So what makes the first Skype application from Qzoxy and Jyve so very interesting? It's a smart VCard and here is a picture and of the working prototype today, a mere illustration of what will exist a year from now. If you are operating a call center, a social networking site, dating site, 900 business etc. think it through. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT USES YOU SEE EMERGING?

Marc Canter of FOAF fame? Then to quote David Weinberger "It'd integrate with other applications on your phone device. It'd know who's calling from where and spin up a web page to show you the relevant information. It'd link to everything the Net knows.". Is this part of what you want David?

A couple of things worth pointing out. You don't need to have Skype to send in a call request. Thus even POTS only can request a Skype call back which at your option can be executed at SkypeOut rates. In time I'm sure this VCard no Q-Card will evolve to tell you the best way to get me at any moment and how long you have to wait. Q - Que. That's more useful than Plaxo (I don't use it) which merely updates phone numbers. Then there are a lot of paying businesses that work around the "click to connect". There is a lot of opportunity here.

The Skype API has been noted by Tom Keating and Andy Abramson of course. Still if you go back to the Skype API announcement page you will see that they missed the real story as "presence" isn't mentioned. Frankly I think it is the biggest story of all and they clearly need to get a team working on it. There's some additional client features that the developers and us users will require. The picture above should be worth way more than a thousand directory services! The fun is only just beginning.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 05:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (3)

In theory, advertising agencies should love mobile telephones. What better way to reach consumers on the go?

In practice, though, advertising industry executives are growing increasingly concerned that the popularity of mobile telephones will only make their jobs harder. Their worries centre on the impact that mobile phone use is having on the social lives of young people. They fear the phones are creating a new, more furtive generation that will be more difficult to reach with traditional advertising. [via the FT \]

"Behind the scenes, ad agencies are furiously studying the habits of the mobile phone generation. The results so far have proved disconcerting as Mr Edwards's company discovered when it asked people in the UK aged between 15 and 24 to go without mobile phones for two weeks and record their experiences.

Several of the young people deprived of their phones found they had to engage in a novel form of social interaction - talking to their friends' parents. It seems that previously they had arranged meetings at other locations, using mobile phones to keep in contact. What for previous generations had been a rite of passage calling on friends at their homes had become an anachronism.

They never go into the house. They never meet the parents, Mr Edwards says. They are empowered by this device to avoid situations they don't like, like meeting a friend's parents.

The fear among advertisers is that they will meet a similar fate and wind up being ignored by the generation that has grown up using mobile phones. The young always have been self-involved, but never quite like this.

The mobile phone is the ultimate expression of an individualistic society, which I think is the thing worrying everyone, says Dan O'Donoghue, strategic planning director for Publicis, the marketing group. We are all becoming so individualistic we have no relation to society.

A study of 1,600 young Europeans this year by Omnicom's BBDO ad agency detected similar tendencies, describing the continent's youth as pursuing what it called a me project .

The study found that young Europeans craved new experiences but distrusted large organisations and national obligations. Only 38 per cent said they would fight for their country."

Originally posted by emily from textually.org, reBlogged by ts

[Eyebeam reBlog]

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Would you like to put Skype on your web page, perhaps send out e-mails with Skype presence, create a workgroup or forum where presence information can be shared between people who are not on your buddy list. Well now you can. Qzoxy is the first company to announce a Skype API solution. Qzoxy has announced a toolkit which will enable the rapid integration of Skype functionality including presence and text messaging capabilities.

Qzoxy has done something many thought impossible at Skype's launch. For Skype is a P2P system with a limited central server that logs Skypers into the cloud. As a result Skype has no centralized way to serve up presence information and it's directory service is poor. And that is what makes the Qzoxy solution so exciting. It is where the Skype API is already breeding applications that are immediately different to AIM, Yahoo and MSN. Yes from Yahoo I can download the code to put my Yahoo presence on my website. However I have no opportunity to build a directory that is fueled with Yahoo presence. The Yahoo approach is not to disintermediate presence information. In retrospect we will see that was the biggest mistake made by these earlier IM systems. The future is all about "presence". Trying to control it is a recipe for disaster. Being cautious like Skype and facilitating a market for presence may just create the next eBay effect.

