Lenn came to Skype from Microsoft to build up Skype's developer relations program, a program so troubled Skype Journal gave it a nearly failing grade last July. All of the issues have been addressed, most of them dramatically improved under Lenn's stewardship. That's impressive given Skype's internal changes, the eBay buyout, and the relocation from Seattle to London.

Lenn blogged he will move to California to work on eBay's mobile commerce. Expecting great things (especially if Skype mobile reaches the US market). See you at Mobile Monday, Lenn. And welcome home to all the Pryors.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's not news that Skype reports outages and problems. Those reports, scattered through its many blogs and forums, were hard to find. Bill Campbell wrote earlier about Skype's new Heartbeat page. Bringing announcements and status together on one page is excellent for users and for Skype's partners. Good job!

It isn't nearly enough, though. Here's what else I'd like to see:

Alerts of outages and problems. Push your news to people who ask for it. Let us subscribe via via email, RSS and SMS.

Status the clients. You're reporting on the infrastructure, but the software itself should get the same treatment. Perhaps you can share measures of health like:

• customer trouble tickets per capita over the last 14 days (trending up or down)
  
• number of known severe bugs in the latest release
  
• pie chart showing estimated number of active users for all versions and platforms
• days since last release and the official latest release number for each platform
• upgrade importance rating for each release - nice to have, get it if you have problems, drop everything and upgrade now
  

External Threat Warnings. Skype runs on an Internet that is sometimes broken, congested, intermittent, lossy, obstructed, slow or otherwise imperfect. Report the "Internet weather" by region. My favorite presentation is the Internet Traffic Report.

Hostile Territory Warnings. Many countries issue warnings before you travel to an epidemic or a war zone. Skype should list governments, ISPs and telcos blocking Skype.com or downgrading Skype traffic. Give Skypers a single place to look and clarity about their situation. The reported institutions might be offered the opportunity to comment and share their official positions, communicating with Skypers they serve, and a venue for hearing from their customers.

Internal Stress Factors. The Skype cloud (how all of us find each other) depends on having enough supernodes (Skype clients outside a firewall that help the cloud do its job) in the right place at the right time on systems powerful enough to do a supernode's job. It shouldn't be hard to map places where supernode service is in short supply at this hour, resulting in slower propagation of IM, longer connect times, etc. It might correct user expectations at bad times. Don't just report a system is healthy or dead; show the causal factors, history and your near term predictions so members of the Skype ecosystem can pitch in to improve things. For example, if the country of Skypestan was experiencing a shortage, a local company using Skype might choose to float twenty instances of Skype outside their firewall.

Nitpicks:

Nit 1. I'd love a legend explaining the various hearts, their messages. For example, what does "working normally" mean for Peer-to-peer network core? What is the p2p network core?

Nit 2. Provide links near the top of the page where people can take action: the appropriate Skype forum to discuss a situation, email or skype numbers for reporting new issues, the bugbase, help ticket form, etc.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 06:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I guess when the fourth person contacts you for your reaction to the week's network neutrality voting in the US, it's time to say something about it.

For newcomers, my reasoning why Network Neutrality is a last resort at fighting duopoly rent seeking can be found here. I won't repeat it.

Let me re-iterate something I said back in 2004:

Over time, the architecture of the telecom system will resemble the political system around it.

The AT&T (as opposed to at&t) years reflected the military-industrial era. A "commanding height" of the Cold War was the flow of information, and just like the interstate highways. AT&T was as much a creature of the government as rational free-market economics. The break-up of AT&T as well as the 1996 act both chose to cleave the industry across the connectivity grain rather than with it. The current situation was 30 years in the making. As I rather undiplomatically stated, it's a uniquely American mess that can only be solved by a uniquely American solution.

But it's really much deeper than that. From my shallow knowledge of American history, and short exposure to American culure, I've come to the following (probably widely unwelcome and possibly wildy wrong) conclusions. Network Neutrality is just a digital-era manifestation of much longer-running sores within the American political system and psyche.

• The outcome of the Civil War was that everyone lost. No winners, not even a draw. One side lost its soul, and the other its honour. It set the stage for a fundamental change from the United States to the United State.
• The Seventeenth Amendment upset the carefully-crafted balance of power between the public, states, federal government (executive), legislature and judiciary. The US is a four-legged constitutional stool that the public is sat upon. (This may explain why it is one of -- debatably, the -- longest continuously established democracy). But it's now an uncomfortably wobbly stool.
• This set the stage for an immediate assault on personal freedom, which continues today in other forms. Competing jurisdictions would have ensured the migration of ethanolics and psychedelics to happier places.
• The same over-reaching federal state also encroached into a whole bunch of other areas it would best have been kept away from, notably communications policy.
• The rest, as they say, is history.

I can't but help enjoy the irony of the often statist/corporatist/collectivist European Union being a paragon of devolved government, competing regulatory regimes and voluntary cross-border cooperation compared to the centrally planned US communications economy.

If the FCC were tossed onto the scrap heap, and those powers returned to the states, my American friends would find that the Network Neutrality issue would rapidly cease to have any political significance. By making the prizes of Federal Telecom Lotto so big, the temptation to fiddle with the rules of the game has become overwhelming.

Anyone fancy some salty tea?

PS - Next overtly political Telepocalypse post: March 2009. I promise to keep my libertarian ways quiet until then. (Note that does mean I don't fit into US Dem/Rep political stereotypes.)
PPS - I'll probably offend lots of people, but the short version is "Nice country, great people, shame about the government." (For the UK, it's "Nice people, great country, shame about the government", and Italy is "Great people, great country, what government?" Only kidding! Calm down!)
PPPS - Comments are open ;) Set status to "published" and be damned...

UPDATE: Something many readers won't be aware of is the different ways the US and EU constitutions work. As I understand it, the commerce clause of the US constitution means that if it relates to interstate commerce (and practically everything in a networked globalised economy does), then it "goes federal" by default. In Europe, it's different. The subsidiarity principle means everything should (in theory) be done at the lowest possible level of government. Just because something has an international dimension, it doesn't mean that the EU gets full power over it. And even where the EU legislates, it merely sets out the general requirements and objectives, and each nation translates that into local law. Again, scope is retained for competing implementations and jurisdictions. I'm no fan of the eurocracy, but it's illuminating nonetheless to see the practical consequences of different constitutional frameworks.

UPDATE: That means the EU constitution is "edge-based", and the US one doesn't scale. Oops. Hey, just skip a generation and move straight to anarchism: peer-to-peer contracts, and a state whose only function is to enforce them.

Posted by Martin Geddes at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It is called Heartbeat. Make a short cut. Whenever you have a Skype problem go check out Heartbeat. It will help you diagnose whether the problem is local or global. Very important information to keep your blood pressure normal.

Read more about Heartbeat from Jaanus here.

Posted by Bill Campbell at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Platform neutrality isn't easy or even wise. PayPal achieved its success with eBay buyers and sellers in no small measure because eBay enforced it as the only alternative to cash or credit cards. The market power from that lock-in is one reason Yahoo! was forced to adopt PayPal for its own payment system.

Google Checkout's launch today brings that question to the front again. Is infrastructure lock-in good for eBay The Corporation or for eBay's Community of sellers and buyers? Should eBay let sellers offer the payment systems of their choice?

A developer at the eBay DevCon asked about open architecture. Now that eBay is letting sellers put Skype Me links in their auctions and profiles, shouldn't they also encourage use of rival tools? If eBay's point is to open communication with and sell to Skype's 100 million users, shouldn't they also reach out to those other large communities using the tools those users prefer? The combined users bases of Yahoo! Messenger, AOL, Google Talk, QQ, MSN, and Live Messenger dwarf Skype and would assure nearly every member of the eBay Community would get and receive customer service using their chosen tools. If you promote dialog to support your market, why not go all the way? Wouldn't this be better for both buyers and sellers?

Or does Skype's success with The Community hinge on eBay locking its customers to the company phone system? 

