Skype made expensive international phone calls a thing of the past when it debuted in 2003. Since then, the company has added things like video conferencing, instant messaging, and file transfers to the mix, making it a powerful communication tool for people who want to keep in touch remotely. This infographic gives some statistics on the company, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2011, and offers examples of how real people are using the video conferencing feature. Here are six of our favorites:
1. Job Interviews
Interviewing for a job outside your city can be expensive. If you had the money to travel, you wouldn’t be applying for the job. Videos give you valuable face time without requiring candidates to spend money on a plane ticket or a hotel.
2. Medical Consultations
People who live in remote areas can’t always get to the doctor’s office for a consultation. According to the chart below, doctors have been using Skype to reach out to patients.
3. First Aid
No matter how prepared you think you are, when faced with a real-life broken leg or allergic reaction, it helps to have a professional guiding you through the first aid process. Researchers in Norway found that a video first aid demonstration was more effective than simply dictating instructions over the phone: 49 percent of video participants said they felt more confident in their technique, compared to the 30 percent who had just heard the audio.
4. Therapy Sessions
Skype is good for mental health problems as well. In a study of 100,000 mental health patients who were enrolled in a video conferencing therapy program between 2006 and 2010, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs found that the sessions reduced hospital admissions by 24 percent and decreased the average time spent in the hospital by 26 percent.
5. Courtroom Testimony
Witnesses play an important role in most courtroom trials, but do they actually need to come to the courthouse for their testimony to count? Apparently not. According to this chart, video conferencing with witnesses actually makes the trials more efficient.
6. Teaching
Right now, 29,000 teachers are using Skype in the classroom. There are tools for uploading and sharing videos, articles, and images for students online. To date, students have collaborated on 1,800 projects.
Check out the infographic below for more statistics on Skype, created by online-education.net:
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