a number of well known programs such as Skype, I.C.Q., Messenger, and others. More recently Gmail has also added the option of voice and video conversations.
Calls are made through very easy to install programs. All you have to do to talk is to buy a microphone at a cost of several tens of shekels in any office equipment store. If you want a better sound quality conversation similar to that of a regular phone it is highly recommended to buy the Skype phone which can be purchased through various Web sites. The phone is also available in Office Depot, but make sure that there is a phone in stock.
Through the I.C.Q. software, you can also send free SMS messages. Although there is a limited number of characters per message and the amount of messages that can be sent a day there is definitely enough to send lots of messages and according to the number of answers you receive back you are entitled to a bonus of a few more messages. You can also chat to each other from one I.C.Q. user to another I.C.Q.user.
The Messenger allows you to talk by phone or headset and microphone to another user. The voice quality is pretty good but still not the voice quality of Skype.
Google Talk allows the user to conveniently call another Google Talk user. You can download the Google Talk software and use it for speech or download the plug-in -Ga-Ga for voice and chat.
Advantages: There is nothing freer than this. Whether talking with a neighbor or with the other side of the world, all you need is to get fast Internet connection, microphone and head unit. If you have an internet camera, the entire media experience will be even better than that offered by a regular phone.
Disadvantages: There is no doubt that the level of availability for most people on the internet is lower than over the phone lines or mobile phones.
Skype's Program - Unlimited World
This August, Israel joined other countries in providing the option of subscribing to Skype. In other words: subscribers can make unlimited calls, both to telephone lines in dozens of countries which also provide this service, as well as to telephone lines in Israel.
How does it work: In contrast to the standard Skype service, which only allows calls between computers, this service enables you to make calls from your PC to any phone number. You can purchase a package worldwide, to call to 36 countries at the cost of EURO 8.95 per month, or buy a national package, which allows you to call one specific country unlimited at the cost of EURO 3.95 per month. Both packages allow you to dial for free to phone line numbers in Israel.
Advantages: Customers who use the telephone constantly will find the Skype option extremely beneficial. But even if you sign up for one of the packages just to chat inside the country, it is still more economical than any other telephone system because calls can be made without time limits provided you don't go over the permitted ten thousand minutes per month.
To join the program
Disadvantages: Dialing is done via a computer, rather than over the telephone - and this is still not an option suited to everyone. Those who do not like speaking with a microphone can use a Skype phone which connects to the computer via USB.
Jajah
Enter the Jajah website, put in the number of your phone, and then the phone number of the person you wish to call. Wait for your phone to ring and the conversation begins. The quality of conversation is quite good and the cost is usually one of a local call instead of charging according to destination. Their site offers different ways and types of packages for calling regular phones.
Disadvantages:
You have to go into the website, enter your phone number and wait until the call connects. It is a little awkward compared with Skype where you can dial through the program just like a regular phone and pay only NIS 20 per month.
Advantages:
The conversation takes place through your regular phone which makes life easier for many people.
Skoko
Skoko is one of the companies that offer a cell phone to be logged on to the computer and allows calls to be made over the Internet without the need of a keyboard or mouse. The Skoko device is designed to call from abroad - the advantage being that you can transfer the SIM card from your mobile phone thereby transferring the device to a mobile phone.
How does it work: The Skoko phone costs EURO 40. In addition, there is a monthly fee of EURO 10 which allows you to call unlimited according to local fees. (In Israel as if you were in Israel). All this is done by moving the SIM card to the device and connecting it to the computer via a USB line.
Advantages: The biggest advantage of the Skoko phone is the fact that you use your own personal SIM card, including retrieval of memories directly, call identity and sending text messages from anywhere in the world.
Disadvantages: It is true that you can call from anywhere in the world with the Skoko phone on condition there is a computer with an Internet connection. You also have to take into account the cost of local calls, and the need to pay EURO 10 per month which is quite an amount if you are not going to make a lot of calls (also take into account the initial cost of the device). The Skoko phone is most suitable for businessmen or those who make a great number of calls.
One customer commented:
"I went to China with the Skoko phone and this was a very interesting experience. At first I found it difficult to install but the great support team helped me with this from afar. I spoke for about 4.5 hours which cost me NIS100 instead of NIS3000. I definitely saved a lot of money and I highly recommend."
Sending SMS from Computer to Mobile Phone Cheap or Free
1. ICQ
This experienced software still allows sending SMS for free, but less than before. The system remains the same: Registered members receive an SMS quota and accummulate additional messages from replies received from incoming SMS.
How does it work: After opening an ICQ account enter the number of the cell phone in the designated window, type the message in the window that opens. Finally click on the button "send" and the message is sent free of charge. Upon registration with ICQ you receive a quota of 14 SMS messages. All messages from a mobile returned to ICQ gives an additional eight messages.
The company recently launched the service ICQ2GO, which allows connecting to ICQ and send SMS over the Internet without installing the software.
Advantages: ICQ provides an opportunity to accrue additional SMS quotas for free.
Disadvantages: The initial quota is relatively low, and if you do not use the rest of the services provided by ICQ (such as chat), chances are that you will not want to run the software only to send SMS messages.
Triplay
This service is less well-known than ICQ, but provides an initial quota seven times larger for sending SMS messages.
How does it work: After installation through www.triplay.com you can send up to 100 SMS messages for free. After that, the cost of every 100 messages is 7.99 dollars. If there are 4 shekels/dollar then the cost of one SMS is 31 Agorot, relatively cheaper than the regular price of 48 Agorot, but similar to many other operators of SMS packages.
Advantages: Further to the generous quota of SMS messages, the convenience of Triplay is out of this world. The software allows you to highlight text and images and by right click of the mouse you can send the contents marked as text or multimedia.
Disadvantages: The software works only with the Firefox browser or interface of Facebook, so if you are not listed with Facebook or you surf via Explorer you cannot utilize this service.
Mobile Phone Companies
You can send SMS messages via the company websites free or for a minimum cost. Sending a message is dependent on free registration to the website and receipt of a password from the company.
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Apr 20, 2009
