ReadyTalk (Discontinued) vs. Skype (discontinued)

Think about your needs as an organization and whether you will be using primarily audio only or audio plus web. If audio only then ReadyTalk will certainly meet your need. If web, then shop around for functionality, support, and price. I am fairly "neutral" on ReadyTalk - neither a huge cheerleader nor a huge detractor.

Incentivized

Having interacted with a new replacement tool, Microsoft Teams, it is challenging to recommend Skype, as it lacks some essential features, such as being less equipped with the latest updates, and it is not platform-independent, causing issues on PCs and phones, as well as during calls that might hinder work.

Incentivized

• Screen share/conference calling: They make it quick and easy to join a meeting for your guests. They don't need to download anything; all they need to do is click on the link and enter the access code.
• Mobile App: The app has been great for our team as they can now easily start a meeting with a click of a button from the app.
• Recordings: It is very easy to record a webinar or conference call which you can then download.

Incentivized

• The instant chat function is great. Very straightforward, easy to use, easy to learn, no technical issues.
• Video calls are pretty easy also, user friendly and a mostly stable connection with no issues.
• Voice calls are easy also, eliminates the need for an external landline or the need to use your cell phone. Clear connections, not really any dropped calls.

Incentivized

• If ReadyTalk provided an easier way to set up the initial call through a different platform aside from email, it may make things a bit simpler.
• ReadyTalk's monitor-specific screensharing process is a bit clunky and could be a bit better in identifying which monitor has been selected for sharing.
• ReadyTalk's admin dashboard could use a UI update.

Incentivized

• Skype is a RESOURCE hog. People who have limited bandwidth will have poor call quality.
• It is hard to figure out how to use emojis and upload images in the chat.
• The background images do not fool anybody....it is clearly not your real background.

Incentivized

I have given this rating as this need to give more than that as it's very helpful for us and makes our work more efficient and fast.

ReadyTalk is easy to use, but I did find the initial integration to Outlook a bit cumbersome. I couldn't tell you how to do it now - someone else had to walk me through it when I started at the company. We also have a lot of issues with people trying to use their computers for audio; often, it stops working entirely mid-meeting

Incentivized

Skype is not as good as Facetime in terms of ease to glance at it and figure out how it works. I think that's a result of Skype trying to be too many things at once. A lot of the menu and UI could be streamlined, and I would jettison some of the additional functions that have been tacked on over the years to simplify. That being said, while some options are slightly hard to find, they all work flawlessly once found.

Incentivized

They have been responsive to support-related issues.

Incentivized

I am not aware of the current support level for Skype for business, as I have never used even though I have the product. However, the support for Skype's personal paid users is not where it could be. Users who pay for Skype features do not have a clear path to reach out to support. So, rating 6, can be better as soon as I need to use Skype for business support and get a good experience. I will say that I will renew Skype for Business subscription, which is a significant inconsistency on my end. The explanation is that Skype for Business comes bundled with Office for Business, with no additional cost, so why not.

Incentivized

It can be used on the phone via mobile application as well as on the desktop by logging in to the website. Easily installed and ready to use.

Incentivized

Other regions in our organization have implemented WebEx. We have experienced poor audio and lack of customer service in our region. For quick interoffice communication and screen share, we use Skype for Business. Many people who have had the choice between WebEx and ReadyTalk will, more times than not, request a ReadyTalk account to be created. They feel the interface is much simpler to adapt. WebEx is not super friendly, especially on the backend of the tool.

Incentivized

We use Skype in combination with Grasshopper. While Grasshopper acts as a routing toll free number with extensions, if we are making calls directly, we do it through Skype. Skype's desktop and mobile apps are easier to use, and provide unlimited local calls at a flat, affordable rate. Allowing our team to use their existing mobile or desktop devices without additional hardware for business office phone calls is important, and Skype makes that possible

Incentivized

The service provided is up to date, as discussed before buying.

• Positive impact. Able to fluidly demonstrate our software over conference call at the drop of a dime
• Positively impacts clients onboarding process due to ability to screen share with a high amount of people at the same time
• Higher ROI due to ability to show clients our new platform before their purchase in order to show the value of our product in real time via Readytalk conference

Incentivized

• Skype made keeping in touch with an advisor in Mexico very easy. The initiative there resulted in 5 new partnerships.
• Skype has helped me with account management for at least 3 customers in LATAM--usually it's a fast way to answer a question about a support renewal.
• For about 9 months Skype helped me stay in touch with a colleague in Prague. We would meet once a week to go over sales activities.

Incentivized