Posted by Phil Wolff at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Jaanus from the Share Skype blog warns about a two month old test version of Skype for Macintosh with video floating around. Buggy as all get out, hurtful, dangerous to your data, etc. Don't touch it and get your Skype software from Skype.com. Hat tip to John Maas.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A long sought after utility. "A Must Have Utility", says the author of Skype Me. Now you can switch between a USB Device and a Audio card or even multiple USB devices. Even in a call. A smple doble-click with your mouse or a short-cut key.

Neil Lindsey, is my Skype beta tester friend in Vancouver, Here is Neil's take:

"Bill, it installs in a blink of an eye. Every Skype user can use this product, and it is free!"

Download it here.

Thank you WiSPA!

Posted by Bill Campbell at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Skype made a liar of me. It wasn't that I was "Not Available"; I was. Just not to you.

Skype and other IM presence is a broadcast tool, telling the universe how approachable I want you to think I am. But that doesn't work if I have more than one kind of person in my world. I may be available to my family, but not to that pariah of a cousin who I don't speak with at all. I'm available at work, but my chain of command comes first, my team comes second, except that my mentor can get through at any time.

So presence is a blunt tool and I wind up lying, saying I'm not available when I really am, just to fend off strangers for an hour or two of writing. I know I'm not alone.

Lying devalues presence. If we don't trust it, we'll ignore it. and it ceases to inform my choice to call now.

So what can you do about it?

• Lie less. Or at least less often. Hope that colleagues, acquaintances, friends, and strangers guess well.
  
• Fragment your networks. Keep your family on Microsoft Live Messenger and your work on Skype, for example, so your presence is tailored to each group. 
  
• Knock before calling. Start with a "Can you talk" chat. It's polite, and also a presence check. This is like texting someone before chewing up their mobile minutes.
  

What can Skype do about it? Lots, but that's another post.

Technorati Tags: skype, skypejournal, presence, ebay, truth, digitalid, netiquette

Posted by Phil Wolff at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Time for a brief break from our voice communications obsession. As with any blogger, when writing for Skype Journal, I continually seek out tools that facilitate the blogging experience.  Ideally the entry of content, with graphics, should be transparent to the writer. However, while blogging tools make the experience somewhat more transparent, they still have some user interface issues to address. But I diverge.

Our blogging is done via a Moveable Type platform which is well suited to managing and publishing blogs with multiple authors. However, the inherent editor is minimal and requires recalling somewhat more than the basic HTML code experience, especially for inserting graphics. (MT has TypePad for those who want to author at a more transparent level of blog entry) Introduced to Qumana at the Toronto mesh 2006 conference in mid-May, I have found it a very useful aid in providing both a WYSIWYG window as well as a more complete for graphics placement capability. It even does spell checking as you type (à la MS Word). It allows you to build a post offline and save drafts; its Qumana Manager window provides an offline record of all your posts.  Works with all the major blogging tools. Certainly a productivity enhancer; now if they would add a dictionary to the spell checker, I could add "Skype"!

The second tool facilitates web browsing but is especially useful when looking at a page of search results. Browster is an "add-on" for both Internet Explorer and Firefox that lets you preview the page at a link. So I can quickly go through the links on a search result page and get a "snapshot" glimpse at any result without having to open multiple browser windows. Speeds up your search activity and keeps down screen clutter. I never have had a problem with spyware. Now if they could just get it to work in FeedDemon (RSS Reader), it would allow me to more readily keep up with ALL of Scoble's profusion of post links!

Check them out.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 04:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last week Microsoft cranked up the hype machine and had lots of people wondering if their announcement today would be something approaching earth shaking.  In the end it turned out to be about the consolidation of several communications related servers, such as Exchange and Live Communications Server, onto on Office Communications Server, available in Q2 2007. It was announced today so that IT and communications managers can start to plan architectures, hardware requirements and budgets for its implementation shortly after availability. Fundamentally it is a server product with clients that could potentially replace PBX's. But at what cost in revamping resources, redefining business processes and defocusing an enterprise's primary business strategy.

Two good posts I have come across:

Alec Saunders has an indepth perspective as both a former Microsoft product manager and a potential competitor to iotum's Relevance Engine. But, as Alec says:

When the announcement came, it was a damp squib. Microsoft will rename Exchange as Communications Server, and add telephony features to Communicator, and other products. It's an integration announcement, as opposed to a dramatic new direction -- a reprise of the 1993 announcement that created Microsoft Office out of Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. Interestingly, this tactic may backfire for them this time around. Today there's much more focus on open standards. The idea that you must buy all of your infrastructure from a single vendor just isn't palatable for many companies today. Certainly, that is the view expressed by TMC's Tom Keating in his coverage of today's announcements.

Tom Keating points out that it is definitely not a consumer play. It is about installing servers into enterprises to serve as the core engine of communications services, provisioning and management. This is reinforced by Allstream's announcement of communications services built around the LCS/Office Communicator System platform.

Consequences for Skype: Skype can continue to proceed to service their 100 million plus users with similar services provided on an open system platform with easy access to selection of services and no IT overhead. (Isn't peer-to-peer technology, eliminating servers, what the future is about?) Skype's Toolbars and API's certainly allow the evolution of the Skype ecosystem in a more spontaneous manner without tying its users to any tight set of business processes. Skype will provide relevant ad hoc access to its voice and chat services in context from within any of several applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint as well as Skype for Outlook and other utility products. Its inherent ease-of-use, flexibility and "have it your way" user interface are much better suited to an amorphous consumer set who likes the freedom to "have it my way".

Recalls the days of introducing PC's into enterprise - where employees would slip PC's into their "personal" business activities, bypassing IBM mainframes except for "corporate" functions. Will Skype be the "stealth" communications carrier in the OCS-activated enterprise?

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Using Bubbleshare (well, you're all tired of Flickr, right? and it's a local product coming out of the Toronto area), I have finally organized my pics from the eBay/PayPal/Skype Developer's Conference two weeks ago.

Double click on any picture for a larger version and the slide show in a separate window. Enjoy!

This album is powered by BubbleShare

Aplogies for not taking full advantage of BubbleShare and putting words in people's mouths...;-)

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 07:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

By Evgeny Gorbarsky Moscow, Russian Federation. Manager of the Russian Skype Forum.

It is always nice to be the first to try out a new product. Recently I tested the Plantronics Voyager 510-USB. The Voyager ™ 510-USB is positioned as the first Bluetooth headset system optimized for VoIP that provides instant wireless connectivity to softphones. Per se, this first Bluetooth solution which does not demand the additional equipment.

I unpacked the box, I found the Voyager ™ 510 earpiece, a small USB adapter and installation CD.

Installation of the adapter takes only seconds. It is plug-and-play also does not demand additional drivers. The Voyager 510-USB PerSono Call Application connects to Skype throught the Skype API. Now it is possible to call. Not bad, I am up and running in less than two minutes.

Quality of a call: a sound clean and well-defined. I think, a user will not distinguish it from wired headset. I could move all around my big room and even walk on some meters down the hall. Toatal distance is about 10 meters from my computer. I really liked the feature of having a notification of an incoming call and being able to answer or end calls remotely via the headset . It is important, when you are not near to a computer.

After making a few test calls, I connected the Voyager to my mobile cell phone. Now I can switch between my mobile phone and Skype by simply pressing a button. It is perfect.

The Voyager 510-USB has a manufacturer suggested retail price of US $199 and will be available in June 2006 through Plantronics' authorized resellers, major e-commerce sites, and www.plantronics.com. The product will also be available in retail stores in early fall.

Posted by Guest Blogger at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

For those of you who only visit Skype Journal via RSS, we've been listing a few other places to read and write about Skype. There's always been Skype's own official forum in English. Two German language sites are very active: Forum - Deutsches and meinSkype.de. For Chinese readers, you must see the 9Skype blog's active comments, SkypeBBS, and SkypeU.com. New this week: the Russian SkypeClub.ru forum. 

