Skype® for Dummies®

Chapter 9. Managing Your Messages

In This Chapter

• Getting the most from basic Skype messaging

• Doing the math: Skype + Outlook = Skylook

• Checking out Pamela; she's not just another pretty voice

Skype can follow you just about anywhere on the planet. Suppose you're flying on a jet with an airline that has Internet access, or perhaps you're hiking up a trail on Mt. Everest and have a wireless connection to the Internet. Even in these far reaches, anyone around the world (anyone appropriately equipped) can reach you. You simply pack a U3 Smart Drive or a Wi-Fi phone and tap into the Internet wherever it's available.

Having this connection on hand doesn't mean that you're available or that you actually want to answer every call, all the time. But having voicemail and even video mail allows other people to connect to you without requiring your physical presence to take every incoming call.

In this chapter, we tell you about various methods for handling the Skype calls that you can't answer in the traditional way. Skype services do include some basic voicemail, call forwarding, and text messaging. You can also add on to or integrate other software with Skype to accept voice messages, record contact-specific personal greetings and conversations, and even schedule Skype calls with your contacts. In particular, we describe how to make Skype collaborate with Microsoft Outlook to organize and store voice messages, as well as how to use Pamela, one of the earliest Skype add-on programs for voice messaging. ...