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Skype Journal – November 2011 News Roundup

2011-11-01T15:29:49Z

Is Nuance the only company to offer effective speech recognition at scale? I think so; they been improving their accuracy and bought up small companies before they could pose a threat to their monopoly. Google thinks so too, saying their hold on natural language processing is such a competitive advantage that Apple’s Siri, which uses Nuance services, should take Google off the hook for antitrust concerns. FairSearch calls balderdash.

Dennis Howlett gives up on Skype premium products since Skype refuses to refund losses due to security breach.

Quora answers Does Skyping with a guy look gay? with flippant answers to a silly question. My favorite answer comes from Suzanne Grub: “1. Peer-to-Peer applications are gay. If we define ‘heterosexual’ as describing a relationship where each party contributes a different sort of functional bits, and ‘homosexual’ as describing a relationship where each party contributes the same sort of functional bits, it’s pretty clear that Skype (where two equipotent computers with the same … err… package establish a relationship) is gay. Incidentally, Spotify and BitTorrent are also gay.”

Skyped job interviews replace flying candidates but have their own problems. Kelly Yang in NYT: “How do you make these tough calls when the connection is unstable, the audio delayed, and looking someone in the eye is impossible?”

Students Skype for School. Indiana high schoolers mentor second graders. California high school students get feedback on class projects from guest architects. Indiana students talk with Guatemala orphans and missionaries. Entrepreneur lectures on startup business to Hampshire students.

Tango, a Skype video calling rival, found support from HTC (preloaded on Titan and Radar phones in the UK and Singapore), Samsung (Focus, Focus Flash models), and Microsoft (Windows Phone marketplace). via WSJ blog. Stats: 23 million user accounts since September 2010 launch.

NYT: Skype lets love linger. College student Lauren Trefny: “’Skype might be a way to continue the magic of a summer relationship,’ she said, ‘but I am not sure it is the best way to develop one.’”

Skype bought the UK an hour of free hotspot Wi-Fi during Internet Week Europe, 7-11 November. Should be an effective promotion; an hour should be enough to hook you and drive Skype credit sales. via The Drum.

Microsoft killed off some 2010 internal tablet plans to protect Office, Windows and Exchange franchises. Microsoft aborted a potential iPad rival before the iPad had even come to market. Bold UI innovation ("digital Moleskine") with tweaked Windows under the hood. How long before Skype has to fight those battles?

Phil Wolff consults with Hookflash, a software company building realtime communication products for effective people. Phil advises the Personal Data Ecosystem Consortium and is a director of the DataPortability Project. Email editor@skypejournal.com, Skype evanwolf, tweet @evanwolf, G+ or call +1-510-444-8234 to talk with Phil. Skype Journal is independent of Skype.

We're partnering with Indonesia's leading mobile operator

2011-10-25T23:21:41Z

Skype is entering into a partnership with Telkomsel to extend the Skype software beyond computers to a range of mobile handsets, so consumers can take their Skype conversations with them on the go.

This partnership will change the way Indonesian consumers connect with friends and family abroad, or even in a nearby city or next door - Always connected while on the move, and at great value.

We'll initially make Skype available on a range of 24 Telkomsel smartphones including Samsung, Blackberry, Nokia and LG handsets, with plans to extend support to a broader base of phones (including J2ME-enabled ones) in future.
Customers with a valid Telkomsel data package can enjoy the following Skype features on supported phones:

• Enjoy unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls globally without having additional charges against your credit balance

• Send and receive free instant messages to your friends, 1 to 1 or with a group.

• Call international landlines and mobiles at great value calling rates from Skype.

• Participate in conference calls.

• Have Skype "always on" and see your friends' online status at any time.
If you're in Indonesia and you're interested in learning more about Skype™ on Telkomsel devices, please visit m.skype.com.

Video calling and video conferences with Skype

2011-10-24T14:14:59Z

A new whitepaper from Skype shows how innovative instructors have put the software to use for teaching students in new and interesting ways.

As students of all ages and teachers around the world prepare to get back to school - or perhaps have already begun to settle in to the academic routine - many might think of Skype as merely something university students use to make cheap calls home.

However, though we certainly think students should use Skype for video calls to mom and dad or instant messaging friends off at other universities, that's only the tip of the iceberg of what Skype has to offer, as shown in a recent Skype whitepaper .

Through Skype in the Classroom, instructors from around the world have the opportunity to collaborate on projects or share ideas through Skype chat or international calls. With free Skype-to-Skype calls, it's never been easier - or cheaper - to compare notes with other teachers, from down the street to Dallas, Djibouti or Dubai.

And the way classrooms from around the world have used Skype to provide a channel for information exchange has truly been inspiring. One chat that started between a classroom in England and members of the Maasai tribe in Tanzania blossomed into regular Skype-delivered English lessons and, finally, flights to Tanzania for a visit.

Skype has also been used regularly for instructors to stay in touch with their classes when carrying out research elsewhere, or for master classes taught by special guests. Guest speakers who may not be able to travel are no problem with Skype either - with a web cam, your classroom will be ready to greet its guest of honour.

If you're an educator or student whose education has been enhanced by Skype, why not let us know in the comments? We love to hear how Skype has helped in the classroom.

Click here to learn more about Skype in the Classroom

Our 5 top tips for video business meetings

2011-10-24T20:43:36Z

It's easy to get down to business with Skype video calls, file transfers and screen sharing.

Read on for our top tips on how to get the most from your business video call.

Video calling is a great way to save on those overheads and cut the costs of client meetings.

And by hooking up without leaving the office, you'll save on commuting costs and help save the planet.

Great, right?

But that doesn't mean that a business meeting over a video link won't need as much prep as one in the same room.

Be careful to avoid any video call pit-falls with our five top tips for online business meetings.

Adjusting your camera angles
If you're making a group business video call, you'll need to ensure that everyone who needs to be on camera will be. There's nothing worse that only seeing the arms or feet of someone who is speaking just because of a dodgy camera angle. So check out your boardroom and adjust your web cam before calling to avoid any troubling technical hitches.

Nominate a speaker
You'll always want to make sure you have nominated someone to lead any business meeting, especially when you're making a video call. Make sure there is someone ready to do the introduction, deal with any technical issues and to lead the discussion before you dial-in, that way you won't have everyone talking over each other all at once.

Send important files prior to calling
When you're meeting in person you're likely to have hand-outs, and there's no reason it has be any different for a video business meeting. You can send files quickly and easily through Skype using instant messaging, screen sharing or file transfers, so you can be sure the people on the other end of the call can have a look-see at those all important documents.

Check your sitting position
Your body language is really important and will be all too noticeable to all members of the meeting. Don't be tempted to feel as though you can slouch or relax just because you're not in the same physical space as your colleagues and clients - they'll be able to see your every move. And if they don't like what they see, it could mean your meeting won't go so well.

Avoid in-jokes
It can be tempting to lighten the mood and share an in-joke with your colleagues, but when you're on a business call you should be careful to make sure no one feels excluded. Don't turn away from the camera to make jokes with the person sitting next to you. Share a joke with your screen too and you're far more likely to enjoy a successful meeting.