Posted by Phil Wolff at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Hasan writes:

Skype Journal claims US-based Skype users can call anywhere in the world free for 30 minutes. Also, keeping with the American obsession with their military, servicemen are being equipped with skype starter paks. Personally, I find this obsession with war sickening, but I am certain that they find my taste in sport equally sickening.

It's a smart move on a few points.

• It's timed just before an American holiday, the U.S. Independence Day, (4 July) when patriotic feelings are stirred up. Hear the marching band as Skype comes to the rescue.
• It's not just for servicemen, but for their families too. Can't you see the families reunited? Heartwarming calls? Kids waving hello to their mothers via Skype video?
• It's a market worth seeding. The military is a vibrant subculture, highly motivated to sustain family connections at distance and concerned about cost. The chance for Skype adoption is high, the cost of a trial is cheap ($100k?). A delightful side effect Skype must hope for: consumer products often find their way into field and office work, especially during wartime.
• One of the interesting things about the design of this promotion is its focus on using human bridges between two social networks, home and field. The home front is highly connected in small, dense networks of family, friends, veterans, and spouse support groups; localized. So best practices spread naturally within a local community. The field mixes people from multiple home-locations. They share news and new skills from home, spreading knowledge that finds its way back to other home-front locations.
• The U.S. Federal government directly employs about two million civilians, excluding the postal system. The number of people who work indirectly is estimated at 20 million. So this promotion is just a foot in the door.
• This promotion supports Skype's distribution channel by bringing 40,000 new customers into Radio Shack.

Sharing knowledge by word of mouth is a survival trait among military dependents. If Skype finds any uptake, even a little, it could well go viral.

Marketing to military families is not only a U.S. thing; if it works there, the same human drives could make it work in military subcultures around the globe.

Press contacts

Deanna Zemke, Kaplow Communications for Skype, 212.221.1713, skype@kaplowpr.com

SKYPE WORKING WITH RADIOSHACK AND THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS TO HELP CONNECT MILITARY FAMILIES

(June 21, 2006, SAN JOSE, Calif.) -- Skype®, the global Internet communications company, announced today that it is working with both RadioShack Corporation and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to provide U.S. servicemembers and their families with Skype™ starter packs, so they can make voice calls at no charge from one Skype account to another, anywhere in the world where computers have broadband Internet connections.

From June 18 through July 1, 2006, military personnel and their family members who purchase Skype starter packs at participating neighborhood RadioShack stores, or online at RadioShack.com, are eligible for full purchase-price refunds after both instant and mail-in rebates with proof of their military status. Complete terms and conditions of the offer are available in stores or online.

In addition, 40,000 U.S. servicemembers across the nation as well as those stationed in Korea and Germany will receive free Skype starter packs via a distribution program administered by the Veterans of Foreign Wars beginning in June 2006.

"We recognize how critical it is for military families to have a cost-efficient, convenient way to stay in touch with loved ones," said Henry Gomez, Skype's North America general manager. "We've heard from military families who use Skype, and we're pleased to help even more families connect."

Skype starter packs include microphone-enabled computer headsets that allow people with Skype software on their computers to communicate via broadband Internet connections. Calls between Skype users are always free. Calls from Skype users to traditional phone lines overseas incur low global rates, as little as two cents a minute. The starter packs include free 30-minute calling cards to fund such calls.

Anyone can download Skype software at no charge from Skype.com.

"Communication is the best morale booster for anyone who has ever been deployed," said Jim Mueller, VFW national commander. "It is fantastic that Skype is helping expand the VFW's ability to provide connection time to deployed servicemen and women."

About Skype

Skype is the world's fastest-growing Internet communication offering, allowing people everywhere to make unlimited voice and video communication for free between the users of Skype software. Skype is available in 27 languages and is used in almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenue through its premium offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones, voicemail, call forwarding and personalization including ringtones and avatars. Skype also has relationships with a growing network of hardware and software providers.

Skype is an eBay company (Nasdaq: EBAY). To learn more visit skype.com.

Skype is not a replacement for your ordinary telephone and cannot be used for emergency calling.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 04:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Skype on your razr?
incompatible today.
SoonR might do it.

Net neutrality
astroturfed, lobbied and shelved
telcos win again

fcc taxes Vonage
maybe SkypeOut too
Save the Internet!

pick friends well, Yahoo!
AT&T messenger
now with NSA

Supernova word:
people Curate their passions
a new meme rises

Calls in US free
June promo: call the world free.
Skype teases America

Censor carefully:
Global Online Freedom Act.
Do you read Chinese?

Packard-Bell laptop
push keyboard to call
or answer the phone

Phishing in Skypeland
Suckers waiting to be fleeced
Study the handbook

Posted by Phil Wolff at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Technorati Tags: politics, activism, netneutrality, askaninja, ninja, rights, ebay, skype, skypejournal, freedom, access

Posted by Phil Wolff at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The xing conference phone features four-way surround sound microphones. It is compatible with either a PC or Mac picking up voice from 5 meter (15 foot) radius. So you can walk around the room, work with a white board or a PowerPoint. In comfort; unconstrained.

Price point is $149.99 with an IPEVO online special at $129.99.

It comes bundled with with Convenos Meeting Center and a free 14-day trial offer of this web-based conferencing and collaboration software. Ships next week.

I will be testing this product in our labs, so check back in a few days to find out how fast it goes. I suspect it will match the usual supurb quality of the other IPEVO products. I see that it uses 16 KHz audio sampling so it will match Skype byte for byte on sound quality.

Posted by Bill Campbell at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Seems like there are several Skype-related stories out this week:

Andy at VoIP Watch, in a post entitled Skype Giving More Away, has commented on the SkypeOut Internationl calling promotion that Bill brought to our attention yesterday.

In my view this Skype is acting more and more like a real phone company, using promotions such as this, which is clearly sampling. In many ways this is much like the old MCI or Sprint switch campaigns that did battle with AT&T in the pre-divestiture and post divestiture era of the 1980's.

PC Magazine has a report on security threats in 15 of the most popular software applications, including Skype. Bottom line: keep your software updated and you'll minimize these threats. Many, such as Windows and Smyantec's Norton products, incorporate an automatic update feature. While Skype has improved their update process in Skype 2.5, it is still not an "automatic". Given they are going after a broader consumer market, let's hope they get there in a future release. (Bill advised getting this upgrade a month ago in a post immediately after its release.)

Skype for Couch Potatoes? Om dug out Skype, Now on Your TV, commenting on Oregon Networks' settop media browser "which allows information such as Skype's in-coming caller ID and message alerts to be displayed on the television screen ". Looks like a feature that should be into TiVo as an option.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose! (The more things change, the more they stay the same.) Andy's post, We Too, We Also, We Copy, brings back memories of my days with a formerly major utility software company where we always had to be super-careful about discussing new products with Microsoft personnel. Hopefully Scoble's legacy of humanizing the people behind Microsoft and, by implication, putting out a more favorable public perception of Microsoft, has not withered away just as he is departing for a new venture. Only time will tell if Microsoft's new offering competes with or complements iotum's Relevance Engine. (And congratulations to iotum on winning another award.)

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Over the years your Skype contacts list will grow and grow. Mine is over 500 now. And that's after constant pruning. A long list of contacts makes it difficult and frustrating to scroll to find a contact. Even if you use Grouping (I gave up on Grouping Contacts).

If you happen to be one of the ten million Skype Users who are red-green colour-blind (like I am) you will find this function absolutely invaluable.

Now I just use the Search function. Works like this--

I need to find Sharon's SkypeOut number.

In the "Flag Field" at the bottom of the Skype Client I start typing in, "Shar... " a "Looking for... Shar" tab opens up (see the top arrow in the screen shot) It lists all contacts with the contiguous letters "shar". I double click the entry I want and Sharon's landline rings.

It is a nice feature, but you need to turn it on. Here is how--

Go to Skype>Tools>Options>Advanced

Tick the box for "Enable Contact List and History quick filtering"

Notice quick filtering for History is also included in this feature. Go play with it. You will love it.

