With Skype installed on Intel vPro PCs, telephone chats and voice conferences have never been so clear - not to mention cost-effective.
Communication within the business sector has long relied on telephones and emails. Advances in VoIP technology (Voice over Internet Protocol) mean that organisations of all sizes can reap huge cost savings by making phone calls via the internet - and Intel vPro technology together with an application such as Skype play a central part in such efficiency.
Skype takes advantage of the capabilities afforded by Intel vPro technology to allow for crystal-clear voice conversations at all times, even when multiple applications are running simultaneously on a PC.
With Skype's conference-call facility supporting conversations with up to 10 users at the same time, the use of Skype as a VoIP application enables businesses to keep in touch with clients, or conduct company conference calls in a highly cost-effective manner. Skype can reduce or even eliminate reliance on traditional telephones and when users are engaged in one-to-one chats or conferences with other Skype users, the effective cost of the calls is zero.
Intel® vProâ„¢ advantage
In computing terms, VoIP is a demanding task and requires plenty of processing time. In the past, users may have suffered from poor performance as PCs struggle to encode audio while performing other tasks. Computers with Intel vPro technology benefit from dual-core processor technology, meaning that more system resources are made available for other tasks. This means that while holding a Skype conversation, the person using an Intel vPro PC can comfortably continue to use their word processor, say, perform virus scans or run other critical applications without impacting on performance. It is the same dual-core technology that allows for such high audio and video quality, even in a multi-user conversation.
Skype deserves the hype
The beauty of Skype lies with its ease of use and wide variety of facilities. What's more, when combined with the Intel vPro platform's advanced multitasking capabilities, the use of Skype for voice calls and conferencing can help to increase productivity. As well as being an excellent means of communicating with external contacts, Skype can be used internally for support purposes, again helping to reduce the costs associated with IT support.
A key advantage of using Skype over phone-based conference calls is the way in which such calls can be spontaneously instigated. Rather than having to plan ahead for a conference call, it is possible for a user to decide to add other users to the conversation if they need to talk to other colleagues. Skype also enables users to transfer files between machines - something that is simply not possible with phone conversations.
For more details on how well Skype and Intel vPro technology work together, read our Hands On guide.
