So Microsoft bought Skype. Interesting. Looking at the tech that Microsoft is now owning in this space, Live Messenger, Lync and Skype you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see where this can go.
Let’s put up a couple of stand alone facts.
- Microsoft is addressing IP-Telephones and video conferencing using Lync for the business.
- Skype is addressing IP-Telephones and video conferencing for the consumer space.
- Lync could be delivered in the cloud (parts of it is already is in Office 365).
- Skype is delivered using the cloud.
- Microsoft announced Skype clients to your Windows Phone 7
- Microsoft announced Skype clients to Microsoft XBox.
Now do you see what I see?
Bring up your phone, call your friend. He/She will be able to answer where ever he/she is. Sitting at the computer with a skype-lync client, the mobile phone or from the couch in front of the Kinect. Some of these options will be with video, some wont.
All of this options will run through the Microsoft IP-telephony network. Some of this will be paid for by the consumer, some won’t. All in all, Microsoft is becoming a carrier for chat, voice and video.
I think this is cool, thinking about the integration possibilities. On-premises Lync server with all the apps that can hook in, and the ability to call other networks.
What do you think?
#1 by Torkel on May 13, 2011 - 10:55
But is still a pretty puzzling, what is it that Microsoft gets that they don’t already have with Lync and Windows Messenger? Messenger already handles chat and video/voice calls, it is already integrated into xbox 360/kinect , it plans to integrate windows live messenger into wp7.
Windows Live Messenger boasts in excess of 330 million monthly active users with 40 million concurrent, compared to Skype’s 170 million and 20 million-30 million concurrent.
The only thing that Skype does that Lync and live messenger doesn’t is connect to real phone networks, this was never mentioned as a reason for the purchase.
My guess is they bought it to get the brand and the customers and to strengthen the potential for wp7, but it is kind of strange to throw so much money at a indepted company that does not provide technology or infrastructure that Microsoft don’t already own (except perhaps the integration to real phone networks, but that is steep price to pay for that).
#2 by Patrik Löwendahl on May 13, 2011 - 11:39
I don’t find it puzzling at all.
They get a trademark that is consumer based. They get insanely good codecs for video conferencing (they are much better then the Lync ones). They get experience in running global IP-telephony services as you mention. And they get a prestige internet-win.
#3 by Anders on May 13, 2011 - 13:23
Add to that the percentages they own in Facebook and we have voice communication without boundries! Phone numbers are obsolete before you know it.
#4 by Rory Mahaffey on September 15, 2011 - 05:05
I’m not too happy about this. I love my free Skyp and I’m afraid that MIcrosoft will want to monetize it and take away the free services.
#5 by Barry on January 4, 2012 - 05:25
To #4 Rory – This won’t happen anytime soon as Skype will continue to run as a seperate company but Microsoft will own them, this is written into the contract. Owning Skype gives them a wealth of experience (#2 Patrik), new codecs and the fact that they can and will put Skype into Exchange, Lync, Messenger, WP7.5 phones etc etc. You also have to remember that Skype is also on Android and iOS phones and that opens up more possibilities.
Bottom line, This is great news.