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Skype   is an instant messaging app that provides online text message and video chat services.  Users may transmit both text and video messages and may exchange digital documents such as images, text, and video. Skype allows video conference calls. Skype implements a freemium model. Much of the service is free, but Skype Credit or a subscription is required to call a landline or a mobile phone number. Skype allows users to communicate over the Internet by voice using a microphone, by video using a webcam, and by instant messaging. Skype-to-Skype calls to other users are free of charge, while calls to landline telephones and mobile phones are charged via a debit-based user account system called Skype Credit.  Some network administrators have banned Skype on corporate, government, home, and education networks, citing such reasons as inappropriate usage of resources, excessive bandwidth usage and security concerns.  Skype originally featured a hybrid peer-to-peer and client–server system. Registered users of Skype are identified by a unique Skype Name and may be listed in the Skype directory. Skype allows these registered users to communicate through both instant messaging and voice chat. Voice chat allows telephone calls between pairs of users and conference calling and uses a proprietary audio codec. Skype's text chat client allows group chats, emoticons, storing chat history, and editing of previous messages.  Skype users to receive calls on their computers dialed by conventional phone subscribers to a local Skype phone number; local numbers are available for Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A Skype user can have local numbers in any of these countries, with calls to the number charged at the same rate as calls to fixed lines in the country. The countries on this growing list are referred to collectively as the Skype Countries.

Skype   is an instant messaging app that provides online text message and video chat services.  Users may transmit both text and video messages and may exchange digital documents such as images, text, and video. Skype allows video conference calls. Skype implements a freemium model.

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