Has Skype helped you get down to business more easily?

Not using Skype at work? Find out more about Skype for business now.

Say hello with Skype

2011-10-21T17:45:03Z

How are you today?

Wherever you are in the world, it's easy to stay in touch with international calling from Skype. Though, it helps if you can at least say hello in the local lingo.

Read on and say hello with Skype and our handy global greetings.

No matter where you are in the world, It's easy to stay in touch and say hello with online calls and video chats from Skype.

Though, it can be tough to break the ice if you don't know the local lingo.

But don't reach for your phrasebook - we've pulled some translations together so you can avoid stuffy formal phrases and say "How are you today?" like a local.

Check out our translations and say hello with Skype.

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First steps Towards MMS support

2011-10-14T19:54:00Z

MMS has been one of the constant feature requests since we launched Google Voice and we’ve been hard at work trying to make this happen.

Today, we're happy to announce that we've made the first step in our efforts to bring this feature to our users. Google Voice users are now able to receive pictures and other multimedia messages from Sprint subscribers. The multimedia attachments will display on their mobile forwarding phone and in their email inbox when they enable text to email forwarding in their Google Voice settings. We are also planning on making them display in the Google Voice inbox.

We are working with other mobile operators to make this work across all mobile phones and will update our users as more and more operators offer support for this.

Posted by Ilya Frank, Senior Software Engineer

Skype: New owners, new customers, new channels

2011-10-14T18:44:31Z

Skype’s stock changes hands. Sometime soon employees may get new badges. Payroll processing and PR firms may change. But, for the most part, Skype’s employees will stay the course, building more Skype in more places.

Skype division President Tony Bates must make good on his promise of synergy to Ballmer.

The first step is to build up the team that treats the rest of Microsoft as major account customers. Each division and many Microsoft product lines will get their own account manager.

They will be responsible for helping the Entertainment division, for example, bring Skype to Xbox Kinect. This is a “Skype inside” approach, building on Skype’s platform products.

Bundling Skype with Microsoft products is the low-hanging fruit. Preinstalled in Windows. An IE toolbar. A home presence on Windows Phone. One more element in Microsoft Office. Low integration cost, low product risk, massive distribution.

These two strategies will change the Skype Division and the Skype products more than the change in owners. Skype will be learning from users and customers indirectly, through the lens of Microsoft’s divisions. So Skype must hold on to end-customer relationships to keep understanding new users. Microsoft will pull Skype in even more directions, with multiple conflicting world views. Skype will learn to hold its own world view and mission.

The coolest things will be the small leaks. Microsoft has great depth of process, experience with scale, reach in the workplace, research on the frontiers of computing. Those will spark deeper insights and innovation at Skype and those will be delightful to watch.

For those still working at Skype, congratulations on the new chapter in the Skype story.

A few useful links:

Tony Bates Weighs in on Microsoft’s Acquisition of Skype blog post announcement and video announcement.
Jim Courtney and Dan York weigh in too, both are upbeat about the announcement.
The most pithy cynicism was on Slashdot: “Embrace.. Extend.. Extinguish..”

A touch of irony as a little bit of Microsoft integration breaks in my browser…

Tony Bates Weighs in on Microsoft's Acquisition of Skype

2011-10-14T17:46:45Z

I am delighted to announce the deal with Microsoft has formally closed, and Skype is now a division of Microsoft. This represents a huge leap forward in Skype's mission to be the communications choice for a billion people every day.

Joining forces with Microsoft is the best way to accelerate this mission and capitalize on our position at the intersection of social, mobile and video communications. Simply put, we want to transform communications. We will do this by building the best products in the world that allow all of us to do things together whenever we're apart and by creating teams who work faster and smarter across the globe building those world-class products.

Microsoft is committed to the ubiquity of the Skype experience - communication across every device and every platform will remain a primary focus. And we've only scratched the surface. We're at the starting line of integrating world-class talent, innovative technologies and products. By bringing together the best of Microsoft and the best of Skype, we'll deliver amazing new experiences for consumers and business around the world.

Check out some of these interesting facts and stats, showing the scope and impact of how Skype video calling is helping people around the world stay connected.

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Joining Forces to Help Support and Connect Military Families

2011-10-12T22:45:00Z

Today, we came across a series of public service announcements on the Whitehouse.gov site about the Joining Forces initiative, asking Americans to take action to support the military and their families.

To inspire everyone's participation, Joining Forces rolled out some terrific videos starring well-known celebrities Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, as well as First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. These videos share the heartfelt stories of military families separated by distance but connecting over video calls to stay in touch and participate in important life moments. Check out the videos here:

A military dad seeing his newborn son:

A military son wishing happy birthday to his dad:

A military dad watching his son grow up:

We at Skype are inspired by the Joining Forces initiative, and hope our U.S. based customers take a moment to get involved. And don't forget, if you have a family member or friend in the military who is far away, you can show your own personal support by just giving them a call.

Crunch Takes Accounting Services to the Next Level with Skype

2011-10-12T13:04:17Z

At Skype, we occasionally come across a really unique and cool business that is using Skype. Today, we want to share the profile of Crunch, a UK based online business that provides accounting, finance and tax services. We interviewed Darren Fell, CEO of Crunch to share their story.

Tell Skype readers about Crunch. What does Crunch do?
Since Crunch opened its doors just over two years ago, we have always strived to provide the very best customer service. We are an online accountancy service for freelancers, contractors and small businesses - as such our clients often work alone or have very few employees and so need plenty of support and advice on how to best manage their finances and maximise their tax efficiency. Cash flow is a big deal for small firms, and without the proper guidance they greatly increase the risk of not making it to the end of the all-important first year.

We are in something of a unique position. We are breaking new ground in small business accountancy by using a hybrid of cloud software and full-service accountancy - our clients record their expenses and invoices using our software, and we do the rest for a flat monthly fee. Because of this approach we are popular with tech-savvy individuals such as IT Consultants, Web Designers and Programmers. Our clients are predominantly early adopters and technology enthusiasts. We have found ourselves in a virtuous circle where we are constantly pushing hard to exceed our client's expectations and deliver a cutting-edge service, and our clients in turn expect us to push the envelope and are always demanding more of our service and our software - a challenge we thoroughly relish.

What challenges do you face and how does Skype help you meet those challenges?
You may think software development is the hardest part of our business, but in actuality developing the very best customer service is the most challenging element. One accusation often leveled at online businesses is that they cannot offer the same quality of personal service as their brick-and-mortar counterparts. We're always working hard to dispel this myth, and consistently rank higher than traditional accountants, and have been recognised for our commitment to customer service. All our clients have their own Account Manager and Accountant who they get to know by name, and our social media presence allows us to interact with our clients on a daily basis.

