Enterprise Nation

Stefan Oberg is vice president and general manager for Skype Telecom and Skype for Business. He is a man who is keen to see Skype being used by every home business owner in the land and he’s here to tell us about the benefits of this VoIP solution and what future features we can expect.

When did you join Skype?

I joined Skype in April 2005.

What were you doing before joining?

Before joining Skype I spent seven years at Tele2 the Swedish telecoms operator where I was responsible for the rollout of Tele2 mobile telephony in Russia. I was also the founder and chairman of Trigger Software, a wholly owned subsidiary to Tele2, and the development company behind Everyday.com, and many other innovative services in the mobile and internet spheres.

Why should every home business owner be using Skype?

Using Skype is not just about saving money, Skype is easy to set up and has a rich feature base which enables home businesses to act big, communicate faster and work smarter . For example, Skype allows a home business to set up virtual offices through the purchase of an online number so customers can call you from a landline or mobile. A business can choose a local number in any of 21 countries giving them a virtual local presence. It is also possible to make video calls to help build stronger relationships with clients and suppliers as well as reducing the need to travel.

What is your favourite Skype application?

Probably the click-to-call function which makes it possible for businesses to put a free instant call button on their website. This allows potential and existing customers to communicate with you faster and in a way that suits them, whilst helping both parties cut costs.

Will we see new Skype for Business products come to market in the next 6 months or so?

We currently have lots of potential new features, products and solutions coming to market in the next six months. These include the final version of Skype for Asterisk programme which is currently in beta form and the continued improvement of our toolbars to work with Salesforce and other CRM providers. As always we continue to work with partners on projects such as faxing, call recording and call centre applications which are essential to any business.

What is the one phrase you want home businesses to have in their head when they think about Skype?

Skype can make my small business look big.

• Skype for Business