3 launches free Skype-to-Skype for business & enhanced plans

It’s a little known fact that 3’s business service plans are phenomenal. They’ve been ratcheted up as of this morning, putting the squeeze on other operator pricing models.

They will, for example, give you line rental for 11 quid a month (plus VAT, everything on the business site is, obviously, plus-vat) and then charge you 6p a minute to a landline, 6p a minute to other 3 handsets and 20p a minute to other mobiles. It’s a brilliant deal if you’d like to keep costs low and proportional to your business usage. (One imagines that if you make more calls, you’re going to make more money… right?)

Or if you’d like inclusive minutes, stump up 21 quid and you’ll get 1,125 minutes a month (that’s 750 standard, with an extra 50% for the length of your plan).

I’m particularly pleased to report that 3 business customers on Mix and Match service plans now automatically get 300 free inclusive minutes to other 3 customers; free Skype to Skpye calls, free voicemail and free instant messenger. This is beginning to get really compelling, eh?

Here’s some more meat:

Customers can now select from five plans of flexible minutes or texts they need – for example GBP12.77 a month for 300 minutes or texts right through to GBP22.98 a month for 1100 minutes or texts. Depending on the package selected customers also receive further bonus extras including 2000 3-to-3 minutes, 1000 UK texts or 2000 UK landline minutes.

Business Mix and Match also offers customers significant flexibility when choosing handsets. Customers will be able to select new handsets such as Nokia’s N95 or the HTC TyTN II, alongside established handsets such as Nokia’s E61 and 6500 slider.

3 Business has also boosted the value of its Business 600, Business 900 and Flat Rate tariffs, giving customers on these price plans 2000 free 3-to-3 minutes. In addition new customers signing up for 18-months will also receive a 10% discount and those on 24-month contracts will get 25% off their recurring charge (discount applies to sharer member not access fee).