With VoIP now firmly in the mainstream for both individuals and businesses, we thought it was about time to integrate it into our service. But how? Skype calls to our office was a good place to start. As Crunch grows we are taking on more and more clients who do business in the UK but live abroad. By integrating Skype into our office telephone system we help save our ex-pat clients money on their phone bill, and also provide a convenient Skype click-to-call mechanism for anyone else who cares to use it call us directly from our website.

How did you approach integration of Skype into your business?
We teamed up with Foehn, a business communication service provider, to pipe the incoming Skype calls right into our PBX, meaning our team on the phone don't even know the difference between a Skype call and a vanilla landline call. This type of integration is vital for both sides of the business/client relationship. Seamless execution means that our staff don't need any extra software or training. For our clients, the inclusion of the "Skype Us" button on our website means calling us is now actually easier than picking up the phone and dialing in our number.

Although the ability to Skype directly to our office is a valuable addition, we decided to take it one step further (our clients would expect nothing less). We may not be able to physically be in the same room as our clients, but our Skype integration allows us to do the next best thing - live video help.

Why go with offering live video help over Skype and what is its impact on your business?
All of our Accountants are now equipped with high-definition webcams, and are able to video chat with clients while they give them guidance on their finances, or how to handle a particular tax problem. Our testing has proven using Skype is not only enjoyable, but also beneficial to our relationship with our clients. A good accountant is nothing without the trust of their customers, and being able to actually see their accountant is helping us build a more trusting relationship with our users.

We're not stopping just at video chat with clients, though. Our team are often on the road, attending trade shows and giving seminars for freelancers and contractors. While this is a great way to educate small businesses on how to make the most of their money, traversing the length and breadth of the country can be time-consuming and costly - an Accountant out on the road is one less Accountant available to answer questions in our office. To address this we've created a small studio in our offices, and our Accountants can now be beamed in via high-def Skype video call to seminars and presentations around the country. Those who present can pose questions or ask for advice, and get answers as if the Accountant was in the same room.

Where would you like to take business in the future?
We're always toying with new ways to improve our customer service, and Skype throws out some interesting new possibilities. For example, we are in the process of implementing a new in-context help system which will contain recordings of our accountants answering common questions.

Skype has enabled us to add several powerful new strings to our customer service bow which differentiate us further still from both simple online bookkeeping software and traditional accountants. Most importantly, these new services are seamless, scalable and easy-to-use - everything we look for in a service partner.

Given a customer retention level of 97.2%, since our launch in April 2009, we've proven our service is better, easier and more cost effective for small businesses in the UK. Now it's time to continue to grow, ensuring our excellent customer service never waivers.

The plan is to service 10,000+ small businesses and be the largest small business accountant in the UK. With the next 4,000 square feet of office space about to be negotiated to hold another 50 expert accountants and accountant managers we are well on our way. After that we have the rest of the world in our sights!

Video calling on business? Style yourself successful with Skype

2011-10-10T20:00:40Z

Video calls make it possible to have face-to-face business meetings wherever you are in the world. Find out how to make the most of the technology with some top tips from Skype.

Thanks to innovations in video calling, it's never been easier to connect with business partners or clients from around the world. Ensure you're making the most of your video meetings and avoid common pitfalls with our top tips.

Appearance
The most important thing to remember about a video call is that even though it shares similarities with a phone call, it's closer to a meeting in person. This means you have to be concerned with your overall appearance and your body language especially.

Body language
Keep your head movements to a minimum. Not only will this ensure you don't accidentally move off camera, but by keeping still you'll be projecting a more powerful image. Also avoid any fidgeting or 'displacement activities' such as fiddling with hair or biting nails, as these will make you look less confident.

Eye contact
When the other person is speaking, it's a good idea to look at them on screen. But when it's your turn, try to direct your gaze at your webcam, as this will give the impression you're looking straight at the person at the other end of the call.

Posture
Sit up straight. You may be tempted to slouch at your computer when you're on a long video call, but nothing undercuts your sincerity more quickly. Look alert by maintaining an upright posture, with your shoulders back and your head up.

What to wear
Always wear the same kind of smart clothes you would wear to a normal business meeting when on a video call to prospective clients or customers. A video call may be a convenient way to connect, but you should look as though you've put in the effort to look smart for it even if you're calling from your iPad at home.

Avoid culture clashes
Always do a little investigating into the country you are calling before your meeting. What's culturally acceptable where you are many not be to the people you are speaking to, so treat a video call the same way you would treat a visit to their country - with courtesy!

Skype Journal – October 2011 News Roundup

2011-10-07T18:23:12Z

Microsoft finished buying Skype. Ballmer’s PR, Bates’ PR. Courtney, York, Slashdot opine. Most folks thought this happened last April. I thought the EU should have attached strings to the deal, but they didn’t.

Gotta wonder if Microsoft would still have bought Skype if they had to pay US taxes on the deal.

A Mint.com infographic using Forbes data: AT&T got $1.05 Billion in tax rebates on FY2010 $18.2 Billion sales. So the US government paid AT&T more than Skype sold all year.

Skype filed DMCA take down notices against an engineer who reverse engineered part of Skype’s earlier communication protocols, alleging a blog infringed copyright on Skype source code.

Skype started updating the Libyan flag emoticon (flag:ly) from the old solid green one of Muammar Gadhafi to the new flag chosen by Libya’s revolutionaries. Facebook petition to make the change. If you don’t see a “horizontal tricolour of red, black and green with a white crescent and star centered on the black stripe” in your IM now, you should see it in one of the next few downloads. Already updated on the Skype.com web site. Skype rates 30.2¢/minute to landlines plus connection fee.

How do investors follow an $8.5 Billion exit? Former Skype owner Andreessen Horowitz is raising $900 million to buy more skypes.

A security hack could reveal your Skype profile and IP address and what bittorrent files you’re downloading. Read the paper from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, NYU-Poly, and the French research institute INRIA. Your browser gives up your IP address every time you visit a web page so this is most interesting to people avoiding surveillance and actively protecting their privacy. Tip: use a different VPN for Skype and each app you use to avoid the cross-referencing that might lead to blackmail.

The October snowstorms that hit the US Northeast put Skype to work as an alternative when telephony and roads were offline for a few days. A friend in Hartford, Connecticut, wrote “I’m sorta acting as a base for all my relatives and coworkers after this snowstorm. relaying calls and messages and such between people with no power and such. my t-mobile phone has no service. my verizon phone has intermittent failures and dropped calls. skype works beautifully, however if I’m dealing with peoples’ cell phones, they’re the weak end of the call.”

Jim Courtney: “If Skype wants to have a viable developer program we need to see results soon that can bring revenue to the developers.”

Skype renamed the Public API to Desktop API. More accurate.

Several APIs were rebranded as “SkypeKit for Desktop”, still in a restricted public beta.

SkypeKit for Desktop now supports two-party video calls.

A new beta of Trillian for Windows is using SkypeKit. It won’t allow cross-network IM or calling but it will let you turn off your Skype-branded client.

Dan York: “Meanwhile… is this renaming setting the stage for the release of some new client-less APIs? Let’s hope so… ” Dan worries the new realtime communication features (WebRTC/RTCWEB) being built into nextgen browsers will be hidebound to PSTN telephony instead of new over-the-top networks.

