Is Skype Microsoft's PowerPoint part deux? Microsoft already owns one verb: "PowerPoint. But it's not a very sexy or exciting verb in today's webby world. So, a few years back, Microsoft began searching for another, one that covers something lots of people do online. But Google already owns that one. But this week, chief exec Steve Ballmer finally got his wish. His …
Maybe PowerPoint isn't a verb, I would say it more a noun. "I'm going to show you some PowerPoint". Just doesn't really matter if it is Keynote or Impress. For better or worse, poeple know that a slide presentation is 'PowerPoint'.
Now Skype can be a verb. I've heard many poeple say 'Skype me' or 'I'll Skype you'. I think the Skype very much is the term for talking with video/audio over the Internet, wheather you are using Skype or FaceTime or something else.
Is it worth 8 billion? I don't konw, but I do think that it is worth a lot, and I think it will be good for Microsoft.
The MS and Skype purchase does actually make quite a bit of sense, especially when you think of the potential unified comms package they'd be offering with Skype tied in with Exchange Server.
One thing I always wished Skype had was some sort of business switchboard software. So you could setup a central Skype username for a small business then have multiple Skype users able to answer/make calls through that Skype username. Or something like that anyway.
Could have been attractive to people who couldn't be bothered with full-blown IP PBX systems anyway.
We've got a mail server, XMPP server and remote Asterisk box. But tying it all together is fairly tough. I'm still trying to get aggregated presence with SIP/call status and XMPP. And I'd really like video and voice support to be improved under XMPP as well, I believe it can be done but not without a bit of faff.
I have tried using skypes 'business friendly' web front end.
However you can't upgrade standard accounts, the web front end was horribly slow to the point of being unusable and in NZ they only have Auckland based skype out numbers.
In terms of an Exchange tie in - yuck. Exchange is great when it works, if it breaks itself or the hadware breaks - whoa - would I use skype if I had to manage an Exchange server to do it - I don't think so Tim.
...acquisition of Qik by Skype, Microsoft finally has a way to attack Apple's FaceTime functionality. FaceTime is an astonishing development; and Microsoft has learnt the hard way not to ignore Apple's services.
Though overpaid, this acquisition will immediately allow MS to step up to the plate in mobile conferencing.
I just hope support for other operating systems (Eg, linux) is not pulled out.
"TROLL ALERT!" or "WHAT THE F*CK, RAHUL?! Have you been living in a cave? Like a really, REALLY deep cave?"
Videocalling has been a part of Windows since about 1996 (with NetMeeting), and has been available on Windows Mobile smartphones since shortly before the Dawn of Time. Or 2004, at least.
Outside the MS space, Videocalling has been available on smartphones since the dawn of 3G in the early 2000s. It is neither astonishing nor, really, a development that someone would create this feature 10 years after it was first released to the consumer market.
Apple hasn't added anything to the computing space in a very very long time besides multitouch, some chrome and the odd explosion.
Ballmer's thought he was up to swimming with the sharks.
It has just been proved that this is not the case.
I am not convinced that he really has a handle on the difference between a million and a billion.
i.e. 1,000,000,000
Its the peter principle at work - promoted to a position he is not competent in.
Once you strip him of his minders the real sharks just eat him alive.
oh and "The Emperor's New Clothes" and the "Skype sale" .... yeah...
I wonder why in the hell Microsoft would buy something like that.
in addition to being all Linux based Skype turns in huge losses every year.
When it comes to Microsoft and Steve Ballmer the term Linux and OpenSource is like a Cross and Holywater to a Vampire.
So expect that when they get finished remaking Skype it's not going to even resemble what it was before.
They will probably even re brand it to some terribly thought out thing like MS FlooberDoober so that it is sure to put people off.
Not only did they pay way too much for a name it is doomed to failure after they finish remaking it.
Not that Google or Apple would have done any better but it was a horrible investment all the way around.
They would have been a lot better just putting all of the money in a big pile and lighting it on fire.
How much R&D do you think they will sink into this venture before they totally ruin it?
From my perspective it looks like Microsoft bought Skype just to keep anyone else from getting it.
The next phase is to either start charging for it as a service or to lock it into Windows OS or XBoX somehow or both.
That will be the end of Skype.
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