Cost-effectiveness is the biggest driver behind the fast-growing adoption of Skype phone technology in SA, says Pinnacle Micro.
Skype is software that lets users make and receive free phone calls with excellent sound quality, explains Tarquin Rohlandt, Skype brand manager at Pinnacle. "This is possible because Skype routes phone calls through the Internet instead of traditional phone lines.
"To make and receive these calls, users need only download the software, available free on the Skype Web site. There is a once-off cost for the phone and then users simply pay for a standard Internet connection."
Skype solutions have proved very popular in SA and are mostly aimed at home users and small businesses, he says.
Skype`s worldwide popularity, adds Rohlandt, is evident from the fact that some three million users are online at any given moment.
The range of Skype phones is simple to install and use, with the phones connecting to an Internet-enabled PC or laptop via USB, Rohlandt explains.
"Both phone units ring for all incoming calls with a customisable ring tone and volume.
"The phones incorporate a built-in driver and sound card which means less initial outlay for the consumer. They also incorporate echo cancellation, noise reduction and full duplex communication technologies, including caller ID."
The differentiating factor between the phones is that the SE-U1K incorporates support for various applications including Skype, Netmeeting, Messenger, Mediaring, Net2Phone and Dialpad.
"The SIP-ATA-2 unit enables users to make and receive VOIP calls using a regular phone," says Rohlandt.
"With auto detection that switches the phone from VOIP to regular PSTN, the phone supports all types of incoming and outgoing calls. The unit incorporates a built-in router, NAT, gateway, LAN pass and DMZ port forwarding and also supports call hold, call waiting, call forwarding and call transfer."
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