Microsoft announced their commercial-use Kinect for Windows SDK will be available early in 2012. Think we’ll see an official Skype for Kinect edition?

Korea’s Pantech will bring Kinnect-style gestural commands to Android mobile phones. A year from now I expect we’ll see this on core Windows, iOS, and Android mobile OSs.

Data Without Borders launched, a data science NGO bringing statisticians to small private sector big data sets. Personal data was the focus of the October Internet Identity Workshop.

VoIP pioneer Alec Saunders joined RIM, leading its Blackberry developer program. See sessions from this month’s BBcon devcon.

Skype is quietly retiring old thin-client services for UK mobile operator 3. Courtney says “I would imagine 3 would have to be working on a strategy to phase out its initial Skype service and transition their customers to newer platforms.” Still available in the UK, Ireland, and Australia for now, it has been discontinued in Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, and Sweden. Andy Abramson: “like so many sideline projects that ‘proved things’ now Skype is back to being just a IM based calling service online with a few hooks to the PSTN.” 4G and smarter phones are relegating Skype thin-client services to developing markets.

Download Skype for Windows 5.6. This update fixes a few bugs, unbundles Google apps (Google is retiring its Desktop which bundled Skype), and gives credit for third-party components. Or get 5.5 (5.5.0.119) which corrects some issues with the Skype home page popping up when in compact mode, fixes memory leaks in Skype Click-to-Call.

30.5 million people signed in to Skype at the same time on Monday, 10 October 2011, a new high-water-mark for Skype dialtone since the end of March. A seasonal thing, fueled by more than a million people downloading Skype desktop apps in the days before. I’m guessing about 180 million active users this week.

Just for comparison, Rafe Needleman reports “Zynga revealed that there are 232 million active monthly users of the network, and 60 million daily users. The company records 2 billion play minutes each day.”

RIP Steve Jobs. All sorts of milestones in my career were directly influenced by Steve. My first job out of college: selling Apple IIs. First well paying job after being down and out: Mac desktop publishing for an artist. First dive into design as a discipline: studying about the anthropology research that lead to the Mac. First usability research: books on the difference between the mac/windows/command line.

I had a poster of the NeXT in my bedroom for years, after I saw Jobs demo one at the Berkeley Mac User Group in the old round Physics lecture hall. the idea that you could engineer hardware to support a Unix operating system AND make it even friendlier for newbies than a Mac was gobsmacking. The whole stand-on-a-stage thing and carefully tell your story was part of my toolkit long before he showed his mastery of that, but Steve added a real appreciation of the subject matter, joy for the value he showed, excitement for the geekery.

The iPhone wasn’t my first mobile phone, or even the first I loved (I miss my N90 sometimes). It was the first that made me use it like a computer, made me want to build apps again, dream the entrepreneurial dream. and keep the internet in my pocket. Damn. Damn. I’m typing this on a MacBook in a pizza joint down the street from the Apple store. And they’re playing sonorous sad music.

Europe approves Microsoft buying Skype without strings, follows the US. Microsoft says it is happy. Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Taiwan are weighing in but are unlikely to have a say on the deal. Jim Courtney marks the progress.

Michigan State professors want a law to permit distance weddings. Their proposal. Adam Candeub and Mae Kuykendall support e-marriage and e-ritual in all 50 US states. “States should authorize marriages of those not present within their territorial boundaries. We demonstrate that states have the sovereign power to authorize marriage performed anywhere, and historically have blessed marriages in distant locations.”

Cleveland Plain Dealer takes Skype video call-ins for its live football TV show. Skype clevelanddotcom.

Tango for Windows is out and, from Forbes, Tango To Be Windows Phone/Mango’s First Videocalling Service, Leapfrogging Skype. imho, first doesn’t matter as much as best fit and most used.

IP lobbyists try to hobble the new Hollywood.

Llama stories Skyped.

Skype WiFi coverage of Manhattan may improve thanks to Boingo’s deal with Towerstream.

Florida soldier sees baby daughter before dying in Afghanistan.

Pennsylvania synagogue offers skyped Hebrew school to bar/bat mitzvah students.

I wish I’d seen Janet Vartinen’s talk “Collaboration: Is the Employee in the Driver’s Seat?” at the 7th Annual Real-Time Communications Conference & Expo. “As social and personal collaboration tools are finding their way into the business environment IT departments are being challenged. … It is not just about engineering anymore. This session will discuss successful methods to bridge the collaboration gap…”

Phil Wolff consults with Hookflash, a software company building realtime communication products for effective people. Skype evanwolf, tweet @evanwolf or call +1-510-444-8234 to talk with Phil. Skype Journal is independent of Skype.

MicroSkype is too big to slip under EU regulatory radar

2011-10-05T20:24:21Z

UPDATE: WHOOPS! Financial Times says EU Commission will approve deal, no strings. I guess it still managed to slip through. “Competition reviews are still under way in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Taiwan.”

Less than 100 hours from Europe ruling on the Microsoft-Skype purchase, Skype’s Jean-Jacques Sahel shared a Plum report on the economic value of an “open Internet.” (pdf). It’s an argument for net neutrality, including mobile net neutrality. Sahel’s post is Skype asking regulators to protect Skype’s access to the Internet from companies with the power to harm that access. I believe in net neutrality too. Skype wants government protection from powerful carriers but is struggling to avoid similar obligations of access, openness, and giving back as it finds its own power.

I wrote Monday that Skype is too big to slip under regulatory radar. With Microsoft, Skype will no longer be a David to telecom Goliaths. They will be a Goliath. Powerful, vast, and fiercely competitive.

Decentralization of power was at the heart of the Internet’s design and architecture so the net would survive a nuclear attack. "Network neutrality" is a way of repeating that principle. It is unhealthy for the Internet when companies further down the IP stack exploit their power and play favorites among users from higher up the stack.

With great power comes great responsibility. The MicroSkype deal concentrates power. Skype hasn’t shown willingness to do any more than what is required by law.

They are willing to disrupt landline and mobile operators, but unwilling to enable public services like e911, fund relay services for the hearing or vision impaired, or contribute to funds for improving Internet access.
They are eager to distribute Skype by bundling software with Microsoft products, but are unwilling to do so in a way that offers a level playing field to rivals.
They are open to API integration with friends of Microsoft like Facebook and, presumably, Microsoft’s divisions, but they burden their developer program and APIs with untenable terms of service, prohibiting use of their network by use, location, and device and requiring prior approval of any app using their network.

A measure of oversight, ensuring responsible use of power, is fully within the mandate of those approving the acquisition.

Some, like my friend Jim Courtney, worry the EU has been ineffective, citing their failure to protect Netscape from Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the late 1990s browser wars. Maybe.

Ben Lilienthal suggests switching costs are lower with Skype, so their power may not be as absolute. Sure, but Skype is not a personal data portability champion.