Posted by Bill Campbell at 07:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The eBay Live press room computers featured a version of Skype just for eBay users, release 2.0.41.107, no beta version yet. Its eBay tab is new, and points to the same kind of eBay-via-browser-in-rich-client experience you can find in Windows Live Messenger, Google Desktop, and AT&T Yahoo! Messenger with Voice Beta (version 8). This Skype client for Windows is just available from the eBay site, not yet part of the standard distribution.

Can you tell who put out this blurb?

eBay Plug-In: The eBay plug-in gives people direct and timely access to the eBay marketplace. It provides the ability to track watched eBay listings, monitor bidding activity, and view items recently won. People can effortlessly stay on top of all their eBay activity from within [insert downloaded software here]. The eBay plug-in was developed using eBay's open APIs through the eBay Developers Program.

From a Yahoo! news release, but it describes pretty much what everyone else is doing. Mashups across sites, using multiple APIs to deliver services through rich clients. So Web 2.0.

You know the difference between Skype and all the rest? The rest have open plug-in architectures including support for web apps and web protocols. And Skype doesn't. It's almost a year since Skype promised such support, so we take renewals of those vows with a huge grain of salt.

eBay likes to deploy in small, measured steps, adjusting along the way. Let us know what you think.

Technorati Tags: skype, skypejournal, api, plugins, plugin, technology, architecture, tab, tabs, ebay, paypal

Posted by Phil Wolff at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Skype made waves around the world last month with a free offer to North Americans. Free SkypeOut calls intracontinental. Now this:

Skype is offering its U.S.-based users one hour of free international calling to landline phones in 30 countries around the world. Until June 30, 2006, U.S.-based Skype users new to SkypeOut™, can make up to 60 minutes of free calls to landline phones in countries including Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

And that free offer was backed by yet another:

Skype is working with both RadioShack Corporation and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States to provide U.S. service members and their families with Skype™ starter packs, so they can make voice calls at no charge from one Skype account to another, anywhere in the world where computers have broadband Internet connections.

Do you believe this free stuff will turn America's crank? Will the richest country in the world get excited over a $1.20?

News release:

U.S. Skype Users New to SkypeOut Can Make One-Hour Free International Phone Calls to 30 Countries Worldwide

21.06.2006 12:00:00

Skype(R), the global Internet communications company, isoffering its U.S.-based users one hour of free international callingto landline phones in 30 countries around the world. Until June 30,2006, U.S.-based Skype users new to SkypeOut(TM), a product thatallows Skype users to make calls from their PCs to any external phoneline, can make up to 60 minutes of free calls to landline phones incountries including Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexicoand the United Kingdom.

The offer comes one month after the company announced that U.S.and Canadian-based Skype customers can make free SkypeOut calls to anylandline or mobile phones in the U.S. or Canada until the end of theyear. Previously, Skype users in both countries were required to payfor Skype calls from their PCs to traditional telephones.

"With free calling within the United States and Canada until theend of the year, and one hour of free international calling until theend of the month, we are making it incredibly convenient for our U.S.Skype users to keep in touch with friends, family and businessassociates," said Henry Gomez, general manager, Skype North America.

As part of the company's activities to solidify Skype's positionas the Internet's voice communication tool of choice, Skype has planslater this summer to offer its U.S.-based users free internationalcalling periods to select countries.

As of today, all existing U.S.-based users who are new to SkypeOutand opt-in to receive Skype emails will receive an email when they logonto Skype. The email contains a link that users click to redeem 60minutes of free international calling using SkypeOut. Users can thenstart making free international calls to 30 countries immediately.

The full list of countries included in the promotion:

1. Argentina

2. Australia

3. Austria

4. Belgium

5. Canada

6. Chile

7. China

8. Denmark

9. Estonia

10. France

11. Germany

12. Greece

13. Hong-Kong

14. Ireland

15. Italy

16. Korea

17. Mexico

18. Netherlands

19. New Zealand

20. Norway

21. Poland

22. Portugal

23. Russia

24. Singapore

25. Spain

26. Sweden

27. Switzerland

28. Taiwan

29. United States

30. United Kingdom

Skype users will also now have the chance to benefit from Skype'spremium products and online calling capabilities. Some of theseproducts include sending SMS messages to mobile phones, purchasingring tones or buying a picture to personalize their Skype profile.

About Skype

Skype is the world's fastest-growing Internet communicationoffering, allowing people everywhere to make unlimited voice and videocommunication for free between the users of Skype software. Skype isavailable in 27 languages and is used in almost every country aroundthe world. Skype generates revenue through its premium offerings suchas making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones,as well as voicemail and call forwarding. Skype also has relationshipswith a growing network of hardware and software providers. Skype is aneBay company (Nasdaq:EBAY). To learn more visit skype.com.

Skype is not a replacement for your ordinary telephone and cannot be used for emergency calling.

Posted by Bill Campbell at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

When my daughter started up her new MacBook Pro a couple of months ago, the most impressive feature was the embedded iSight webcam. When you first create user profiles, capturing a picture of the user is one of the first questions that pops up. I have said previously that Skype is not fully supportive of the Mac line until they come out with a version 2.x of Skype for Mac OS X with full video support; they are currently at version 1.4.0.49.

Well, it should be no surprise that a second Wintel PC vendor has finally come out with a webcam-embedded laptop.  However, in order to ensure full communications functionality combined with hardware simplicity, the newly announced Packard Bell EasyNote Skype Edition incorporates a one-touch Skype calling button located next to the integrated webcam..  From the press release:

The Skype calling button is located next to the integrated webcam on the upper bevel of the 14-inch widescreen display. By pressing the button the user can answer incoming calls or open the Skype application to make a call. The notebook was also designed to be optimized with Intel dual-core processors. The EasyNote Skype Edition features built-in broadband and wireless connectivity, and an original Packard Bell design. Pre-loaded Skype software and the Skype button are just a couple of the many features available on this innovative notebook.

Availability in European retailers will commence in August and vary on a country-by-country basis.

An interesting development. Can a similar Dell laptop be in the future, given the recent announcement of a Dell-Skype partnership to load Skype software onto two new Dell laptop models with an integrated webcam? Will your laptop become your (portable) desktop phone of the future?

In the meantime, it's "Lights, Packard Bell EasyNote, Skype, Action"!

Update June 22: Added Skype button picture above. Janus has provided more pictures here.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Peter Kalmström, Program Manager for Skype Toolbars, demonstrated several new (and forthcoming) features in the Skype Toolbar Suite to me during an interview at the eBay DevCon. The Skype Toolbar Suite includes Skype Email Toolbar; Skype Web Toolbar (Internet Explorer, Firefox) and the recently released Skype Office Toolbar.

As an overall philosophy in designing toolbars, Peter says their objective is to "make toolbars contextual". For instance, make it easy to initiate any Skype-related action from any phone number recognized in Outlook (Contacts and Email Messages), websites or Office documents. Several other examples, including contextual PayPal integration, came out in the course of the interview. Alec Saunders commented today on the importance of context awareness:

... I believe that context awareness is a critical element of producing truly useful software, and true context awareness is difficult to achieve in all cases.  Take presence, for instance.  Most implementations require you to set a specific presence status.  Some can anticipate some kinds of presence ...

Peter brings several years of experience developing Outlook Plug-ins for business applications where he had a business with over 1,000 customers -- a challenge in that Outlook was not developed as a particularly robust platform for "extensions", yet many third party plug-ins have become available over time. From a starting point a year ago where he was the only Toolbar developer prior to the eBay acquisition last fall, Peter has now built a team of ten developers and is in the process of hiring several testers to enhance the quality control of both beta and released products.

His first product at Skype was the October, 2005 release of Skype Toolbar for Outlook, bringing Skype/SkypeOut access to every Contact in your Outlook Address Book whether they have a Skype or legacy PSTN. Future releases of this Toolbar (no release dates available at this time) will include:

• a PayPal button to launch a money transfer from within Outlook
• a conference call setup feature whereby selecting all the Contacts participating in conference call will create a "launch pad" for a multi-party conference call

(Disclosure: The Skype Toolbar for Outlook has become a staple of my Outlook configuration -- along with the third party SkyLook plug-in for Outlook which has a different feature set.)

Skype Web Toolbar "recognizes phone numbers and Skype Names on webpages, so that you can call with one click, through Skype". It has a unique ability to sense which country code should be associated with a web page and, more importantly, with individual phone numbers within the web page. For instance, it can usually differentiate between U.S. and Canadian phone numbers even though they both use the country code "+1". The phone number recognition algorithm has also been made available as a Skype API such that Skype Partners can embed phone number recognition into third party applications.

Skype Office Toolbar, released two weeks ago just prior to the eBay DevCon, provides:

• ability to use Skype File Transfer to send the currently open document to a Skype Contact
• recognition of phone numbers within documents and ability to launch a call or to send an SMS message to the number (provided the recipient's phone is equipped to handle SMS).

Skype Office Toolbar works with Word, Excel and PowerPoint in Office 2000, Office XP and Office 2003; future releases will add Access, Visio and Project. A more complete review of Skype Office Toolbar will follow soon.

Peter also lead the Skype Active X presentation at eBay DevCon and directed a couple of the (well attended) Skype Lab sessions related to using Skype API's.

Skype Journal would like to acknowledge the assistance of Multi-Link, Inc. in facilitating our attendance at eBay Live.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 03:39 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

On reviewing my notes from last week's eBay DevCon and eBay Live, some interesting numbers came out in the various sessions:

• eBay: last year sold a "Gross Merchandise Value" of $44B, representing 14% of all ecommerce on the Net.
• PayPal's highest growth is in "off-Ebay" commerce. Last quarter (Q1-06) "Off-eBay" transactions grew by 59% while overall PayPal growth grew by 43% to $8.8 billion of transactions. On PayPal $1.5 billion of stored value is turned over every three weeks.
• Skype, in Q1 of 2006, provided infrastructure for 6.9 billion minutes of long distance calling; representing 7% of all long distance call minutes worldwide.

Developers:

• eBay - 30,000 whose work contributes to 25% of all eBay transactions
• PayPal - 2,500 supporting 350,000 web integrators
• Skype - 3,500 delivering 350 applications and over 400 hardware devices

As mentioned previously, eBay developers and Skype developers have two totally differentiated motivations: eBay developers serve as micro-IT departments to eBay resellers producing customized Seller websites while Skype developers produce Skype-embedded applications for resale to the general public.

User numbers:

• eBay answers 22 billion SQL queries per day across 2 Terabytes of data storage.
• Last weekend eBay passed 200 million registered members (only four nations have larger populations: China, India, U.S. & Indonesia)
• 1.3 million eBay sellers rely on their eBay activity as their primary or secondary source of income
• 15,000 eBay Sellers registered for eBay Live; this was the first time it was sold out (and two weeks before the event at that).
• PayPal services 105 million accounts in 50 countries; PayPal provides the payment mechanism for 67% of eBay transactions. (PayPal has more accounts that Amex and Discover combined.)
• Shopping.com has 40 million products in their "catalog"
• Skype (as we can see every morning around 11 a.m. Eastern Time), now supports over 6.5 million concurrent users on its peer-to-peer backbone.

Internationalization:

• To support the conversation on localization triggered by Nicole Simon (with comments by Scoble and Segal) on what it takes to build international markets for products, 72% of Skype users use one of the 26 non-English versions of Skype. (Nicole, can we assume you are a heavy Skype user?)
• PayPal currently supports seven currencies in 50 countries with a goal to support 20 currencies in 100 countries within the next six months.
• 15% of all eBay transactions are across international borders.

Implications for Skype:

• It was readily apparent that eBay resellers have little or no knowledge of Skype. In fact, recruiting eBay resellers would be a good test of Skype's ability to appeal to a non-technical consumer market. Apparently Meg Whitman's speech Tuesday evening generated lots of interest at the Skype eBay Live booth for the next couple of days.
• eBay Sellers and Buyers also provide potential customers for Skype Partner products such as Skylook, Unyte's web conferencing or any of the USB phone hardware. Will be interesting to see if, for instance, eBay Resellers develop Power Point (or equivalent) presentations to complement their Skype communications activity with desktop sharing. (More to support one-on-one conversations with prospective premium product customers as opposed to doing webinars.)
• As a two way payment mechanism, Skype has the potential to provide communications support for the PayPal trust network for monetizing any transaction activity whether it be loyalty programs, contextual advertising placement and response, expert services (such as JyvePro) or exchanging real value for a virtual currency (as is currently available with Second Life).

Skype Journal would like to acknowledge the assistance of Multi-Link, Inc. in facilitating our attendance at eBay Live.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 06:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The official release of Skype verion 2.5 became available as of today; download it here. Change Log.

New features:

• Can stop Import Contact search at any time.
• Flag Emoticons: no graphic to click for flag but rather enter "(flag:cc)" where "cc" is the two character country code. You need to include the brackets.
• SMS API and a couple of other new API's
• Lots of bug fixes

Still no right click menu item for PayPal. And they still need to address the "+1" issue for setting up SMS logisitics. When we will have waving flag emoticons? to give them "emotion"?!

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Alec Saunders has posted his impressions from afar of information coming out of the eBay/Skype Developers Conference. Some observations:

The conference definitely set a baseline for what to expect from Skype in terms of API evolution, eBay and PayPal integration and developer partner support. And it represented a major milestone in the value eBay is bringing in terms of both management and marketing resources.

Alec referenced a PayPal integration into the Skype menu; however, I also saw a preview of the next version of the Skype for Outlook Toolbar where the PayPal icon will trigger a monetary transfer to any of your Outlook Contacts, not just Skype Contacts. A report on my interview with Peter Kalmström about Toolbars is forthcoming.

Then he talks about the 30,000 eBay developers and anticipates a major eBay ecosystem. However, in speaking with Scott Miller of The Usual Suspects Radio Show, he pointed out a major differentiation of eBay developers from Skype developers that came out of his informal discussions during the eBay DevCon. In particular, whereas Skype developers are attempting to develop products embedding Skype resulting in commercial products for resale, the 30,000 eBay developers tend to serve as micro-"IT departments" for individual eBay resellers, especially the 250,000 resellers with eBay stores. They are customizing eBay stores and Power Seller sites but with no expectation to actually resell product. The Skype expectation requires additional Developer Program resources on Skype's part in order to facilitate promotion of their developer partners' offerings. This was reinforced in my interview with Lenn Pryor.

And Mathew Ingram agrees with my impression that there was a lot of hype created for what amounted to the pilot activity of a long expected integration with eBay auctions.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Perhaps the biggest news coming out of Meg Whitman's keynote this evening was that eBay will walk before they run with Skype integration. Basically, after stating that they want to use Skype to facilitate trade, especially in higher value items, they will tomorrow announce details of a program to test Skype in selected categories. eBay Motors and "Lost iin Space Collectibles" are two categories she specifically mentioned.. Sellers will be able to participate on an "opt-in" basis.

In the follow up speech by Bill Cobb, President of eBay.com, I get the feeling there is a corporate culture of "test, try, get feedback and evolve incrementally" rather than launching "earth shaking" services. He mentioned a couple of eBay trials where they had to back off as a result of feedback from trial programs.

More to come as we hear it; this post is coming via the free WiFi at Las Vegas' McCarran Airport. Air Canada is calling...

Update: More details and some commentary can be seen at Tech Crunch:

Whether sellers will welcome voice or IM contact from prospective customers remains to be seen. A more sophisticated offering enabling users to, for example, select only IM or IM and voice contact, or a permission request process letting sellers see a user's eBay reputation before accepting a call would have been a good thing to see.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

On my way to listen to Meg Whitman's "big"?? announcement to the eBay Live Conference.  There are 15,000 eBay Resellers registered and the crowds make it feel like a mini-Comdex (of which I am a 15 year veteran). But probably 14,900 of them know little or nothing about Skype. If the rumors are true that may change in the next couple of hours.

