Skype Debuts 100-Person Conferencing Feature

Skype, the voice-over IP (VoIP) provider owned by eBay, is launching a new feature, dubbed the “Skypecast,” that allows users to participate in conversations with up to 100 other Skype subscribers, the Associated Press reports via the New York Post.

The Skype service is currently employed mostly for individual-to-individual calls, but it already contains a feature that allows for conferences with up to 10 participants, according to the AP. The new Skypecasts will allow for 10 times as many people to be involved, and they’ll be moderated by a host with the authority to manage who speaks when and for how long, the AP reports.

Saul Klein, Skype’s vice president of global marketing, said the service will be available in an “early preview” form on Wednesday, according to the AP.

All Skypecasts will be listed publicly on the company’s website for easy access, the AP reports.

Skype thinks its Skypecasts could eventually change the way people communicate over the Web, and they could become popular venues for people with similar interests and skills to meet each other and network, according to the AP.

A new trial version of Skype’s central application will also be available, and it will allow users to send text messages to mobile phones free of charge, the AP reports. In addition, Skype subscribers will have the ability to access Microsoft Outlook contacts directly through the Skype application, and all contacts can also be shared with other users, according to the AP.

For related news coverage, read Netgear, Skype Announce Availability of Wi-Fi Phone and Polycom, Skype to Release VoIP Speakerphone.

Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage.