Starting yesterday and continuing into today the world's most popular VOIP and videocalling server, Skype, suffered an unprecedented outage. The company stated that a software problem took offline a large number of "supernodes," or user PCs outside of firewalls that serve as directories to connect other users of the service. The Skype Big Blog today announced that an estimated 10 million users were able to connect with the service as of this morning, but that still leaves a potential 15 million without service.
Fortunately, for those who use Skype for computer-to-computer voice- or video-calling, there are a number of alternatives. And the same holds for those who use Skype for calling out to standard phone lines. Of course, if you've paid Skype for inbound phone service, you're out of luck, since your number won't be reachable.
Here are the best services to choose from if you're locked out of Skype and you need to connect:
AIM. The longtime instant-messaging app from AOL actually now handles both voice and video calling and versions are available for PCs and Macs. It doesn't offer Skype's HD video chatting, group video, or calling to regular phone lines, but computer-to-computer voice calling sounds quite acceptable.
Gmail Voice and Video Chat. If you download and install a Google browser plug-in, you can make voice and video calls from Gmail, and even call regular phone numbers. Don't confuse this with Google Voice, which is more of a routing, voicemail, and transcribing service for your existing phone lines.
Logitech Vid HD. Despite its name, Vid doesn't require a Logitech camera or even an HD webcam—it's free for anyone with a Windows or Mac PC and a webcam. It's simple to setup and use, and video looks really sharp if both parties are using Logitech HD webcams, though it requires downloading and installing software.
ooVoo. This visually named software does video calling, voice calling, video chat rooms, web-based video, and even lets you call phone lines for a charge. It's an alternative to Skype that users of that service would do well to check out, as it doesn't use supernodes and offers call recording and desktop sharing to boot. The web video feature means you can start using it without a download and install process. And like Skype, mobile versions for iPhone and Android let you make calls from the field.
TokBox. A completely Web-based (using Adobe Flash) service, TokBox is extremely flexible, since it doesn't require setup. It also offers multi-party videoconferencing with up to 20 participants, though the image quality suffers compared with some of the other services.
VoxOx. This one is a powerhouse of communication features. For free, VoxOx lets you set up a Google Voice like routing system, but also adds calling to outside numbers, video calling, and even a free inbound phone number. The company has compiled a large feature list comparing the major competitors.
Windows Live Messenger. Of course, this one is only for users of Windows Vista and 7, but it does a decent job of PC-to-PC voice and video calling, even supporting HD resolutions for the latter. But you don't get any calling to outside lines—yet.
Yahoo Messenger. The latest version of this longtime IM client does a surprisingly good job at voice and video calling, even offering an option to call outside phone lines for extra charge. Though not HD resolution, video was quite smooth, and sound was excellent in my testing.