Activity at the Skype booth was intense; it was also one of the busiest booths. Most of the demonstrations were basic Skype introduction.

A large inventory of Skype The Definitive Guide in the eBay Store.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 05:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Sellers in China and four other countries are already showing their "Skype Me" buttons.

Skype boosts sales. It's an old truism: sell where, how and when your buyer wants to buy. Skype is another touchpoint, another communication channel that better fits some users. Skype users love the convenience of clicking to call and the immediacy and intimacy of conversation. Your Skype button invites a chat (it's polite to chat before calling). Are you ready to answer? To close?

Skype boost repeat sales. The Skype software keeps a history of all your conversations. Your buyers can easily add you to their "buddy list." Your name in their contact book reminds them you're in their circle of trusted friends. If you believe in branding your business, being in a buyer's contacts should increase your chances of their calling you again. There's also nothing to say you can't notify your customers of upcoming sales. PowerSellers of mid- to high-ticket items who actively use Skype should see Skype both boost repeat sales and lower the cost of selling.

Skype boosts referrals. Your being in a customer's buddy list also makes it easy for them to pass your "Skype card" around to other buddies. You'll hear the term "social capital," the power of deeper relationships. Word of mouth sure worked for Skype. It should work for you.

Skype conferencing saves staff time. When giving product tours or demos over Skype, consider the value of conferencing a handful of customers at the same time. Aside from time savings, small group dynamics often provoke better questions and enthusiasm for your product. Don't forget Skypecasts, freeconferencecall.com and highspeedconferencing.com; they let you host free conference calls for dozens or hundreds of buyers.

Skype video shows your goods. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video call is priceless. Especially when the product is complex and the value is in its appearance. Third party software even lets you have multiparty videoconferencing with Skype handling voice and chat.

Skype ties up staff. Someone has to answer the phone. And you're paying their salary. This could add up. One power seller I met at the eBay DevCon said he's getting 100 emails a day related to his 700 auctions. What happens, he asked, when the phone rings all day long? Smart PowerSellers will choose which auctions will feature Skype, and which ones won't. What's your close rate on Skypers vs. email inquiry? PowerSellers will master managing an in-house or outsourced call center.

eBay will charge for Skype leads. Again, few things are free. eBay believes your ability to close a Skype lead is much higher and will lead to more Buy It Now sales. So they've told the analysts to expect income as they charge sellers (how much to be determined) to show their Skype button.

Proof one way or another will be coming soon to an auction near you.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

Recently Alec Saunders wrote a post that caused me to attempt to send him an SMS message; however, when I right clicked on his name, the "Send SMS Message" line was grayed/greyed out. (This is a bilingual post; being a Canadian we try to satisfy all audiences).

During my interview this morning with Peter Kalmström, a Skype Developer Program Manager, I pointed this out.  I knew that Alec had entered his mobile phone number and, after checking with him, that he had activated SMS messaging in his User Profile. Upon further investigation Peter identified that the problem was due to the failure to enter a country code ("+1") in the Mobile Phone entry in the User Profile (File | My Profile). Seems that, when making a user's native country code more transparent in Skype 2.5 beta, this is one item that was overlooked.

While it sounds trivial, the ability to make phone calls within North America without using a country code is very important to Skype adoption in North America. Most North Americans do not realize they live in the "+1" country code and do not realize that the international standard is to add a "+" prior to the country code to initiate a call. The "1" dialed to identify a long distance call within North America has always been associated with identifying that a long distance toll will apply to the call, not a country code. (I have to admit that when I first went to a European country with my GSM phone a couple of years ago, I kept wondering why 011-46-xxxxxx would not work at my destination airport in Sweden; finally someone pointed out the "+46" protocol.)

Skype 2.5 beta has incorporated several instances where the native country code (in our case, "+1") is automatically added when making a SkypeOut call to a location with the same country code. For instance, on the Dial Tab one just selects U.S. or Canada as the country being called and the "+1" is automatically added.

This is also being taken up by the more astute third party hardware vendors. For instance, the VoIPvoice phones and adapters all simply require that one dial the ten digit North American phone number; the "+1" is automatically added by their software prior to dialing.

Until Skype addresses this issue (hopefully in the released version of Skype 2.5), remember to include the "+1" in your Mobile Phone Profile entry if you wish to allow your contacts to send SMS messages via Skype.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 07:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I just spent twenty minutes interviewing Lenn Pryor, Director of Skype's Developer Platform Business Unit. Lenn joined Skype just over a year ago; that year has provided plenty of opportunity to not only to assess the potential but also to make the changes required to have a successful Developer Platform business.

Skype Journal: Lenn, what is your vision for the Developer Programs going forward?

Lenn: Let's start by going back a year or so. The Skype API's were launched just over 12 months ago; we spent the first year laying the foundation. We introduced several basic support services including the website developer zone, forums, a developer weblog, and support documentation all at the same time as building a developer community. It was a learning experience for both our team and our developer partners; we learned a lot about what is required to support hardware, software and services built around Skype. We identified two key needs:

• on the product side: better and more API's; we have made several announcements at this meeting
• and on the business side: raise awareness for the new applications offered by our developer partners. The Plugin Framework announced at the DevCon (available in Q4-06) will help to address this issue by:
  • building applications that have a tighter fit within the Skype User Interface
  • facilitate both awareness and buying logistics associated with monetizing the applications.

Skype Journal: What is/are the most critical issue(s) to address?

Lenn: The most critical issue once applications are built is to assist our developers with building a sustainable business. To address the latter the Plugin Framework will result in a catalog of Skype services available through third parties and decrease or eliminate the transaction friction resulting in a seamless buying experience.

Skype Journal: What is the extent your responsibilities in directing the Developer Program Business Unit?

Lenn: At the Developer Program Business Unit our responsibilities are to provide the infrastructure tools to make it possible for business development to assist our partners build successful businesses. Our Platform and API responsibilities include:

• API Product Management
• Documentation
• Developer Relations
• Technical Support

One more comment: we are building a tiered program to support our developer partners. We have been swamped with developer opportunities. We had to learn from working with the larger vendors and want to migrate this learning for dealing with smaller partners. Our challenge is now to answer the question: "How do we find a way for these partners to connect with Skype at an appropriate business level?"

Skype Journal: What additional resources are forthcoming to support this challenge?

Lenn: Over the past year we have expanded from one to ten employees involved in the Partner Program; we expect to expand this by 10 to 12 additional personnel with responsibility for:

• API Product Management
• Technical Support
• Documentation
• Evangelists
• Partner Program Support

Skype Journal: Thanks, Lenn, for taking time out of your busy schedule here.

Editorial comment: The past two days have seen lots of promise for supporting the developer communities while building entrepreneurial businesses, not only with Skype but also with eBay and PayPal developer partners. It should be an interesting ride over the next few months to see how well the execution reflects the promise.

Skype Journal would like to acknowledge the assistance of Multi-Link, Inc. in facilitating our attendance at eBay Live.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The Session "Servers and Plug-Ins: The Future of the API", led by Mat Taylor, Skype's API Product Manager, provided the Skype API roadmap for the API's over the next six to nine months. (Click the link above for the slideshow.)

Mat started out by reviewing the current status and highlighting what he felt were the top enhancement requests, based on feedback from the Skype developer community. He then went on to release the schedule for release of various new features:

• June/July 06: New Extras Gallery, Skype 4 Java, Skypecasts API, SMS API, Skype 4 Web
• Q3, 2006: Voice Access
• Q4: 2006: Call Transfer API (Skype2Skype only); Personalisation API and Plugin Framework.
• Early 2007: Call Transfer API (Skype2 PSTN)

Mat then provided more detailed information on the forthcoming releases, including a very complete discussion of the Plugin Framework. Some highlights and issues:

• The new Skype 4 Web (IE beta - Firefox "soon") became available yesterday (June 9) at the developer website. One needs to review the security issues associated with using this API (see slide 14). An example of its use is forthcoming at Netvibes, an AJAX-based personal web portal service where there will be Contact List, Messaging and History Widgets available.
• The Call Transfer API is probably the most in demand; however, its complexity is resulting in a two stage release.
• The Voice Access API generated much interest in terms of whether it could be accompanied by additional "control" information. Answer, No, such information should go along with accompanying messaging information.
• Mat provided an extensive discussion on the Plugin Framework; best to read the slides (23 - 34) for complete details.

