12/22:  Today's Skype blip is another in a series of issues that can cause havoc to any business.  The issue hasn't been confirmed by Skype as of 11:45 EST, but their primary heartbeat service was down, confirming the issue.

A consumer simply waits, a business needs to have backup and failover plans.  The web and the cloud offer some of the best technology for any size business, but you should always have backups:

- Email hosting:  Multiple providers and easy access to your own DNS.  You should also have email spooling from your anti-virus/spam provider

- Web site (including ecommerce): Primary site and failover site that can be activated in the event of an issue

- Cloud Apps (ex Salesforce) Invest in solid backup and offline options for all users.  You should also have a documented plan in case of outage

- Internet connectivity: Multiple line for the main office.  Each user should have a list of local Wifi and/or backup cell modems for outages.  Home access is the most notorious for going down

- Skype: Yes this outage probably cut off a few major conversations.  Simply keeping your contacts land or cell phones is handy, as well as investing in your own live chat on your web site.  If skype is down, redirect to your site.