14 DAY TRIAL // One of the title features of Skype 5.0, group video calling, is now available for business users as well. It's Windows only for now, but businesses can have Skype to Skype video conversations between as many as 10 people. The Group Video Calling feature has shed its Beta label for all users in the latest Skype 5.1 for Windows.
"With Group Video Calling, we can offer business people an easy way to stay connected and collaborate face-to-face with multiple colleagues, partners or customers around the world," David Gurlé, General Manager and Vice President of Skype’s Enterprise business unit, said.
"The Business version of Skype is great for live meetings and it offers a compelling low-cost option compared to competing solutions that are often complicated, costly or difficult to deploy," he added.
Group Video Calling for businesses is priced at $8.99 / €5.99 / £4.99 per month per users. Regular users can access it bundled with the Premium package, for the same price, which also comes with live chat support.
Regular users can also get a day pass for $4.99 / €3.49 / £2.99. One-on-one video calls will continue to be free as always.
To start a group video call, at least one of the users has to be running Skype 5.1 for Windows or the latest Business version. The other participants have be running at least Skype 5.0.
Skype is doubling down on the lucrative enterprise market which should help it drive up revenues. Skype is touting the administrative options in the latest Business version which enable admins to control various aspects of the software and restrict access to certain features to only some employees.
Along with the enterprise market, Skype is also focusing on the emerging mobile video market. The iPhone Skype client got video chat support last week and the company has just acquired the mobile video startup Qik.
Skype 5.1 for Windows is available for download here.