Many want Skype to play fair. Alon Cohen IM’d he’d want Skype to “Support 911, collect and pay taxes like everyone else, or stop offering PSTN phone numbers. (Gov can remove the taxes, which will be just as fine from my perspective). Open up to SIP, provide every Skype with a phone number or URI accessible to other companies..”

So what does Skype’s post, “The open Internet: platform for growth. The open Internet is an essential platform for growth and benefits for all, including telecom operators: it has to be safeguarded” really mean? Regulate Skype and it will cost jobs. Really?

Here’s what the Europe could do:

Have Skype be a fair platform provider, enable third-parties to plug their own software and hardware into the Skype network, preserve consumer choice, support citizen safety like other phone companies, let your users leave with their phone numbers and data, support local and regional consumer rights, tilt the balance toward personal power over state power in this transnational Internet, and collect taxes. Specifically, quoting from my earlier post:

Microsoft must expose to the developer community all those plumbing features that make the Skype network so effective on the same basis that Skype and the Microsoft app developers receive access.
Divide Skype departments between the communications infrastructure and the app layer. Make them operate as two separate businesses.
Compel the Skype Network business to treat all customers at least as well as it treats Microsoft and Skype Apps Division customers.
Mandate “platform network neutrality” where bits from third-party apps travel through Skype’s network as well as bits from Skype’s own apps.
Skype must publish protocols so anyone can connect whatever software or service they like to Skype’s network so long as that end point doesn’t harm the network.
Skype cannot tax, register or otherwise control end users or third-parties connecting to the network.
Require compliance with emergency service access laws and rules, subject to user opt-out and local law.
Promote comparable third-party communication products on Microsoft platforms as least as well as you promote Skype.
Prohibit restrictions on bundling third-party Skype-compatible products with Microsoft products.
Require compliance with emergency service access laws and rules, subject to user opt-out and local law.
Skype must accept the transfer of a customer’s existing phone numbers to Skype’s service.
Skype must enable customers to transfer of a Skype-connected phone number to a competing network.
Skype should not be allowed to take away company phone numbers once in service.
Skype must let third-parties extract all customer created and co-created data on behalf of users.
Forbid Skype from banning “class action” suits by customers in its terms of service.
Compel Skype to report statistics on government requests by type and country of origin, the way Google does.
Compel Skype to promptly notify users when they are being surveilled or requests for information about their activities have been demanded by authorities. This should be subject to the laws of the country where the customer claims citizenship. So a US or Chinese government agency could not order Microsoft to spy on the conversations of a French and German national without the consent of the French and German governments.
Require that Skype APIs and clients disclose to users the jurisdictions of their contacts. You can only make informed choices about whom to talk to or not, what to say or not, if you can assess the consequences.
Compel Skype to collect fees and taxes from its customers as required of telephone operators. At a minimum, contribute to the fund that pays for relay services for the deaf and blind.

It’s time for Skype to step up.

Corporate citizenship comes with benefits. This is a rare moment to review, renew, revise and modernize the duties that come with that privilege. The United States missed its moment. Will Europe seize theirs?

Phil Wolff consults with Hookflash, a software company building realtime communication products for effective people. Skype evanwolf, tweet @evanwolf or call +1-510-444-8234 to talk with Phil. Skype Journal is independent of Skype. Phil’s opinions may not represent the views of Hookflash or Skype.

photo: Occupy Wall Street, 26 September 2011, cc-by-sa by Paul Stein.

The open Internet: platform for growth

2011-10-05T10:42:16Z

The open Internet is an essential platform for growth and benefits for all, including telecom operators: it has to be safeguarded.

We have said it for a long time: preserving the open Internet and net neutrality is crucial for everyone. A new report confirms this passionate belief of ours, in research by Plum Consulting commissioned by the BBC, Blinkbox, the UK's Channel 4, Skype and Yahoo!.

Not only that, the research demonstrates that a few myths about net neutrality are false:

Rather than worrying, the increasing demand for Internet content is good as it supports revenue growth and broadband investment
Telecom providers' costs are not ballooning because of data growth
Content and application providers do not cause traffic
Content and application providers invest considerably in distribution infrastructure and technologies and do not 'free ride' on networks
Investment in next generation broadband would not necessarily increase, and may even decrease, if content and application providers were required to pay for users to enjoy their apps and services.

Without an open Internet - which enables content providers to invest in developing innovative apps and services, that will fuel growth in uptake of high-speed broadband - telecoms companies would experience a rapid decline in revenues. In fact, the demand for broadband connectivity stimulated by Internet content and application providers drove fixed and mobile broadband revenues for telecom operators of approximately €155 billion a year in Europe.

The report concludes that the open Internet is the most efficient model in delivering continued benefits for consumers and the economy, including telecoms operators. It recommends that additional safeguards are put in place to maintain a high quality open Internet, which sustains innovation and drives growth.

With this report, we hope that all parties involved in the 'net neutrality' debate will come to realise that the Internet value chain is a symbiotic ecosystem - we are complementary - and that the open Internet is a platform that benefits all of us, and which should be safeguarded.

Download the report here:
Plum_October2011_The_open_internet_-_a_platform_for_growth.pdf

Should the US have OK’d Microsoft’s purchase of Skype? Should the EU?

2011-09-26T09:14:56Z

The European Commission will make a statement on the Microsoft-Skype deal on or before this Friday, 7 October 2011.

Skype is too big to slip under regulatory radar.

Skype was all promise in 2003. Now it is achievement. They are no longer the tiny underdog fighting the phone companies. They are a billion dollar a year business with a thousand employees serving nearly two hundred million people 255 billion of minutes of live conversation every year, rounding slightly. They’ve pulled so much hard currency from national phone companies that Russia’s Chamber of Commerce declared Skype an enemy of the state. They’ve changed consumer behavior and become the default way to talk across borders for anyone with Internet access.

When should regulators consider this a threat?

Now, when an ounce of prevention matters most.

Microsoft wants to multiply Skype’s reach and impact. Microsoft seeks to combine Skype with its other communications properties and bring realtime communication to its non-communication products. Skype, along with Nokia, completes Microsoft’s vision for the Windows Phone operating system. We’ll see Skype inside Microsoft games, Lync business phones, Bing click-and-call adverts, Dynamics call center solutions, Office, Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer.

As huge as Skype is, they could be ten times bigger in a few years with Microsoft’s help. $10B in revenue, 2 billion users, trillions of minutes of live conversation. That comes with market power.

US regulators cleared the deal. A decision by EU authorities is days away.

Who is affected?

At least one Italian VoIP company is reported opposing the deal, per EurActiv. Messagenet asked the authorities to require Microsoft not to bundle Skype with Windows and to compel interop with other Internet presence, IM, telephony, and video chat services.

Other stakeholders have similar concerns. Who else in Skypelandia might ask for terms to their advantage?

