Comments on: Why it may make sense to buy Skype back http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html Blog of an entrepreneur Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:31:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jay M http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264111 Jay M Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:32 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264111 I personally believe skype would perish, until and unless they get acquired or bring in more innovation for existence. More is the need for an hour as we dwell :) oh btw, Great review Martin! regards, J I personally believe skype would perish, until and unless they get acquired or bring in more innovation for existence.

More is the need for an hour as we dwell :)

oh btw, Great review Martin!

regards, J

]]> By: Eplixo http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264095 Eplixo Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:30:39 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264095 <a href="http://www.eplixo.com" rel="nofollow"></a>Mobile portal voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) offered by third-party application-based providers pose a huge and direct challenge to the $692.6 billion global mobile voice market Mobile carriers face the real prospect of losing a major slice of their voice traffic and revenue to new non-infrastructure players that use VoIP “Ten years from now, more than half of mobile voice traffic will be carried end-to-end using VoIP” (Gartner Research) The mention of <b>Video VoIP</b> on Smart Phones already is here, well about to launch in Qtr 1 2010. This is 100% mobile/cell phone based and requires no terminating charges other than SMS to start a video conference. No login, no website to navigate as all connections are from your contact list on your phone. What is more there is no limit to the number of users or the number of open conferences that are being used on the same phone due to the underlying technology. However unlike Skype it is server based and not <acronym>P2P</acronym> as this was necessary to work the magic with the multi-user sound system. Also because it is server based there is the ability to transfer any kind of data such as files. We are rolling it out through US and European Wi-Fi service partners and would welcome a discussion on how we could roll this out on FON. Mobile portal voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) offered by third-party application-based providers pose a huge and direct challenge to the $692.6 billion global mobile voice market

Mobile carriers face the real prospect of losing a major slice of their voice traffic and revenue to new non-infrastructure players that use VoIP

“Ten years from now, more than half of mobile voice traffic will be carried end-to-end using VoIP” (Gartner Research)

The mention of Video VoIP on Smart Phones already is here, well about to launch in Qtr 1 2010. This is 100% mobile/cell phone based and requires no terminating charges other than SMS to start a video conference. No login, no website to navigate as all connections are from your contact list on your phone. What is more there is no limit to the number of users or the number of open conferences that are being used on the same phone due to the underlying technology.

However unlike Skype it is server based and not P2P as this was necessary to work the magic with the multi-user sound system. Also because it is server based there is the ability to transfer any kind of data such as files.

We are rolling it out through US and European Wi-Fi service partners and would welcome a discussion on how we could roll this out on FON.

]]> By: antoin O Lachtnain http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264072 antoin O Lachtnain Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:08:26 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264072 I think Skype has to look further than this. Voice calls on fixed and wifi networks are fast becoming a commodity with hardly any margin. The skype model only works as long as Internet telephony is not ubiquitous. But it will be ubiquitous within three years, and then Skype's (and Vonage's and all the rest) revenue model will be dead. I think everyone is still massively underestimating the potential of Skype as a platform. Skype is an extraordinary piece of software, in all sorts of ways. There is really no application like it. There would appear to be many ways this platform could be profitably exploited. For instance, I think the particular opportunity for Skype as part of ebay would have been as a highly secure payment platform. Secure P2P networks for legitimately sharing multimedia content is another possibility. Best, Antoin. I think Skype has to look further than this. Voice calls on fixed and wifi networks are fast becoming a commodity with hardly any margin. The skype model only works as long as Internet telephony is not ubiquitous. But it will be ubiquitous within three years, and then Skype’s (and Vonage’s and all the rest) revenue model will be dead.

I think everyone is still massively underestimating the potential of Skype as a platform. Skype is an extraordinary piece of software, in all sorts of ways. There is really no application like it. There would appear to be many ways this platform could be profitably exploited. For instance, I think the particular opportunity for Skype as part of ebay would have been as a highly secure payment platform. Secure P2P networks for legitimately sharing multimedia content is another possibility.

Best,

Antoin.

