Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has revealed that it is creating a unique Skype version for freelancers and small business owners.
Called the Skype Professional Account, the new offering is designed to consolidate everything from billing to scheduling tools into one app.
Skype Professional Account Preview
“From French tutors to yoga instructors, you’ll be able to book lessons, accept payments, and give lessons all from one place, seamlessly,” said the Skype team in a blog post announcing the new feature. “Plus, we’ve added an enhanced profile page to help improve your online presence and a dedicated website for your small business right in Skype. Your contacts will be able to see pertinent info like your hours and business offerings.”
The Skype team also added that it will be extremely easy to port across a list of contacts, but what’s even more interesting is that Skype users can use their regular Skype to search and find businesses. How cool is that!
The tech giant says a Skype Professional Account desktop client will soon be released for preview in the U.S. The preview version should include all the aforementioned services including note taking, payment acceptance and client bookings, all from within the app. The new offering will also certainly still support Skype’s bread and butter — its calling feature.
Microsoft says there will be limited slots available for interested people to try out the preview. It is not yet clear if the company intends to make the new offering a paid or a free service. However, in the meantime, if you would like a chance to test out the preview, just head to the Skype Professional Account homepage and fill in the survey.
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Image: Skype
If it can be used for tutorials and webinars then it will surely capture more than just freelancers but bloggers and online consultants as well.
This came just in time because this is a service that has developed such high demand in the recent years. I would like to see how it will develop in the next years.
I think this works for more than just tutorials. It may be useful for online video conferencing for teams as well.