Messengers. Skype’s IM rivals should fear the federation of Microsoft and Skype, bringing chat market share above 50% in the English speaking world. Will Yahoo!, Tencent, Aol, ICQ and the rest speak up?
Telecoms. People who make telephone systems stand to lose as more power becomes concentrated in Microsoft’s hands. Cisco, Avaya, Asterisk, and others stand to lose if the deal goes through. So do other Over The Top telephony services like Truphone, Fring, Rebtel, and Fone.
Identity. When you combine Microsoft’s userbase with Skype’s, they could offer the world’s largest “sign in with” service. Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Yahoo!, and Twitter stand to lose authority.
Conferencing. Skype already threatens Citrix’s conference call and meeting services, Cisco’s WebEx, and the other video conferencing services.
Advertising. Skype’s revenue from advertising has been trivial. That can change dramatically once you add Skype Click-to-Call service to Bing adverts. Would other advertisers be able to choose another click-and-call service or will all that Microsoft power lock out competition?
Hollywood and Games. Live team talk is now a feature of many social games. Warcraft proved its importance and teamtalk is now part of the gamers toolkit. Can Microsoft’s entertainment division create an unfair advantage, locking in friends and teams who play together in multiple worlds?
Consumer Electronics. The market has yet to prove people won’t buy a television unless it has Skype inside. Could Skype help Microsoft win the battle for the living room, including the war for set top boxes, TVs, and the remote control?
Platformers. Many companies offer telephony as an API. Will Microskype use its global buying power to undercut Voxeo, Twilio, Jajah and the rest?

What could Europe demand of Microsoft in exchange for permission to buy Skype?

[Caution, I Am Not A Lawyer.}

A. Platform Fairly.

Skype won’t be able to partner with the many divisions at Microsoft without a cloud platform. So Skype will spin up thousands of servers with hundreds of thousands of SkypeKit-like instances and web service APIs. Then non-Skype Microsoft developers will build Skype features into their products.

Later, Skype will likely offer Microsoft’s independent developer network almost the same SDKs as they offer Microsoft’s other divisions. That’s opening up parts of Skype to about one million programmers.

What exactly should Skype expose to third-parties? Under what terms?

A1. Skype should publish specs so third-parties can build their own clients to serve their own customers and users without licensing technology from Skype. These resources would include:

Communication interop. Expose controls for creating and controlling IM, voice, video sessions. Enable use of mood messages, emoticons, and file transfer.
Identity services. This includes account lifecycle management (creating, changing, ending accounts), authentication services, and authorization services.
People Search. Find users by any identifier or descriptor in the Skype directories, subject to privacy controls.
Endpoint identification (what device is a person using)
Location information (which skype is sure to start using)
Presence services. Not just disclosing or controlling a user’s availability for interruption (online or offline) but processing requests for presence based on contexts like strength of relationship (e.g. family vs. stranger).

A2. Conditions.

Now, Skype prohibits third-parties from talking to the Skype network in all sorts of useful ways. Skype’s developer ToS bans applications that might wind up competitive to existing or future Skype products. For example, you may not run a Skype client in a server farm, or put SkypeKit into an enterprise appliance, or include SkypeKit in a product i sell in China.

Skype also offers some services that are explicitly premium or for special partners. For example, Skype offers anonymous access to the Skype network through Facebook’s video chat browser plug-in. Skype also enables group video via servers, and they charge end users for that but not Facebook chat users.

A3. Fairness.

Remember when Microsoft was told to put their own desktop applications at arms’ length from Windows? Regulators argued Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s own browser, had an insurmountable competitive advantage over third-parties because of early, exclusive and/or privileged access to Windows internals and secret APIs.

The same argument could be made about Skype.

Action:

Microsoft must expose to the developer community all those plumbing features that make the Skype network so effective on the same basis that Skype and the Microsoft app developers receive access.
Divide Skype departments between the communications infrastructure and the app layer. Make them operate as two separate businesses.
Compel the Skype Network business to treat all customers at least as well as it treats Microsoft and Skype Apps Division customers.
Mandate “platform network neutrality” where bits from third-party apps travel through Skype’s network as well as bits from Skype’s own apps.

B. Skype Carterphone.

The original Carterphone ruling opened the door for third-parties to compete with phone companies on telephones so long as they didn’t harm the network. Skype argued for a Mobile Carterphone principle in the US, bringing that freedom to compete to wireless networks. Now it is time apply the principle again, this time to Skype’s own network.

Skype has a few hundred developers, roughly half working on infrastructure, half on apps. Skype Carterphone would allow millions of developers to find their own uses for the Skype network and to innovate in the marketplace, building apps for different situations (e.g. first responders and the cognitively impaired need very specific, non-generic apps). Right now Skype is like the phone companies from one hundred years ago, offering exactly the same phone to everyone. EU citizens deserve the benefits the market will bring if Skype is unleashed.

Action:

Skype must publish protocols so anyone can connect whatever software or service they like to Skype’s network so long as that end point doesn’t harm the network.
Skype cannot tax, register or otherwise control end users or third-parties connecting to the network.

C. Consumer Choice.

Is the combination of Skype, Microsoft, and Nokia a threat to consumer choice?

How much will Skype be bundled with mobile phones? With mobile OSs? With Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, Xboxes, and other Microsoft products? This may constitute an overwhelming market advantage, stifling innovation and competition.

One remedy may be like what Microsoft did after the IE/Netscape war; they offered links to IE, Netscape and other browsers on their desktops and stopped forbidding OEMs from installing other browsers on Windows PCs.

Action:

Promote comparable third-party communication products on Microsoft platforms as least as well as you promote Skype.
Prohibit restrictions on bundling third-party Skype-compatible products with Microsoft products.

Will that be enough to assure a healthy diversity of products and streams of innovation outside of Microsoft?

D. Citizen Safety.

It’s time for apps to shoulder a new duty.

Is Skype’s popularity and dominance, only growing with Microsoft, reason enough to craft new rules in the public interest for operators of realtime communication over data?

Yes. We’re abandoning landlines and switching from mobile voice to mobile data. Along with this, the responsibility for helping people reach emergency services or be notified of earthquakes and tsunamis should migrate from the landline or wireless operator to the app provider.

Society needs its citizens to use these services. Apps must take up the life-saving responsibility from telcos. First Skype, then others in the application layer, should assume this duty.

Action:

Require compliance with emergency service access laws and rules, subject to user opt-out and local law.

E. Freedom to Leave.

E1. Phone Number and ID Portability.

As Skype becomes dominant as the first realtime social network to achieve global scale, and continues to grow, a Skype name could very well become as vital as your phone number.

Skype offers Online Numbers (formerly called SkypeIn numbers). Skype should interop to the extent that it complies with rules about accepting existing phone numbers and transferring SkypeIn numbers to other services as customers demand. We’ve already seen situations where Online Numbers used by small businesses have been removed at Skype’s convenience, cutting off businesses from customers.

Action:

Skype must accept the transfer of a customer’s existing phone numbers to Skype’s service.
Skype must enable customers to transfer of a Skype-connected phone number to a competing network.
Skype should not be allowed to take away company phone numbers once in service.

E2. Personal Data Portability.

