Skype is jam-packed with great features to help you stay in touch with friends, family and co-workers, share your thoughts and find the information you need.

You can use it on a computer or get Skype on your mobile so you can keep in touch on the move, whatever you’re up to. Skype works on a wide range of mobiles, plus on devices like the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®). There’s also a great range of WiFi and cordless phones with Skype built-in.

Just for starters you can instant message (IM) anyone on your contact list or even use group IM to chat with lots of people at the same time. You could hold a conference call to organise a get-together and then find business recommendations™ to search for the perfect venue to hold it.

There are also really cool video features. All you need is a webcam to make free video calls or even take photos of yourself to personalise Skype.
Finding friends

If you use Microsoft Outlook®, Outlook Express®, or you have an email account with Yahoo! then it’s a simple task to import contacts and get them all onto your Skype. If they don’t have Skype yet you can send them an invite to download it – then you can talk for free (and maybe you’ll even get a nice bouquet of flowers and a chocolate bar from them to say thanks for getting them onto Skype? We’d like to think that’s in order).

Got friends on MySpace? Get them to download Skype or MySpaceIM with Skype. Then add them to your Skype contact list and you’ve got even more people to talk to for free. Simply search for their MySpaceIM name.

Adding someone to your contact list is easy. But you can also add people who are not yet on Skype and call them on their phones and mobiles at pretty low rates wherever they are.

Also, if your Microsoft Outlook® contacts have phone numbers, you can have them show up on your contact list so you can call them. You’ll need Skype Credit or a monthly sub******ion to make calls to phones and mobiles.