For a year now, the free Skype program has been taking the world by storm. It enables computer users to make free calls to people all over the globe. The condition for a free call is that both parties have an Internet connection and a computer or palmtop. It is also possible to call landlines and mobile phones, but this involves small fees.
There are many other free programs on the market that also enable voice conversations. Examples include Yahoo Messenger, Windows Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. However, these programs cannot connect users, for example, from internal corporate networks. They also offer poor sound quality.
Skype has no competition. Not only can it connect any user with another, but it also offers excellent sound quality. When calling a landline, there is no distinction between local, long-distance and international calls. There is one zone—the world. A minute-long call to almost every country costs—attention—13 groszy. That is even cheaper than local calls on TP SA or Dialog (assuming that we talk for, say, two minutes—in advance, Polish operators require us to pay 35 groszy for three minutes).
The Skype program has already been downloaded more than 20 million times. All journalists at the Boleslawiec.org service use the program. Every day, Bolesławiec editors discuss editorial matters with correspondents from Kraków and New York. Of course, for free.