Desktop SMS Using Skype
It is now possible to send SMS from your PC, using Skype (Version 2.5). But it is not free. Neither is it cheap..
Typical SMS cost approximately USD 0.10. I checked a few countries for comparison purposes (see table below),
| Country | Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| USD | EUR | SGD | |
| Australia | 0.0911 | 0.0710 | 0.1438 |
| France | 0.1385 | 0.1080 | 0.2187 |
| India | 0.0795 | 0.0620 | 0.1255 |
| Indonesia | 0.1411 | 0.1100 | 0.2227 |
| Malaysia | 0.1000 | 0.0780 | 0.1579 |
| New Zealand | 0.1000 | 0.0780 | 0.1579 |
| Philippines | 0.0680 | 0.0530 | 0.1073 |
| Singapore | 0.1000 | 0.0780 | 0.1579 |
As you can see, anyone can send SMS cheaper than the rates above. For example someone owning a Starhub Prepaid SIM card in Singapore can send 5 global SMS @ SGD 0.1500 and get 10 free global SMS, thus being able to send a global SMS for as low as SGD 0.0750!
In Indonesia, its even cheaper. Depending on the operator, it can be as low as 99 Indonesian Rupiah (USD 0.0001), to 500 Indonesian Rupiah (USD 0.0550)!
So, which brings me to question the usefulness of this service for users in Asia (South East Asia to be more specific).
For those who’d like to give it a try, do take note that whilst Skype (Version 2.5) allows you to send SMS using your Skype name (username) or your own mobile number, registering your number is not free.
Update [13-Oct-2006],
Recently heard about this website called SMSZilla, whose rates are quite low for the countries I used for comparison above. Typical rates looks like:
| Country | Cost | Cost When Using SMSZilla | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | EUR | SGD | EUR | |
| Australia | 0.0911 | 0.0710 | 0.1438 | 0.0440 |
| France | 0.1385 | 0.1080 | 0.2187 | 0.1320 |
| India | 0.0795 | 0.0620 | 0.1255 | 0.0300 |
| Indonesia | 0.1411 | 0.1100 | 0.2227 | 0.0440 |
| Malaysia | 0.1000 | 0.0780 | 0.1579 | 0.0500 |
| New Zealand | 0.1000 | 0.0780 | 0.1579 | 0.0440 |
| Philippines | 0.0680 | 0.0530 | 0.1073 | 0.0440 |
| Singapore | 0.1000 | 0.0780 | 0.1579 | 0.0440 |
Looks like a very good deal to me and they let me sign up and send SMS using my own mobile number and registering my number was free using SMSZilla! No wonder they advertise themselves as the “Cheapest SMS In The World!”