Crundy, a user on the 3 SkypePhone forums, has created a PC application to get around the lack of SkypeIN / SkypeOUT on the 3 SkypePhone itself.

More details in the rest of the article.

You simply configure 2 Skype user accounts, one on your PC (with SkypeIN and/or SkypeOUT configured on it), and a separate Skype account on your 3 SkypePhone. Once you have installed and configured his SkypePhoneManager software, these functions will now work.

SkypeIN works by the SkypePhoneManager answering the call for you (with a voice message). It then puts them on hold and rings your Skype account on your 3 SkypePhone. If you answer, it creates a conference call between the 3 entities, and you can speak to the caller.

If you don’t answer, or your 3 SkypePhone is off / out of coverage, the call with go to your 3 voicemail, ensuring you have fast access to it when you can receive the call.

SkypeOUT works by the 3 SkypePhone using Skype to call the Skype account on the PC. This then uses the Forwarding command within the Skype client to ring a preconfigured forwarded number, and you have made a SkypeOUT call. To change the number you want to call, you use the Skype Messaging function on the 3 SkypePhone to request the SkypePhoneManager to change the number. For security, the SkypePhoneManager will only accept forwarding change reqests from your 3 SkypePhone Skype account. In addition to this, it will only make SkypeOUT calls when the Skype call comes from your 3 SkypePhone - any other Skype calls will get forwarded to your 3 SkypePhone.

Obviously, you need to keep your SkypeOUT number in credit, and you’ll need to keep your 3 SkypePhone in credit, plus you will be limited to 4,000 minutes per month of SkypeOUT calls (the limit on the 3 SkypePhone itself), but there should be no SkypeIN limits.

The only downside to this approach we can think of is that if you have Skype contacts too, they will potentially receive Skype calls from you on either Skype account (depending whether you are using your 3 SkypePhone or sitting at your PC), which may be a little confusing for them.

The software is already at version 1.2, and although it’s currently Windows only, other 3 SkypePhone forum members are looking to work with Leon (Crundy) to port this to the Linux and Mac platforms.

A very interesting application, which seems to make the 3 SkypePhone more acceptable to those small businesses who rely upon their SkypeIN phone number for sales.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 8:43 am and is filed under Gadgets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.