]]> By: riffic http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264067 riffic Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:18:39 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264067 Google Talk uses Jingle, rather, not Google Voice. Google Talk uses Jingle, rather, not Google Voice.

]]> By: riffic http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264065 riffic Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:13:21 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264065 The thing that bothers me most about Skype is the walled-garden approach. Anyone familiar with Facebook knows they are moving their chat platform over to XMPP, which also powers Google Talk. XMPP has the advantage of interoperability, through federation. This means that Google Talk users can communicate with users on other networks through a very familiar user@domain.net model we all know and love, as this is how email works. not to mention that Google Voice uses the Jingle extension to xmpp, which is a specification that can be freely implemented by third party clients to support voice/video. The thing that bothers me most about Skype is the walled-garden approach. Anyone familiar with Facebook knows they are moving their chat platform over to XMPP, which also powers Google Talk. XMPP has the advantage of interoperability, through federation. This means that Google Talk users can communicate with users on other networks through a very familiar user@domain.net model we all know and love, as this is how email works.

not to mention that Google Voice uses the Jingle extension to xmpp, which is a specification that can be freely implemented by third party clients to support voice/video.

]]> By: The Skype Spinout Version 2.0 | Voice on the Web http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264064 The Skype Spinout Version 2.0 | Voice on the Web Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:24:36 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264064 [...] thoughts on the future of Skype – where is Skype vulnerable?, where are its strengths? – in Why it may make sense to buy Skype back. His overriding statement: Skype is simple. Michael Arrington and all of Silicon Valley may find [...] [...] thoughts on the future of Skype – where is Skype vulnerable?, where are its strengths? – in Why it may make sense to buy Skype back. His overriding statement: Skype is simple. Michael Arrington and all of Silicon Valley may find [...]

]]> By: Michal http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264063 Michal Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:18:34 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264063 One remark - Keyhole acquisition started Google Earth, not Google Maps. Google Maps just incorporated satellite imaginery from Keyhole. Btw, the link to Keyhole info is broken. Anyway, interesting post. One remark – Keyhole acquisition started Google Earth, not Google Maps.
Google Maps just incorporated satellite imaginery from Keyhole.
Btw, the link to Keyhole info is broken.

Anyway, interesting post.

]]> By: Martin Varsavsky http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264062 Martin Varsavsky Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:20:14 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264062 We have worked closely with Skype in the past and hope to continue to work with them in the future. We have worked closely with Skype in the past and hope to continue to work with them in the future.

]]> By: Johannes Reck http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264054 Johannes Reck Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:10:48 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264054 I think there is another big pro for buying back Skype: Ebay has so far completely wasted Skype's potential in the mobile space and I am very sure this will change very soon. If the new Skype management strikes intelligent deals on revenue share models with some major mobile operators, it could quickly do the same to the mobile market than what it did to the fixed line market. Particularly if you think about video, chat or sending data packages, this could be a huge thing. If you take a look at the popularity of the Skype iPhone App, it becomes clear that demand for such services is very high. In my eyes, it is just a question of time until a larger mobile operator will need to embrace the enemy. At this point the investment at the current Skype valuation will be seen as a pretty good deal! I think there is another big pro for buying back Skype:

Ebay has so far completely wasted Skype’s potential in the mobile space and I am very sure this will change very soon. If the new Skype management strikes intelligent deals on revenue share models with some major mobile operators, it could quickly do the same to the mobile market than what it did to the fixed line market. Particularly if you think about video, chat or sending data packages, this could be a huge thing. If you take a look at the popularity of the Skype iPhone App, it becomes clear that demand for such services is very high. In my eyes, it is just a question of time until a larger mobile operator will need to embrace the enemy. At this point the investment at the current Skype valuation will be seen as a pretty good deal!

]]> By: JacopoGio http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/why-it-may-make-sense-to-buy-skype-back.html#comment-264053 JacopoGio Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:53:28 +0000 http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/?p=3847#comment-264053 As usual, a very good "insider" post. Thanks! A question: How Fon will be positioned when a Skyped world will arrive ? As usual, a very good “insider” post. Thanks!

A question: How Fon will be positioned when a Skyped world will arrive ?

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