[*] Fallout of Skype purchase from Microsoft

[John Lange]

In my opinion Skype will be replaced in a heartbeat by whatever the
next big thing is and MS will be left holding an empty bag where
$8Billion dollars used to be.

Once cell providers are finally pushed (kicking and screaming) into
offering data-only "phones" and one of my "apps" is something that
lets me "phone" anywhere any time for free, why do I need Skype? You
might argue that Skype will end up being "the app" in question, but
with Microsoft at the helm it surely will not be.

Microsoft did not buy Skype to get into the "Skype business", it
bought Skype to help push it's traditional software products. That, by
definition means Skype will become less open. Already they've yanked
Skype for Asterisk. Will Microsoft continue to push Skype for
iPad/iPhone/Android ? I can't think of any reason why they would.

So the app that unites all "phone" users will have to be something else.

John

On Thu, May 26, 2011 at 11:54 AM, Bill Reid <billreid at shaw.ca> wrote:
> I generally agree with what you are saying John but in reality Sean is correct.
> Skype just works.
>
> The big problem with non-Skype VoIP solutions is still the lack of a global
> directory. I was hoping that your email address would be the VoIP UID for
> contacting people but that has not happened. All the infrastructure is there to
> allow this but it is just not implemented. Once you get the PSTN part up we seem
> to stop at that point. My impression is that almost all corporate VoIP systems
> do not allow contact from the Internet. You have to go through a PSTN gateway.
> Like IM if you have to know the system that a person is on before making contact
> then it is basically broken. So far I think the PSTN and email are the only
> systems that do not have this requirement.
>
> Skype of course is not a solution to this problem but like Facebook it wins by
> having the most members.
>
> -- Bill
>
> On 26/05/11 09:29, John Lange wrote:
>> Personally I've always failed to see the appeal of skype since it's
>> something that could be replicated using other voip related tools with
>> the added benefit of being tied to a larger database of potential
>> users that you could reach.
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-- 
John Lange
www.johnlange.ca