Skype is too much a Hotel California for personal data. You can’t get your profile out, or your history, but you can get a .vcf file listing your contacts.

Action:

Skype must let third-parties extract all customer created and co-created data.

F. Consumer Rights.

Skype has enormous power over its customers. It has wielded that power lightly, but it still has that power. It can ban a user, reassign a user name, seize funds, and apply new terms of service, all without meaningful notice, consent, or an independent and timely means of redress.

So Microsoft should be subject to a regime that provides for meaningful consumer rights and treatment and access to the resources of national and EU telecom dispute resolution services.

Forbid Skype from banning “class action” suits by customers in its terms of service.

G. Clarify Legal Jurisdiction.

Skype cooperates with law enforcement authorities in many countries. Skype is quiet about it but they’ve said they cooperate with authorities in the US, China, and around the world. The acquisition will only increase Skype’s power and the demand by censors, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement authorities for access to personal data, private under EU telephone laws.

Action:

Compel Skype to report statistics on government requests by type and country of origin, the way Google does.
Compel Skype to promptly notify users when they are being surveilled or requests for information about their activities have been demanded by authorities. This should be subject to the laws of the country where the customer claims citizenship. So a US or Chinese government agency could not order Microsoft to spy on the conversations of a French and German national without the consent of the French and German governments.
Require that Skype APIs and clients disclose to users the jurisdictions of their contacts. You can only make informed choices about whom to talk to or not, what to say or not, if you can assess the consequences.

H. Collect Taxes.

Phone companies collect taxes from their customers for governments. As soft networks like Skype take over from landline and mobile operators, Microsoft could take that role.

Action:

Compel Skype to collect fees and taxes from its customers as required of telephone operators. At a minimum, contribute to the fund that pays for relay services for the deaf and blind.

It’s time for Skype to step up.

I’m a huge Skype fan. I use it every day for family and work. It lets me earn my paycheck in a multinational team. The health and success of the Skype network matters to me. So I’m not trying to keep eBay, the founders, and the other investors from getting their payday. Or prevent Microsoft from adding its muscle to Skype’s momentum.

This moment comes once in a lifetime. The Commission will shape Skype’s future and those of every user.

Corporate citizenship comes with benefits. This is a rare moment to review, renew, revise and modernize the duties that come with that privilege. The U.S. Congress, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Justice missed their moment. Will Europe seize theirs?

Celebrating Skype's Roots in Estonia: A profile of Sten Tamkivi

2011-10-02T00:03:00Z

We thought it would be interesting to showcase points of views from Skype offices around the world. Today, I'm pleased to share an interview with Sten Tamkivi, Director of Product Focus and Catalogue Operations for Skype. Sten is based in Tallinn, Estonia and has been a key member of our global team for the past six and a half years. Just last week, Sten and the Skype Tallinn, Estonia office was featured in a blog in the Wall Street Journal, so this piece goes further to cover more about Sten and how he sees Skype.

Q: Tell us about when you joined Skype and about your role here today?
A: I joined Skype about 18 months after the first version of the product was launched in August 2003. I came in as the General Manager for Skype in Estonia and am still the local site leader here. Additionally, I have been in different leadership roles related to products and operations over the years. Today, I manage our product catalogue and the governance process through which our executive team decides on our product development investments.

Q: Is Skype where you would expect it would be today?
A: Skype never ceases to surprise me. When I joined Skype, it had a few million active users who had adopted the new communications tool quite early. Skype started picking up new users very quickly after launch -- with the first two million users we began to think what if we could get to 10 million, then 20 or 50 million. We've exceeded those goals, and I think looking back, you'd say it's been a huge achievement already. Still, too many of the 7 billion people in the world are not on Skype yet, so in a way, we're still in the beginning!

Q: What is the Tallinn Skype office team and culture like?
A: Niklas Zennström of Sweden, and Janus Friis of Denmark founded Skype, working from day one along with 4 Estonian engineers, Jaan Tallinn, Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Toivo Annus. Today our Estonian office is 100X that, a little bit shy of 400 people, and we would just love to keep expanding. Culture-wise, Skype offices are the most colorful places I have ever seen. At the Tallinn office alone, we have 30 different nationalities working here, so it's hard to draw one to two simple characteristics that are unique to our office, except for the fact that we are extremely diverse. There is a lot of peer-to-peer interaction here. The attitude is friendly, pragmatic, yet real and hardworking. I would also add people here also have a weird sense of humor.

Q: What do you mean by 'weird'?
A: We would be the ones to go to a sauna and then jump in snow and consider it "normal." Our humor is well beyond that.

Q: Why are you excited about the future of Skype and is there's something here at Skype that particularly motivates you?
A: Pretty much anytime over the years we've asked our people about why they work at Skype, two main answers always surface: their colleagues and opportunity to change the world. You always learn something new here, working with people smarter than you. And there are very few companies where you can truly say that what you do today changes the world. Many companies try to get there, but how many companies actually succeed at the scale of Skype? There is emotion behind the impressive, yet dry numbers like "equivalent to approximately 20% of the total of all global international PSTN and Skype-to-Skype calling minutes." For most people it is professionally the biggest role that they've ever had in their lives. Everything we do has a recurring feeling that nobody in the world has ever done it quite like us before, either for the innovations or at comparable scale.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your background, passions and greatest achievements.
A: I have been an internet software entrepreneur for about 10 years before Skype, mostly working here in Estonia, Nordics and Europe. Outside of Skype and when not on airplanes I am living a typical family life, I love to spend time with the kids and my wife. I take pride in the fact that Skype is the single largest business success story to come out of Estonia. I am very grateful to be able to contribute to positive changes in this country, as an advisor to President Ilves of Estonia or just speaking up on topics such as technology education. I am happy to be part of something that is making this tiny country's DNA stronger and making things more friendly for the next generation and future startups.

Skype 2.5 for Android adds more supported handsets and enhanced video experience

2011-09-28T12:06:56Z

Today we are pleased to announce that with Skype 2.5 for Android, we are whitelisting video support for an additional 14 Android devices. This brings the total number of white listed devices for video calling to an exciting 41. Now Skype video calling will also be available by default on several Motorola Devices including the Atrix or Xoom. Download the updated Skype for Android app from the Android Market or Skype.com/m using your Android phone's browser or just scan the QR code below.

With Skype 2.5 for Android, the list of Android devices we've added Skype video support for include:

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

HTC Nexus One

HTC EVO 3D

Sony Ericsson Xperia Live with Walkman

Sony Ericsson Xperia neo V

LG Optimus Black

LG Optimus 3D

LG Optimus 2x

Motorola Photon

Motorola Droid 3

Motorola Bionic

Motorola Xoom

Motorola Atrix

Acer Iconia

For a full list of supported devices for video calling, please visit Android Market.

The Skype 2.5 for Android update also brings you further video enhancements. You can now switch between portrait and landscape mode during video calls, and zoom in with a simple double tap on the screen.

We also improved support for bluetooth headsets and included a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements, which should further boost the user experience of Skype for Android on your phone.

