Skype is a free program which allows computer users with broadband connections and microphones to communicate with each other, via voice, over the Internet. There are, and have been for years, programs which allowed users to chat via voice. However, with the introduction of
SkypeCasts persons may go to the SkypeCast web page and create or join a "SkypeCast": A scheduled conference where participants may engage each other in verbal discourse(usually on a particular topic). This "real-time" verbal interaction is the most natural state of communication between two or more individuals and aside from cues displayed through body-language, represents a much clearer form of communication.
At the time of this writing there are
6.5 million users throughout the world logged into and using Skype at the moment.