If people are not investigating VoIP in this day and age, they should be. If there are better and cheaper ways to do things, why fill Telstra's coffers (or Optus, Voda, 3 ....)?  There are numerous VoIP solutions - some better than others - and Skype is one of the more popular as there is no hardware to install, and it's free for many call types.

A limitation is the lack of integration of Skype with any sort of contact management system, of which Microsoft Outlook would be by far and away the most popular, especially in the business world. Bn Australian designed package could be destined to change all that.

What has this to do with video you ask? Quite simple, all small business - including video operators and associated businesses are looking at ways of cutting costs. And telephony is one of the biggies along with rent and power.

Melbourne based Skylook has released a package of the same name that is an extension to Microsoft Outlook . By itself, Outlook allows basic email sending, receiving, forwarding and archiving; with the addition of Skylook, it lets you also do these things to phone calls, Voicemail instant messages and SMS as well as combining email, reminders, voicemail, IM and SMS. For example, you can get Skylook to SMS appointment reminders to you.

You can call Outlook contacts by using the interaction of Outlook via Skylook with Skype, record phone calls in MP3, receive voicemail messages in your Outlook inbox, forward voice mails, have emails read out over the phone and much more.

Skylook is not cheap at A$174.95 / computer for the basic version or $614.95 / 3 user licence and free upgrades for life, but if you are a heavy phone user, the benefits will be gained within matter of weeks as against the phone company alternative. Monthly subscriptions are available and there is a 14 day free trial copy by download.

Contact Skylook at www.skylook.biz

By David Hague

David Hague is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He now lives back in WA (Mandurah) on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety (he is on the Roadwise committee for Mandurah City Council), fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com, vbthedog@gmail.com via Twitter via @vbthedog. or