I use the free version of Skype both for work and leisure. I regularly phone my aged mother in Canada (from the UK); she isn't online so the last 'leg' of the connection is via her landline. It works great.

There are only two of us as full time workers in my organization, but we have a national remit. We both work from home and are in touch constantly through the day via Skype - sometimes for well over an hour if we're sorting through a lot of stuff. We use microphones and the computer speakers so it's hands-free too.

Recently we've started holding Board meetings over Skype which has proved Most Excellent. Our Board were scattered across Wales and it was getting impossible to find dates when everyone could meet and also have the time to travel sometimes 3 hours to (then another 3 from) the meeting. This way two or three who live close will get together on one site and we'll all link up. We can even send files back and forth during the meeting. We'll now have more, shorter meetings rather than the day-long ones, but have 2 meetings a year which are face-to-face. I think this will help us get a wider geographical spread of Board members in the future and keep the ones we have more involved.

sian