Announcing the Skype Professional Account Preview

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People use Skype for lots of different things: chatting with friends and family, of course, but also giving music lessons, tutoring, consulting, and a whole lot more. We’re thrilled to announce that very soon these business owners and instructors are going to see some big changes with the way they use Skype.

The Skype Professional Account desktop client, soon to be released in preview in the U.S., adds powerful new features to Skype to make doing your online business a whole lot easier. In addition to meeting with your clients as you have been on Skype, you can also book those meetings, accept payments, and keep notes—all in one place.

If you’re a language or music teacher who works online—or a personal trainer, or a chess instructor, or any one of hundreds of other remote service providers—you’re probably using a combination of different platforms to organize and give sessions across Skype. You might use email to arrange a Skype call, calendar software to manage your Skype meeting schedule, and a third-party provider to coordinate and accept online payments. And you might be paying a pretty penny for some of these services.

Skype Professional Account gives you the power to do all that from one app for free during the preview. From French tutors to yoga instructors, you’ll be able to book lessons, accept payments, and give lessons all from one place, seamlessly. 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.

All the features work together. For example, a payment request can be sent along with a booking. You’ll also be able to see all your notes without leaving the app. In addition, you’ll be able to easily port your contacts over to the Skype Professional Account Preview desktop client while your customers and clients continue to use their familiar Skype app to work with you.

As for your customers, in addition to searching for friends and groups they want on Skype, they’ll be able to find businesses as well. That means they can now look for the kind of professional they want to work with—maybe a financial planner in their time zone with over ten years of experience, or a career coach who’s worked in the healthcare industry.

Skype Professional Account will make it easier for thousands of service providers to connect with their customers and conduct their business—all in one place. We have limited spots available for the preview. Fill out a survey by visiting the Skype Professional Account homepage to have the opportunity to join. By the way, we’re busy working hard on several other exciting features we want to add to this app, so stay tuned for updates.

Check out what violin teacher Laurel Thomsen has to say about Skype Professional Account. Laurel was one of our early adopters who participated in the alpha program for Skype Professional Account.

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