Gone are those days when people would only use phones and pay huge bills to get in touch with each other, things have progressed and are much advanced now. Now many tools have been created using which you can voice and video chat with anyone, anywhere, without having to worry about the costs. The most popular software that allows you to enjoy these and many other features like whiteboard, video conferencing, instant screen sharing, and so on, is ezTalks. Apart from ezTalks video conferencing, there are two other tools that are more popular – Skype and WhatsApp. However, some people like using Skype and some prefer using WhatsApp, so which amongst these is better? If this is what you are now wondering then we shall help you discover your answer. But before we start with the comparison let us get to learn about both these tools in brief.
This Thread seems to be bit old, but the integration issues remain the same! How can we integrate cisco IMAP with Skype chat. With out any 3rd party intermediary product. Pls share some documents!
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The app has a higher rating on Apple's App Store. The rating measures the overall quality of the app and user satisfaction. The score ranges from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). Use your customers preferred communication method with Whatsapp Anywhere365 makes it possible to chat with a group of (federated) Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business users, while the customer uses the WhatsApp client. This includes the features that WhatsApp offers like Location Sharing. Mar 26, 2019 The process is the same as for landlines above. Set your country code within WhatsApp and remove the leading 0 from your Google Voice or Skype number. Open the respective phone app and wait for the SMS to arrive. Enter the code into WhatsApp and you're verified. WhatsApp chatbot is an automated software powered by rules or artificial intelligence (AI) and runs on the WhatsApp platform. People communicate with WhatsApp chatbot via the chat interface, like talking to a real person. It's a set of automated replies that simulates a human conversation on WhatsApp.
FREE TO START NOWWhat is Skype?
Skype is a software that allows you to enjoy a conversation with anyone in the world. Many businesses and individuals use Skype to make free voice and video one-to-one or even group calls, share files and send instant messages to others. You can use Skype on your tablet, computer, and even mobile. It is free to download and free to use.
What is WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is a smartphone messenger app which is free to download. If you use this app with an internet connection, you can send messages, video, audio, and images to others who are also using this app. Together with this, it allows you to group chat, share location, send voice messages, and also video chat with anyone you want to as long as they also are using WhatsApp.
Skype vs WhatsApp – A 2019 Comparison
1. Mobility
While WhatsApp was introduced as a mobile app, Skype was basically an app that could be used by computer users only, though calls could be made on other phones too. However, when more smartphones started being introduced and when communication shifted from desks to on the go, Skype was lagging behind. The app that it released had limitations and was not available for platforms like BlackBerry for a long time. So, Skype is ideal for computer users who want to enjoy good features, stability, and quality in their communication. WhatsApp, on the other hand, is more preferred by mobile device users.
2. Quality of Calls
WhatsApp does allow you to enjoy quite a decent voice call quality though many users also complain about echo and dropped calls. Skype conversely is one of the best that you can find on the VoIP market. The reason being Skype has its very own codec to encode calls and has always been maintaining a great service. It also offers HD voice. So, if you use Skype to make calls you are sure to enjoy a much better call quality than what WhatsApp could offer, of course, if the other factors that impacts call quality are also favorable.
3. Ease of Access
How easily can a person be contacted using these group video chat apps? If you use Skype you will need the person's Skype name, for which you need to contact the person beforehand. Users are identified in Skype with the help of their nickname. WhatsApp, on the other hand, uses the phone numbers that are already saved on your phone. So, whosoever is in your phone contact list and uses WhatsApp, can be contacted almost instantly. You do not need any prior detail sharing, no nickname, and no IDs. This makes it quicker and easier to contact people using WhatsApp.
4. Cost of Data Consumption
Both WhatsApp and Skype offer unlimited and free voice calling. As far as the price is concerned it will be reflected in the data consumption. Skype does offer a great call quality but that also uses a lot of data. If you spend one minute calling someone over Skype it will drain more of your data compared to what using WhatsApp for a similar duration call will. Though this will not make much of a difference if you are using Wi-Fi, if you are on 3G or 4G connectivity then it does matter. So, if you give more importance to call quality, then Skype is your choice, but if you consider data consumption then you likely should settle for WhatsApp calls.
5. Features
If features are compared than Skype does have a lot more to offer. Apart from the features that both share in common, Skype also offers file sharing, screen sharing, collaboration tools, business features, conference video calls. One more thing that needs to be mentioned here is that Skype allows you to call anyone who has a phone number, even if they do not use Skype. Though this service is paid, it is available for you to take advantage of.
6. Number of Users
The number of users a service has can impact its free calling facility. The more the number of users better are your chances of enjoying free calls. Though Skype has been in existence much longer compared to WhatsApp, and there also was a time when everyone would contact each other using this tool, but now things have largely changed. Since smartphones are more popularly used than computers or laptops, WhatsApp enjoys a much larger number of users. In fact, the number of users WhatsApp has is about 5 times more than what Skype does.
Yes, there was a time when Skype ruled, almost everyone used it, but things have taken a different turn now. WhatsApp is gaining more and more popularity each day. However, this does not mean Skype is extinct or ever will be, because there are still many who are more interested in call quality and do not mind using IDs and nicknames to make calls, and there are also others who have no time to waste and making a quick call just browsing through their contact list seems much easier. So, to conclude we can say both Skype and WhatsApp are good in their own ways, and which one you shall select amongst these is more a matter of preference and priorities. PNG Images via VipPNG & PikPNG
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If you're on our Rising star price plan you can connect WhatsApp to your Paldesk account and give your customers the option to reach your team directly from their phones. With over 1.5 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is the number one messaging app on the planet. Link it with your Paldesk account to drastically increase your accessibility. Paldesk currently supports a direct WhatsApp integration (via Twilio) as well as Whatsapp as an external channel.