In addition, as with our recent Mac and iOS update, there will be an advertising platform introduced in this new release. Advertising will not be shown to users that have Skype Credit, a Calling or Skype Premium subscription.

If you want to discuss this new release or have any questions, please feel free to visit our new Skype Support Network. We hope you enjoy the update!

Trying on the new Dynamic Views from Blogger

2011-09-27T22:11:00Z

As you may have noticed, the Google Voice blog looks a lot different today. That’s because we—along with a few other Google blogs—are trying out a new set of Blogger templates called Dynamic Views.

Launched today, Dynamic Views is a unique browsing experience that makes it easier and faster for readers to explore blogs in interactive ways. We’re using the Classic view, but you can also preview this blog in any of the other six new views by using the view selection bar at the top left of the screen.

We’re eager to hear what you think about the new Dynamic Views. You can submit feedback using the “Send feedback” link on the bottom right of this page, or just send us a message.

If you like what you see here, and we hope you do, we encourage you to try out the new look(s) on your own blog—read the Blogger Buzz post for more info.

Posted by Michael Bolognino, Product Marketing Manager

Skype for iPhone & Skype for iPad Updates Deliver Anti-Shake Technology & Bluetooth Connectivity

2011-09-26T17:26:22Z

Skype for iPhone and Skype for iPad have proven to be very popular. The Skype for iPhone app has been downloaded nearly 60 million times to date and was downloaded over a million times in the first 36 hours after its launch in March 2009. When we launched Skype for iPad in August, it was the #1 free iPad app in almost every local iTunes App Store worldwide during the week of its launch.ⁱ

Today, we hope to make these popular apps even better with the introduction of a couple of new features. The Skype for iPhone update includes a new feature that reduces the shakiness of an outgoing Skype video chat when using your rear camera. So, if you're using Skype video to show friends and family what you're up to or where you are, the image they see will be less shaky.

Additionally, we're excited to announce the delivery of Bluetooth support, a feature that's long been requested by our users. You will now be able to use Bluetooth-enabled headsets to make hands-free Skype calls. This will make life easier while you're on conference calls, on the road, or simply don't want to hold your iPhone or iPad in-hand.

As with our recent Mac update, there will be an advertising platform introduced in this new release. Paying Skype consumers or users with Skype Credit will not see any display ads on their iPhones or iPads. The iPhone update also includes an important security fix.

Skype for iPhone and Skype for iPad can be downloaded from the Apple iTunes App Store. The new Skype for iPad update supports both iPad and iPad 2. The Skype for iPhone update supports the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, 2nd and 3rd Generation iPod Touch, and both iPad and iPad 2.ⁱⁱ

If you have any questions or want to leave feedback, please take advantage of the new Skype Support. We hope you enjoy the updates to both of these popular apps.

[UPDATE: We understand that some of you are experiencing several issues with the new updated version of Skype for iPhone/iPad released today. The problems you might be seeing include 1.) Skype Credit may not be showing 2.) Contacts are slow to sync 3.) Account settings (e.g. photo, name, profile) may not appear. More info on how to fix this can be found here. We apologize for any inconvenience.]

[UPDATE # 2 as of 5:33 PM EST on 9/28/11: We've pushed out a hotfix which addresses the issues found in the most recent Skype for iPhone/iPad apps. Download it now http://bit.ly/3FBaR7 & http://bit.ly/q7DTLZ. For more information on the hotfix please visit http://blogs.skype.com/garage/ios/]

ⁱ Skype for iPad and Skype for iPhone download numbers sourced via iTunes Connect
ⁱⁱ iOS 4.0 or later is required on all devices.

The Transformational Power of Skype in the Classroom

2011-09-21T17:30:00Z

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to join a dynamic community of global leaders at the 2nd Annual Social Good Summit presented by Mashable, the 92nd Street Y, and the United Nations Foundation to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges.

Specifically, I took to the stage to discuss Skype's unique ability to facilitate social good through the removal of traditional economic, geographic and/or cultural barriers to communication. This can be illustrated through our 'Skype in the classroom' initiative, which embodies the three characteristics that are central to our brand: Universal, Useful and Wonderful.

The Universal nature of Skype software means that anyone anywhere can use it to connect with anyone somewhere else around the world. An example illustrating this took place earlier this year, when a geography class in the United Kingdom wanted to learn how tourism impacted the lives of the Massai tribe in Tanzania. Because they used the same Skype software, the class and the tribesmen were able to talk across continents and cultural boundaries to learn a lot about their different lifestyles.

The Useful nature of Skype means that educators can put it into practical use to truly enrich the learning process. From the hundreds of projects that educators have collaborated on, we seen that this ranges from bringing in actresses, authors, politicians and other guest lecturers to teach lessons or connecting with people overseas to learn more about the culture in a foreign country or to practice speaking another language with a native speaker.

But most importantly, Skype in a classroom setting leads to Wonderful learning experiences. For example, teachers can now not only give a lesson about the war in Afghanistan, but also they can start a Skype pen pal program with a class in Afghanistan to help their students understand what it's like to live in a war-torn country.

As you'll see from the testimonials in this video, there are so many different ways that educators are using Skype in their classrooms - the only limit is their imagination.

During my speech, I also had the pleasure to talk live via Skype video call with an engineering class at the Oliver Street Elementary School in Newark, NJ. Oliver Street School is the first school in Newark to offer its middle school students courses from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the leading provider of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) education curricular programs. The school's goal is to inspire students to pursue 21st Century careers by providing them a program in which they learn practical applications for what they learn in their core academic courses. And Skype is playing a huge role in getting their students excited about learning. I'd like to thank the school's principal, Mr. Havier Nazario, the class' teacher, Mr. Alan Usherenko, and sixth grader Giovanna Bialoglowka for opening their classroom up to us and sharing how they recently used Skype to connect with engineers at New York University to learn more about the fabrication and cutting of metal.

Many of these connections wouldn't be possible without our free 'Skype in the classroom' online resource, which allows teachers and subject-matter experts to find like-minded individuals with whom they can collaborate on projects and share educational resources with one another. In the six months since 'Skype in the classroom' officially launched, the response has been greater than we ever could have imagined. The following infographic illustrates the scale of this initiative's global impact to date:

It is truly amazing to visit the 'Skype in the classroom' site and read about the ways that our software is transforming the educational experience of students in so many teachers' classrooms. And it is inspiring to think about a classroom of the future where the learning process is never limited by physical, economic or cultural boundaries. It's a place where students will be able to use technology to have access to big data to start attacking some of the world's most pressing issues and crises. And it's also somewhere we can reduce suspicion of foreign cultures, minimize racism and increase tolerance through the connectedness that is born through technology.

We really see the possibility of making a million connected classrooms a reality and we will continue to do our part in working together to foster the classroom of the future, through the 'Skype in the classroom' resource and partnerships with both for profit, not-for-profit and governmental organizations. We invite you to join us in this initiative at http://education.skype.com.

To share the infographic above, use this embed code:

Infographic by Skype