Brekeke Software has confirmed interoperability between Skype Connect 1.0 and Brekeke PBX. This new interoperability allows the users of Brekeke platforms to connect seamlessly with Skype users. Until recently, connecting Skype with any VoIP service required a third-party product, such as a gateway, in between them. Skype Connect now allows direct connection between Skype and SIP IP-PBX, which is usually installed as a business telephony system. Using Skype Connect, Brekeke PBX users can connect with Skype’s 520 million registered users without adding any other devices to their existing telephone systems.

Among Skype’s many useful services, there are several that will be indispensable to Brekeke PBX users. For example, Skype offers low-cost options for long-distance calls, DID numbers for businesses to maintain a remote presence by offering local numbers, and Skype’s click-to-call feature that allows Skype users to make calls from their Skype account instead of using analog or other VoIP lines.

In addition to all of the above benefits, businesses will also be able to unify their voice communications into a single platform under Skype services. Instead of switching between Skype and a SIP-enabled system, employees can use one device to answer calls from Skype, SIP or traditional telephones. For example, with this compatibility, remote employees who use Skype as their telephone service can now connect directly to people in their office with Brekeke’s telephony system. The employees in the office simply answer the Skype call on their SIP phones.

Last but not least, there is a significant business benefit to connecting Skype with Brekeke PBX. By design, Skype provides excellent peer-to-peer communication; however, connecting to Brekeke PBX allows users to expand communication instantly to multiple destinations. Using Brekeke PBX’s Automatic Call Distribution feature, any call can be routed through a sophisticated call distribution process. For example, a call received through Skype can be put into a queue to hold until a sales representative becomes available.

A configuration sample for connecting the Skype Connect with Brekeke PBX is available at Brekeke’s wiki site.