Skype to be shutdown in May

[Jingthing]

A bit of an update about the 99 dollar "lifetime" offer from Phone2. Supposedly it was going to expire end of February but it's now March everywhere in the U.S. and the promotion link still works:

Business Phone: 4 users included.

www.phone2.io/find2

 

I had mentioned before I was not getting text messages.

I'm still testing that but I did finally successfully receive one.

I have not yet tested their claim that they work for 2FA much better than regular VOIP though. 

 

If you don't want to risk the 99, you can sign up for a month at a time for 18, and then if you do like it, assuming the 99 offer will continue, I assume you can cancel that and then do the lifetime plan.

 

They are doing US, Canadian, and I think UK numbers now too.

 

For those who are understandably worrying if this is a scam, well I can say their core business which has been going for years is to bigger businesses needed a more robust service. The 99 plan is a bit more limited and it targeted to digital nomads with the big selling point that it can be used well for 2FA codes. Yes they are advertising to this newer market aggressely. 

 

Again I'm not endorsing this place. Even if it's really better for 2FA codes, no guarantee that banks won't soon crack that. So, AYOR.

[JensenZ]

7 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Skype was a good, low cost option to call the UK pension department to listen to 45 minutes of hold music.  

 

What alternatives are there to call official landlines such as government departments and banks?

I use my True/Dtac SIM to call bank landlines in Australia, using the 00600 code. 1 baht a minute is cheap enough to listen to 45 minutes of "hold music" on the odd occasion a call becomes necessary. The US is 1 baht a minute too, so I'm sure the UK will be the same price.

[AhFarangJa]

4 hours ago, SMIAI said:

 

https://www.localphone.com

 

Set it up using a phone number from your country via the Web and then install the Application to your Smartphone(or use the Web application).

Many thanks, looks exactly what I need. Will give it a go....

[The Fugitive]

30 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Many thanks, looks exactly what I need. Will give it a go....

Both mobile and geographical landline numbers are available to rent. However, incoming SMS is only available for United Kingdom numbers.

[NoDisplayName]

18 hours ago, it is what it is said:

users are being migrated to Teams

 

I 'member when all sorts of software was installed on 'puters for free.  Windows and Excel and Word and some others.  Software worked pretty well, and became standard everywhere, so much so that most people became locked into using it....forever.

 

Then it wasn't free any more.

 

I'm sure nothing evil is planned here.