My server room is loud. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean that if I’m in there, I can’t hear my phone in the next room. That is a bad thing. As much as I’d like to avoid it, people do need to speak with me sometimes. Ugh.
I realize the most logical course of action would be to get a phone in there. The problem is that we have digital (not voip) phones, which require special wiring, special phones, and an especially large pile of money to acquire. Enter Skype.
For $60 a year, you can get Skype Pro and a SkypeIn number. Yes, $5 a month isn’t free, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not really expensive either. What it gets me is most assuredly worth it. Here’s my setup:
- All calls to my office phone ring twice, then get transferred to my SkypeIn number
- A computer in my server room runs Skype, which I can easily hear and answer
- If I don’t answer (or Skype is not on), calls go to voicemail that I can retrieve from anywhere.
- I ordered a WiFi Skype phone, so I can carry it around the school and get calls anywhere we have WiFi
This may seem like overkill, but it makes especially good sense when you take into account the following:
- The voicemail system on our desk phones rarely works for me, and I miss calls often
- There is zero cellphone coverage in the school, so forwarding to my cellphone is pointless
- “Skype Me” is fun to say 🙂
So feel free to Skype me. My account is shawnp0wers.