VoIP Soft

Since Skype doesn't offer web access or clients for all platforms, there's a boutique industry filling gaps in Skype's product line. The IM+ line added an iPhone browser client with callback service.

SHAPE Services hosts a huge bank of Skype clients. Their IM+ for Skype web app, Skype for iPhone, talks to those Skype clients via the Skype API.

Conclusions:

Free for now, except for SkypeOut fees for inbound and outbound voice calls.

Underfeatured, lacking Skype 1.0 tools like group chats, file transfers, and end-to-end encryption.

Skype should have offered web chat/calling features and a set of web services available a year ago. So it is very nice of Shape to fill this gap while Skype catches up (and Skype is on this trajectory).

A walk through Skype for iPhone.

Log in.

See your contacts.

Touch one, Jim Courtney in this case.

Click on the blue Chat button and chat away.

Or press the green Call button to call Jim. You can see how many Skype credits are in your account. IM+ makes a SkypeOut call to the phone number you put here, so you can take this call on your mobile, landline or SkypeIn number.

If you click the "More" button you see:

• Conference Call (coming soon)
  
  
• Add Contact (coming soon)
  
  
• About
  
  
• Help
  
  
• Hide Offline
  
• Sign Out
  

#link posted by JeMeans @ 3:33 PM