Summary

K2 Inc., a global sporting equipment manufacturer best known for its K2 skis, has installed the VoSKY Exchange gateway in its corporate headquarters to allow Internet-based Skype calls to be routed to and from users’ standard desk phones over the office PBX, enabling free Skype-to-Skype calls between K2 employees anywhere in the world and the main office in Carlsbad, California.

Users at K2 headquarters can make Skype calls from their existing desk phones with no need to install Skype client software on their office PCs or use a PC/headset setup during Skype conversations. Users on the road or in satellite K2 offices can call any colleague in the Carlsbad headquarters by clicking K2 headquarters’ main Skype ID through their own Skype-equipped laptops or desktops and entering the appropriate office extension. In both scenarios, calls are free because VoSKY Exchange automatically directs Skype calls to the Skype.

K2 is now considering deploying additional VoSKY Exchange boxes to interconnect the disparate PBXs in its worldwide offices to allow remote users to make Skype calls from their desk phones rather than their computers, and simultaneously eliminate the management complications involved in requiring individual users to download and manage Skype software. The company has wholly owned subsidiaries in Europe, Canada, Norway and Japan.

“We have been interested in using Skype to reduce our long-distance bills, but initially we were discouraged because we faced the prospect of installing Skype software on every user’s desktop, having to issue headsets and managing each Skype account individually,” said Sean Andrew, IT Director for K2’s Carlsbad headquarters. “VoSKY Exchange enabled us to painlessly extend our existing PBX system to incorporate the power of Skype without the complexities and headaches associated with other VoIP solutions. The upshot is that we were able to achieve a return on our investment within one month and are continuing to save thousands of dollars on landline and mobile phone charges each month.”