Skype U-turns on plan to kill off desktop API, spares foot from bullet

Skype has backtracked on a decision to terminate its desktop API next month, a move that would have broken the voice-chat service for millions. Microsoft’s Voice-over-IP unit has said it’s now “extending support” for the parts of the API that work with hardware and allow the user to record calls. Chat through third-party …

[BugsMan]

The moment MS bought Skype this approach became 100% predictable, to be preceded by gobsmacking update failures. And so it came to pass.

If Bill Gates (who surely still has some influence) is sincere with his charitable works, he will recognise the importance of supporting entrepreneurial micro businesses as well as malaria-infested third world villages.

[Roo]

"If Bill Gates (who surely still has some influence) is sincere with his charitable works, he will recognise the importance of supporting entrepreneurial micro businesses as well as malaria-infested third world villages."

Given his recent pronouncements: Fat chance of that happening.

[Kay Burley ate my hamster]

So is there a huge gaping security hole?

MS have had almost as many U-turns as Cameron this year.

[Ted Treen]

Predictable

Unfortunately the attitude for which MS has often been criticised in the past -

"Own & control it, or kill it!" still seems to prevail.

[Anonymous Coward]

The real reason?

Maybe the NSA has had a word with MS :

"Guy's if you withdraw the API there is a chance that someone will develop an alternative solution to Skype"

MS " Yeah but we won't see any significant money loss if there is an open source Skype alternative"

NSA " You don't understand, if there is an alternative we may not be able to get a back door into it"

MS "OK - see your point. We'll carry on and do our best to make sure developing a Open Source Skype alternative is not worthwhile"

NSA "Thanks guys - we'll go confirm that advanced order for 1,000,000 copies of Windows 2020 It was $500 a copy wasn't it?'

MS "Yep"

NSA "Great send the Invoice - we'll get it cleared by Christmas"

[Anonymous Coward]

People who were going to be affected by this should start looking at credible alternatives because Microsoft will kill this one way or the other. They buy companies and then just run them into the ground or alienate the people that made the companies worth buying whether that be the employees or the userbase behind it..

I use Skype quite a bit and I've recently been trying hangouts and it's not as bad as I expected it to be, but it is nowhere near as fully functional as Skype. Hopefully google can add more features or someone can name a better solution that has all these features of Skype and more

[Matt 21]

I don't think Hangouts does cheap phone calls does it?

At the moment I plug a USB device into an old PC I leave on all the time. The USB box is also connected to my existing phones and phone lines. I can then send and receive calls from Skype or my fixed line more or less seamlessly.

I'd prefer to replace the old PC with a dedicated box which uses less leccy but haven't found anything so far.

I think I pay about €50 a quarter and can call all over Europe as much as I like. (land lines only) which suits me well.

I haven't found an alternative that works anything like this for the same price. I'd be very interested if anyone else has.

[John Tserkezis]

Although it's good to hear, I've long since given up on Skype.

For that matter, I really can't see what's wrong with SIP softphones. It's pretty much industry standard, there's a plethora of freebee hosts around so it can cost nothing, there's huge hardware support if you want to go that way, and when^H^H^H^H if the Australian NBN ever gets around to the areas that actually matter, it'll be your main choice.

It doesn't nag you every week for yet another upgrade, and best of all, no ads.

Downsides are, although it could potentially have every feature known to mankind, it might not be as easy for lay users to 'plug in' a Skype module and have it do something.