Skype Journal would like to acknowledge the assistance of Multi-Link, Inc. in facilitating our attendance at eBay Live.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 05:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

The slideshows that accompany many of the presentations are available at the eBay DevCon website.  They have been added to the individual items on the "Schedule" pages. For instance click here for Saturday's sessions.

(Note: there are no slideshows available for activities such as the Skype Lab sessions or the Web 2.0 Community session as there were no slides used for the session.)

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 04:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

At a session on business opportunities for the Skype API's this afternoon. Charles Carleton, CEO of Jyve.com, gave a presentation on the recently launched Jyve Pro service. In the ensuing Q&A he commented on how his business relationship with Skyp. Key elements of Jyve Pro:

• Jyve Pro allows "experts" to charge for services delivered via Skype, such as music instruction or provision of personalized technical support.
• Jyve Pro is linked into payment systems such that revenue can be obtained via, say, PayPal regardless of whether it is a metered or fixed rate service.
• Jyve Pro manages sessions, tracks usage; it can be embedded into a website or weblog.
• Jyve Pro also includes a Directory listing available services by categories.
• Also available are evaluation/feedback forms and reporting features to provide analytics on usage.

Jyve has been known for developing presence and chat tools whose functionality have since been incorporated into Skype.  But they developed these tools as a precursor to developing the Jyve Pro service only because they were not available in Skype at the time; they did not see them as building a sustainable business. Charles made two key points in response to a Q&A question that came up:

1. Jyve Pro's ultimate value is provided through their aggregation of service providers (under their current beta program they already have 600); this is where they provide a unique, difficult to replicate service.
2. While they currently depend on Skype as the delivery vehicle, there is no reason they cannot migrate the service to MSN, Yahoo and/or Google should either the Skype relationship sour or one or more of these players become as relevant a player as Skype in the Voice 2.0 space.

Important points to keep in mind if you are looking to partner with Skype:

1. It's the customer partners and uniqueness of the service that builds value
2. Look for services that be can be readily migrated to other delivery vehicles.

This is no different from the experience 15 to 20 years ago where a variety of DOS utility products came and went because the utility publisher focussed on the technology (which often was often eventually incorporated into a Microsoft offering) rather than building a sustainable business servicing its customer base.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

eBay Live kicked off this morning with presentations by senior executives of eBay, PayPal and Skype. This is an event that focuses on the key role that developer partners play in the growth of the various eBay properties. A more complete report will follow shortly; however, a couple of points to quickly note:

In his presentation on the overall eBay ecosystem architecture Michael van Swaajj, Chief Strategy Officer, concluded with this slide. Within the context of eBay's vision of providing a "Trusted Ecosystem" infrastructure, it highlights the architecture support provided for partner innovation in building third party applications.

Lenn Pryor, Director of Skype's Developer Platform Business Unit, provided a ten minute overview of the Skype-enabled opportunities for third party developers along with the support being provided going forward. Lenn provided this slide describing the support immediately forthcoming for the Skype developer community:

The Call Transfer API is their most requested feature but still needs some time to complete its development. Expect it to come out in two phases: call transfer to other Skype users by year end followed by call transfer to the PSTN early next year. The Client UI plug-in framework will facilitate integration of third party services directly into the Skype UI.

More details to follow. Skype Journal would like to acknowledge the assistance of Multi-Link, Inc. in facilitating our attendance at eBay Live.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A letter from a concerned reader:

Hi. My company has blocked the use of Skype on our company computer network (becuase of pressure from the national phone company here). When I try to launch Skype, a message pop-us saying "This application has been blocked!" Is it possible to avoid this block? Can Skype be used through a website or does the application actually need to be launched? Are there other VOIP or telephony programs which work from websites or otherwise don't need a separate application to be launched on the PC?

One at a time:

Is it possible to avoid this block?

Your employer is locking down your computer, so you are in a tough spot.  It's not likely that you can get around it without creating problems for yourself.

If USB ports aren't locked down, it is possible to get a version of Skype configured to run on some USB sticks. Since none of the data lives on your company PC's hard drive, it may be able to run.

That's not the same, of course, as being authorized or permitted to use Skype.

Can Skype be used through a website or does the application actually need to be launched? 

Your must run Skype locally.

Are there other VOIP or telephony programs which work from websites or otherwise don't need a separate application to be launched on the PC?
Some companies are working on browser-only apps, but we haven't reviewed them and we're not ready to recommend one to you. This could change.

What is your company's Skype employee policy? Skype me if you'd like help walking through the process.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

Here he is: David Clarke, Bus Dev guy for Pika Technologies. If you have a phone system in your office this guy can help you interconnect to Skype. And that is just the start!

Back in March David invited me back to his lab in Ottawa so I could test some Skype to PBX Gateways like the VoSky Exchange on their Nortel and Asterisk PBX.

We got to see Pika's H-100 Card that manages 2048 concurrent, full duplex calls. And we saw Pika's T1-E1 120 Voice Channel Cards too. We used their Daytona 24 Port Analog Card to connect Skype via the VoSky Exchange to their Asterisk PBX. Pika knows phones. Been at it 20 years.

What I want you to ask yourself is this:

"What happens when you merge this unbridled phone horsepower into Skype?"

While in Ottawa David entertained my Linda and I with a Capital "E". In parallel he sucked my my mind dry about Skype. Now David has a product to show you.

Meet him this weekend at Skype Dev Con and next week at eBay Live.

In the time between now and when you meet David dream about what happens when you meld unbridled horsepower from Pika with Skype.

David tells me he will be at the Tandoori Dinner.

I was lucky. I got to test Pika's alpha version today. Better than most beta products.

If you have an office phone system and use skype, find David; he is will change how you use your office phone. And if you are an eBay Powerseller, find David; he will change your ratios.

Posted by Bill Campbell at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Last weekend an acquaintance wanted to demonstrate how Skype worked on his recently acquired Windows Mobile 5-based UTStarcomm PPC6700 mobile phone. The phone was operating on a Bell Mobility account using CDMA for the phone protocol and 1xEV-DO for data. One rather impressive feature is the keyboard that slides out sideways from under the main display screen; pulling out the keyboard automatically rotates the display to landscape mode. Skype for Mobile 2.0.0.51 was installed, resulting in the availability of an additional service for voice calls.

So my acquaintance let me try Skype. Tried to "Start" it by selecting Skype on the Programs menu -- no action ; the client simply would not open. Finally resorted to the same trick I use on my Dell Axim X50v when a program won't open: perform a soft reboot. One "bug" they forgot to improve from Windows Mobile 2003 SE. After the soft reboot I was finally able to log onto Skype.

Putting aside the "Push email" issue associated with the Blackberry's fundamental operating mode, as long as Windows Mobile requires random reboots and has other similar "operational" issues that impede immediate access to desired functionality, it will not be a "Blackberry Killer". Show me the business executive who wants to have to occasionally reboot in order to check email.

I will be doing some additional testing of Skype for Mobile on this unit and hope to report back shortly on its performance.

Full disclosure: the author owns a few hundred Research in Motion shares that he has held since 1998.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Packing my bags, scheduling interviews, checking the clock. If I don't see you during the day, please come to the Skype Blogger Dinner on Saturday night. 7-9pm, let's eat. Room for 45, so sign up now. Hot food, spicy conversation! Non-bloggers welcome, of course.

I'm also pitching three topics for the Monday community sessions.