With Qzoxy and Skype potentially thousands of different directories are possible. From traditional Yellow Pages to matchmaking sites. Similarly I'm convinced the Orkut's and Ryze's of the world would benefit from enabling their populations to connect with Skype. Similarly I'm already experimenting with SeedWiki and Presence. When work groups combine presence in a wiki then we have something that the future Windows Office and LCS (Live Communication Server) are just beginning to address. Indeed I think Skype will be a plug-in to Outlook before long. So to sum up. When hundreds of small organizations enable small Skype Presence Servers they can integrate "Presence" and leapfrog all these expensive PBX solutions that still appear to be a money drain. Finally even Kevin is taken by the numbers.

From the Qzoxy press release:

Qzoxy Software Inc.(Q-zox-ee) has announced its collaboration on the COM API toolkit, which turns any conventional product into a full presence application. Qzoxy is the first third party to participate in the new Skype Developers Program.

Using a set of easily-learned commands, developers can now include online-status indicators for sales or support staff, allowing customers to connect instantly. Bloggers can let readers know when they’re available for voice or text chat. Members of bulletin board communities can see your availability, or fellow team members or workgroups members can instantly see your status and invite you to a voice or text conference. There is no need to include phone numbers on the page, and customers from overseas no longer need to spend money on expensive phone calls only to discover they’re through to voice mail.

“Qzoxy, is proud to have been part of a small group of beta testers working closely with Skype on the development of their API since early spring”, explained Qzoxy CEO, Bill Campbell.

“Using Visual Basic, Java or other programming languages alongside Qzoxy COM API allows for rapid creation of powerful Skype presence and voice solutions for businesses and consumers worldwide,” said Campbell.

“With the launch of the Skype API we can work with third-party developers like Qzoxy to open Skype to other platforms”, said a Skype spokesman in Estonia. “Qzoxy was chosen to be our first third party relationship so we could test drive and refine the processes of our Skype Developers Program. We believe third parties will help us add value to attract millions of new users to the Skype community which already has over 14 million users.”

“The ability to broadcast your Skype Online status into your communities of interest changes the whole landscape of instant voice-text conferencing by adding your availability. An online status icon on your web site says to visitors: Talk to me. And if the visitor isn’t lucky enough to be a Skype user, they just send an Instant Message to you from your web site with their preferred method of connection: Skype, landline or mobile number so you can use Skype or SkypeOut to return their call. Qzoxy has a powerful way to change how we communicate”, says Stuart Henshall, a Skype Blogger and presence pundit in California. Qzoxy Press Release

Om Malik points to the recent Engadget article now on Slashdot and has had enough already. That guarantees I'll be over the top on Skype again. Finally, I have no financial relationship with the Qzoxy team although we've been in touch for ages and I'm happily trying out new applications. The comment only seems relevant to all the paid for blogging comments I've seen recently. In themselves they are quite a story. Qzoxy grew out of testing sessions in the the Skype Forums. Clearly, lots of long international Skype conversations pay dividends and they are a perfect example of a company forming even though all the parties have never met face to face. That says something.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (3)

What's a Skype Presence Server? From Qzoxy It allows you to share your Skype Presence (at the moment online status) beyond your buddylist. While SkypeMe buttons have proliferated on many blogs they never provided crucial presence information. Here are sites where you can see Skype Presence being Shared. At the end I encourage PayPal to use the Skype API as a payment mechanism.

Active in a bulletin board? Want to activate your Skype signature. Here is how. It's still early stage and not that sophisticated yet. Still it shares the same amount of detail you get from a buddylist and that has a positive impact on communication.

Most ambitious to date. See Jyve: A joint-venture partner with Qzoxy who will be providing hosted solutions for web sites and BBs. If you think using the Skype API opportunities are limited you should just sign up to Jyve so you can get your password and registration details back... not via e-mail, rather directly in a Skype text message from Jyve. That's a pretty neat trick. It means in time... that call placed from a site like Jyve will be able to ring and provide a caller ID and context letter simultaneously. That will be a pretty neat trick and is yet again something that telephone companies can't provide. Subscriptions to different services will enable more effective call screening. Now there is another market for that.

