Skype mulls pricing for enterprise offering

Skype for SIP is currently in beta testing, and the company is using the trial to determine price points for the business offering and to improve quality of service. Enterprise users are paying standard SkypeIn and SkypeOut rates, according to Skype for Business head of marketing Ian Robin.

"We launched the beta because we want to get closer to how we price this service," Robin told TelecomWeb. "We've got some ideas, but we need to learn, look at the volume and define the pricing strategy after."

Robin also said the video calling feature and the ability to do group chat were gaining traction in the enterprise.

Interest in the beta has been "overwhelming," but Robin did not specify the number of participating companies.

Expansion into the enterprise could be a boon for Skype, which already is on pace to make more than $600 million in revenues in 2009 from its consumer-facing service. But that very success could impair Skype from gaining traction in the enterprise market, as decision makers may choose to go with a more established enterprise telephony play with a proven track record. Skype has reported that one-third of its registrants use the consumer service for business purposes, but enterprises often have restrictions on Skype because of the demand of P2P traffic on IT networks.

For more:
- see the in-depth article on Skype for Business here at TelecomWeb 

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