Skype increases desktop integration

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A new version of voice-over-IP (VoIP) application Skype is now widely available. The latest version lets users import contacts from Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, MSN Messenger and Opera and other PC desktop applications.

The Luxembourg-based upstart has so far signed up 29 million registered users for its free peer-to-peer based Net phone calling — making it one of the fastest-growing services on the Net. Now it's aiming to milk profits from its swelling ranks of freeloaders with paid services that promise to make its Net-only product significantly more useful to consumers — and potentially a more lethal competitor to traditional phone providers.

Talkback

Closed protocols don't cut it any more. Skype's got two strikes against it, being closed source and using a closed protocol. It is the closed protocol that will give problems to users concerned about interoperability or possible price gouging. The closed source aspect is enough to put a cramp in those concerned about eavedropping or backdoors.

Standard protocols like H.323 and SIP are the way to go. The explosive growth of the Internet, resulting from TCP/IP being open, and later the WWW, resulting from HTTP being open, show us that.

On the plus side, Skype has a simple, clean interface and has sharp martekting and good ties to the press. But like any other Nordic dot-com, sharp marketing is not enough to make a killer app or even a successful business.

Call me back when Skype has gone open source (like MySQL) or has gone open protocol (like Opera).

via Facebook 24 March, 2005 11:06
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I would call you but you don't have skype

via Facebook 24 March, 2005 21:05
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