Here is a short list where some users are participating by sharing presence.
Qzoxy Test Forum currently conducting load measurement tests.
Skype Forum
German Skype Community Forum
Skype Spanish Community Forum
Bill Campbell's website
http://70.24.83.35:270/qzoxy/contact.asp our Qzoxy Contact Us Page

What does this mean at the moment? Signatures on bulletin boards are having active Skype logo's added to them. So you can see my current Skype status below and it will update from time to time. My presence (this logo) is tied directly to the Qzoxy server. The next step will be more detailed calling cards; coming soon.

My Current Skype Online Status Click for Contact Options

I also imagine some of you asking me if broadcasting my Skype status bothers me. I'd have to answer that it doesn't. I don't block calls or text messages. They simply aren't a nuisance and I'm not a pretty girl to be hit on. So for the most part I get the calls I need and / or expect. Enabling my presence particularly in communities or environments where I would like to connect with others makes sense to me. What I may want in time is a "Presence Service" one that registers my presence or serves it differently to different groups at different times. It may also serve up access in the future. Example: I am available (subject to my presence management setting) to community X between 6 and 9 pm every night. This could be my daughters sports team. If I'm on the line it will know and may even instigate a call back and que system.

So rather than being confronted with am I listed in the white pages or not.... I can list my number and availability with services and communities that warrant my attention for which I will grant access. Then again... put a big enough PayPal check on the call and I'll probably answer. So how long before PayPal runs with Skype handles as an alternate to e-mails? Or is that SkypePay? Hmmm.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

At what point do you conclude your blog played an impact on the development of a company and their future direction? I've been associated with evangelizing Skype (because it works, is innovative and disruptive) and I can add myself to an influencial group in the forums that have pushed Skype forward, encouraging them to create a market for new applications. Now it is an announced reality and the first new applications are already being seen in the marketplace. One example which I'll say more about in a separate post is on the main page of this blog. It's a "Skype Presence Indicator". I'm now able to share my Skype availability beyond my buddy list. That's a big deal for business and a big deal for websites.

I'm sure Skype will be cautious, it is still a BETA API. However, the release of the API will also accelerate Skype growth. Smart companies developing products using it will enable Skype to enter new markets. I'd expect one of the more lucrative is 900 numbers. Similarly Skype will become part of call center solutions. It's simply cheaper.

Free, Non-commercial API Luxembourg, 9 November 2004 - Skype, the Global Internet Telephony Company today announced the beta of its Skype API (Application Program Interface) included in the latest version of Skype for Windows, enabling hardware devices and software applications to seamlessly integrate with Skype's award-winning Internet telephony software. Skype currently has more than 14.5 million users from every country in the world, and is adding approximately 100,000 new users per day.

"We offer the Skype API to expand quality voice and messaging communications around the globe," said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. "With this API, Skype is now an open platform and we are keen to watch the world's innovative developer community integrate the Skype application to extend the potential of global communications."

Non-commercial developers worldwide may freely integrate the Skype API in compliance with the Skype software End User License Agreement (EULA). A software development kit which includes documentation, sample code, and other information is available at http://www.skype.com/community/devzone

Commercial, affiliate and other Skype partnership opportunities are handled on an individual basis. Companies and individuals with business proposals are encouraged to contact bizdev@skype.net.
Skype Opens API Beta

What are the pitfalls. Skype communication still isn't as open as would be liked. In fact I see many parallels to the learning Skype has done and MT and Six Apart who have been ripped for their licenses after creating a create developer community and set of forums.

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you thinking outside the box. Yet another article suggesting that telecoms are underestimating the threat of VoIP and new entrants like Skype. It's notes like this that tempt me to blog "If I was a major Telecom CEO today.... ". One of the interesting elements is that many telecoms have worked with scenarios that include rapid VoiP adoption. Yet it's clear that the delivery has never got them at the visceral and gut level. That's a shame and poor execution. For the result is no immersion in "what could be" and thus they aren't creating new options for their stakeholders.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Making cheap telephone calls over the Internet could be much more popular among consumers than previously estimated, leaving incumbent telecom service providers highly vulnerable, a survey revealed on Thursday.

Over 50 million western European consumers with a broadband Internet connection at home may use telephony software and special phones by 2008, British research group Analysys found.

"The impact on traditional telephony providers' revenues could reach 6.4 billion euros in 2008, representing 13 percent of the residential fixed-line voice market," said analyst Stephen Sale, adding this was a worst case scenario drawn up for operators who want to know how badly Yahoo News

Posted by Stuart Henshall at 09:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)