You can access the WhatsApp integration here, and learn how to set it up below!
Difference Between Skype And Whatsapp
WhatsApp via Twilio (direct integration with Paldesk)
To send and receive WhatsApp messages in Paldesk, you will need a Twilio Account and a Twilio number with SMS and MMS capabilities. Here's how you should set it up:
Step 1. If you already have a WhatsApp business number, you can port your existing number to Twilio. It must be a Twilio registered number either way.
Step 2. Make sure your new Twilio number is approved by WhatsApp. When you are all set with your Twilio number, you can request access. You can find all the related information in Twilio Docs.
Step 3. Once your request has been approved, you should see your WhatsApp number under the 'ProgrammableSMS – WhatsApp Enabled Senders' in your Twilio Console dashboard.
Step 4. When you click on it, you should enter your WhatsApp Business Details. To send and receive messages with that number, you should add the Paldesk webhook (https://paldesk.io/api/twilio/webhook) to the 'When a message comes in' field in your WhatsApp configuration.
Step 5. Finally, you will need to configure your WhatsApp integration via Twilio in Paldesk. Have your Twilio Number, Twilio Account SID, and Twilio AuthToken ready. You can find all this information on the main dashboard of your Twilio Console.
Note: The format of the phone number can only contain a '+' sign and numbers (no whitespaces or braces, slashes, or brackets).
Step 6. Copy your Account SID, Auth Token and your number and go back to your Paldesk dashboard.
Image 3. Information you'll need to copy and then paste into Paldesk
Step 7. In your Paldesk dashboard, go to Administration – Channels – WhatsApp. Click on the + icon in the upper right corner to create a new Twilio integration.
Step 8. Paste the Twilio SID, Twilio AuthToken, and enter your Twilio number in the required fields. Finally, assign your new channel to a group of agents in your Paldesk team. You can also enter a welcome and a wait message that will be displayed to your customers when they start a new chat with your support team. Save changes when you're done.
Image 4. New WhatsApp via Twilio configuration in Paldesk
Step 9. Go to Administration – Embeddable elements – Website widget – Channels tab. Select WhatsApp (via Twilio) and save changes. Once you've done that, a WhatsApp icon will appear on your chat widget.
Important: If you have previously added WhatsApp as an external channel, once you create a WhatsApp via Twilio integration, it will automatically replace the external channel in your widget administration. Your Twilio number will appear in the box (under 'External channels'), instead of any other external WhatsApp number you may have previously linked to your Paldesk account.
Image 5. Your new WhatsApp via Twilio integration with Paldesk
How does the direct WhatsApp integration work?
When customers click on the icon, they will be redirected to the WhatsApp desktop / mobile app, and they can message your team directly from their WhatsApp account. Your linked business number will appear as the recipient, and they will be able to message your team directly from their WhatsApp app.
Image 6. New WhatsApp via Twilio message form the customer's perspective
Your agents will be able to reply to WhatsApp messages directly from their Paldesk dashboard. Your agents will be able to see the sender's number and respond directly from their Live. Here's what that message will look like in your Paldesk account:
Since Twilio supports audio messages and images, your customers can send you voice messages, images, and files. Here's what that looks like from their perspective:
Image 8. Customer sending you voice messages and images
Once they've sent you those attachments, your team will see them as links. When an agent clicks on a link, they'll be able to access the image or voice message in a new window. For example:
Twilio supports the following formats:
- Images: JPG, JPEG, PNG
- Audio: MP3, OGG, AMR
- Documents: PDF
- Video: MP4
Read more about it here.
A few important things to consider:
Firstly, WhatsApp messages in Paldesk are charged by Twilio according to their fees, and Paldesk has no responsibility for the charges from Twilio or price changes. You can see Twilio API for WhatsApp beta pricing here.
Furthermore, when a customer sends a message to your WhatsApp Business number, it opens a 24 hour time window in which you can freely send an unlimited number of messages to that customer.
Finally, in order to reply to customers who haven't sent you a message within the last 24 hours, you'll need to use WhatsApp approved message templates. You can read all about how to create and use templates in the official Twilio Docs.
WhatsApp as an external channel
If you don't have a Twilio number, you can always add WhatsApp as an external channel. This means your visitors and clients can still reach out to you through WhatsApp, but the conversations will take place outside of Paldesk, directly in your WhatsApp desktop or mobile app. Here's how you can set it up in two easy steps!
Step 1. Go to Administration – Embeddable elements – Website widget – Channels. After that, scroll down to external channels and check the box next to the Whatsapp label, as seen below:
Step 2. Control click iphone. Add your phone number and save changes. As a result, a WhatsApp icon will appear on your chat widget.
Whatsapp Vs Skype
Image 11. WhatsApp on widget, as an external channel
Finally, when customers click on the WhatsApp icon on your widget, they will be able to send you a message from their WhatsApp account. However, if you add WhatsApp as an external channel, messages will not be forwarded to your Paldesk account, and you will be replying from WhatsApp instead.
And that's how you can set up a WhatsApp integration with Paldesk! If you come across any issues, reach out to us via live chat at paldesk.com or email us at support@paldesk.com. We'll be more than happy to help you set things up!