Skype decided to retire Skype for Asterisk before the company's takeover by Microsoft, the company said on Wednesday as commentators raised suspicions over the axing.
Asterisk is an open-source software PBX platform that gained Skype interoperability in 2009. However, its owner Digium said earlier this week that Skype had decided not to renew the agreement that lets Digium use Skype's proprietary software, which is essential to the product. As a result, Skype for Asterisk sales and activations will cease on 26 July.
"This change should not affect any existing users of Skype for Asterisk. Representatives of Skype have assured us that they will continue to support and maintain the Skype for Asterisk software for a period of two years thereafter, as specified in the agreement with Digium," Digium said. "We expect that users of Skype for Asterisk will be able to continue using their Asterisk systems on the Skype network until at least July 26, 2013. Skype may extend this at their discretion."
Skype's decision immediately raised suspicions among many commentators, such as Steven Vaughan-Nichols of the US ZDNet site. "I told you so. I knew that Steve Ballmer could talk all he wanted about how Microsoft would continue to support non-Microsoft platforms, but that there was no way he'd actually do it," he wrote on Wednesday.
"It doesn't require a genius to see what the Microsoft and Skype are doing," Vaughan-Nichols added. "This summer Microsoft will be launching the Microsoft-hosted version of its Lync unified-communications server, aka Lync Online. Asterisk is a direct competitor to the entire Lync line. Need I say more?"
However, Skype said in a statement on Wednesday that it "made the decision to retire Skype for Asterisk several months ago, as we have prioritised our focus around implementing the IETF SIP standard in our Skype Connect solution".
"SIP enjoys the broadest support of any of the available signalling alternatives by business communications equipment vendors, including Digium," Skype said. "By supporting SIP in favour of alternatives, we maximize our resources and continue to reinforce our commitment to delivering Skype on key platforms where we can meet the broadest customer demand."
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You could imagine how that decision by Skype to switch to the IETF standard would have removed the final barrier to Microsoft's acquisition of Skype. The only question is whether Skype came up with that idea on its own or if MS suggested it...
We’re already starting to see what Skype’s future under Microsoft could look like. The fact it has decided not to renew its agreement with open-source telephony system Asterisk, suggests we could be moving towards a closed, proprietary integration between Skype & Microsoft Lync.
I've heard it's a mere change of strategy from Skype and or that it’s too early for Microsoft to have had an influence. But I’m sure I won’t be alone when I say the timing is coincidental! This summer Microsoft is due to launch an online version of Lync, a Microsoft-hosted version of its Lync unified-communications server - Asterisk happens to be a competitor to the Lync line. As Manek says, are we really supposed to believe that it didn’t pop up in conversation when Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and Skype chief executive Tony Bates discussed a £5.2 billion deal?
I think the biggest losers in all of this are the SMEs that rely on Skype for Asterisk to conduct their business. Not only did Skype for Asterisk represent an affordable system allowing cheap integration with a free network, but it gave SMEs an alternative option.
However, this all stands to change. While businesses still have use and third party support for Asterisk/Skype software for a couple more years, we’re undoubtedly facing a future of less choice and more rigid standards.
But what does it mean in practical terms? That nice convergence of Asterisk and Skype where our desk-phones talked nicely with our Skype accounts, meaning we only needed one set of devices for everything and could work the way we wanted is no longer. And, if your Asterisk supported website (like ours) has a little Skype button for customers to call you - it probably won’t work – or at least not at the nice price levels we were used to.
I’m afraid it leaves SMEs who want to use Skype with little option than to embrace its new face - and it has Microsoft’s smile written all over it.
If you believe that Microsoft had nothing to do with this decision (I'm reasonably sure that you do not, David, I am using the generic "you" above), and that Skype had already decided to do this before the Microsoft takeover... I have a bridge in New York that I would like to sell you, please contact me immediately.
People have been trying to get Skype to integrate SIP for literally years, and Skype not only showed now interest, they were actively and aggressively against it. Now, suddenly, they have "seen the light" with SIP, and that is the reason that they very conveniently decided to stab a Microsoft competitor in the back? Right. Well, I have some excellent property in Florida for sale as well...
jw
If Skype had ever been serious about Asterisk integration in the first palce, it wouldn't have limited it to Skype for Business customers, it wouldn't have kept the right to individually select beta partners and it might have but a smidgen more work into it. I rather suspect that the Skype team realised some time after the Digium deal that it had made a bridge that its competitors could make huge use of and this decision reflects that.
MB