Communication via the Internet can be performed with several tools and in a wide variety of settings - from simple IRC channels to complex programs supporting virtual conferences. Skype strikes a very good balance between these two extremes and, as such, has garnered a high degree of popularity. SoftSpire Skype Contacts Converter can assist Skype users in transferring their contacts to Excel and Outlook-friendly formats.

Specifically, the application can generate output XLS and PST documents; however, it should be noted that the latter format requires Microsoft Outlook to be installed. Also, any auxiliary files linked to the source VCF document are dumped in the destination folder (for example, attached personal photos).

As for the Excel format, resulting spreadsheets feature a simple layout, in which Skype contacts information are transferred on a one-to-one cell basis. Issuing conversion tasks is a very simple affair, as one needs only to point to the target file, choose from the two available output formats and click on the “Convert Skype Contacts” button.

Unfortunately the application currently only supports the two output formats, which is somewhat of a letdown, considering that generating PSTs also requires Outlook. At the same time, drag and drop operations are not supported.

The intuitive one-window interface makes up for this limitation, as new users will not waste any time browsing stuffy manuals for complicated operations. Also, no settings can be adjusted, which further streamlines users' experience; however, the option to at least customize the name of the resulting XLS or PST documents would have been great.

To sum up, SoftSpire Skype Contacts Converter is an adequate tool for anyone requiring simple Skype contacts transferal tasks. The application only supports XLS and PST as output formats and customization options are limited to the destination path of the resulting file.