• Discussion: Public Policy, Politics, Activism and Skype. Now that Meg Whitman has come out for Net Neutrality, what role does our developer community have in public advocacy? Should we be building "Click here to save the Internet" buttons into our apps? Forming a political action committee or something? What other issues affect our businesses and our customers?

• Your Big Fat Skype Wishlist. Now that you saw a little of the public roadmap (one of the sessions), what features would you kill for? What architectural changes and API extensions will let you print money? Let's whiteboard it.

• Presence 2.0 meets Identity 2.0. Where can we go beyond online/offline presence indicators? How do reconcile the huge need for privacy and anonymity in Skypeland communications vs. the social endorsements and third party authentication of eBay/PayPal commerce world?
  

Vote for your favorite Skype topics by adding a + after the title. (free wiki registration)

If you're in Las Vegas, please point me to your event pictures, videos, and blog posts.

I am eager to meet so many online friends in real life. If you see me, please shake my hand.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Deep pockets draw lawsuits like flies to honey. Is it a coincidence they didn't file in the ten quarters before the buyout? 
  
• Who benefits from Skype pain? Following the money (Net2Phone's customers), leads to the same telco and cable oligopolists who are trying to steal the public's Internet. Companies spending more on lobbying than research artfully stall for time, throwing regulatory roadblocks and management distractions in Skype's way. What could be a more effective monkeywrench than to drag Skype's management, engineers, technical partners through endless meetings to rehash history? Time better spent on new products, markets, and operations? Why the fear, uncertainty, and doubt raised around the Skype brand by keeping litigation in the public eye. [This is my rampant, unfounded, unwarranted, paranoid, speculative balderdash, of course. Still...]
  
• I don't know the latest suit's merits. Net2Phone diligently wrote US patents during boom and bust. The suit asserts n2p's interest in many patents, each infringed by something Skype may or may not be doing. To defend Skype, Skype's counsel can challenge the facts (did Skype infringe) and the validity of each of n2p's patents. It might take a mountain of prior art to clear each of n2p's patents.
  
• Is it leverage? Bigger firms often swap patent rights to keep out of court. Smaller ones use the extortionate powers of patent law to get cash, access to technology, entré to markets, or even acquisition. Does Net2Phone want in on eBay's new intangible and edge markets? On future enterprise markets? Probably not; they supply phone and cable companies with VoIP products for resale.
  

Small fish suing big sharks is expensive, time consuming, distracting and even dangerous. For the fish. So the stakes better be high enough to justify those risks.

See also:

• Alec Saunders' says there's prior art, but that it may not be enough to stop a VoIP A-bomb.
  
• Andy wondering about eBay's due diligence.
• Rich says Net2Phone is a true VoIP pioneer, not a patent troll.
  
• The complaint (pdf). via Om via Gary.
• Berlind's official 'Sue VoIP providers week'
• Niklas and Janus? Whatever happened to the good old racketeering names like Jimmy The Fish?
• Net2Phone.com, their corporate headquarters @ 973-438-3111 or 973-412-2800 and ask for Liore Alroy (ceo), Arthur Dubroff (cfo), Stephen Greenberg (chairman). Net2Phone is owned by...
  
• IDT Corp. Ask their lawyer, Joyce Mason, general counsel, 973-438-1000, if you want to know more about how and why they're suing Skype and eBay and if IDT will shut down the Skype network to win their case.
  
• IDT on Google Finance. They reported quarterly financials today: revenue down 0.5% y/y, net loss improving, $708 million cash.  (pdf).
  

Posted by Phil Wolff at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Who cares about the number of Skype downloads? Who cares about there being over 6 million concurrent users on Skype? Who cares about minutes served? Probably most of the 30 M active (weekly) users in the Skype Community. Even if they don't know it.

Our guest blogger Jean Mercier cares. He is Skype Journal's numerologist. (grin)

You gotta believe eBay and Skype executives also care about numbers. After all when they bought Skype they paid 2.5 billion plus 1.5 billion bonus due and payable once certain numbers are met.

One number I will bet they are worried sick about is the user penetration of Skype in the US:

This chart is based on the total numbers of Internet Users per country as listed in the CIA Factbook.

The chart is from page 230 of the eBay Analyst Day report.

The CIA Factbook shows the world with about 1000 Million Internet Users. With Skype claiming 100 million registered user names then Skype has about 10 percent of all Internet users. Since 68 percent of the population of the US uses the Internet and 84 milion of them have a broadband connection one would except the adoption of Skype would be higher in the US than in most other countries.

There is a short fall of 18 million users in the US. If I wanted to be a Global Telecom Brand I would be working desperately to find those missing millions. I don't think free SkypeOut will do it. Do you think it will?

eBay reports 6 million Skype Users in the US. Every week 138 million people visit a Wal-Mart, American Idols draws 30 million viewers, West Wing in its peak would draw 79 million. That proves there are still people south of me moving about. Why is the adoption rate so low for Skype?

Tell us your ideas.

Posted by Bill Campbell at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (2)

• Sneak peak at the Belkin WiFi VoIP phone. Embedded Skype, pc-less. Get on the Skype network just by walking into a hotspot. Or, if you're flying...
  
• Jet Blue will offer Wi-Fi. Like Alex, I'm a huge Jet Blue fan, fly them all the time. Hoping their LiveTV business licenses in-air internet access to other US airlines. Can't wait to Skype on cheap domestic flights, but will they offer power outlets?
• We Feel Fine is an emotion aggregator and data visualization system. See how bloggers feel. I'd love to see this kind of interface to and annotation of my conversational history, and of public conversations like Skypecasts.
  
• I'm eager to sit in on fifa World Cup casts, especially for teams I don't know well. Germany, Spain-Ukraine, World cup 2006. The feel of a sports bar in your own home (or, shhh, at the office). Even cooler: walking into a bar with wifi, my Belkin phone, and ear buds, and listening to mates around the world while watching with neighbors on TV.
  
• The Top 500 search terms surprised me. Skype wasn't there. Two themes from the 500: (a) language school, english learn, learn english, learn spanish, learn chinese, learn french, learn german, (Barbara is on to something) (b) currency trade #9), transfer money overseas (#11). It's not just the northern hemisphere's travel season; the Internet spans language borders. So does money. It wouldn't surprise me if SkypePal gets its share of the remittance economy.
  
• LiveJournal post of the week:

  Sara's heading off to South Korea for a three week study abroad program this Thursday, so we're getting things like international calling plans (although Skype is our primary plan ;-) and such set up. It's odd to think that the last time we've been away from each other for that long was before we got married. This trip is a great opportunity for her though, and it should be a lot of fun (since she's done with grad school after this term it's her last chance to get something like this funded, too; her program is paying for everything but the plane tickets). The setup is interesting because she's going to be learning about how special education is taught there, but also giving lectures on modern special ed philosophies in the US (particularly partial inclusion).

Posted by Phil Wolff at 02:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Jean Mercier, Oostakker, Belgium

I believed I had proof concerning the success of the free "SkypeOut" marketing campaign of Skype in the USA and Canada.

But then a clever reader named Adrian made the following comment:

"A security issue/fix was announced on May 19th, so the burst in traffic is more likely to be existing users upgrading to version 2.0.0.105 which is dated May 15th."

I have to admit I overlooked this "security bulletin" and that this certainly had an impact on the number of downloads. He could be right, and I could be wrong!

Therefore I continued to watch closely "my" numbers.

It is now about 15 days since Skype published its Security warning, and about 20 days since it launched its marketing campaign in the US and Canada. The speed of downloading has not diminished yet! In fact there are about 10 million downloads more then should have been expected before May 19.

And, around March 26, the speed was fluctuating between 180 and 530 downloads per minute depending on the time of the day, see also my post here (see: http://www.skypejournal.com/blog/archives/2006/04/skype_is_still_growing.php)!

Now, it is fluctuating between 350 and 1350 downloads/minute! It has more then doubled!

I therefore compared the users online between Thursday March 23 and Thursday June 1:

While the bottom of the curve is still about the same (3.5 million online at 0 h GMT), the peak of the curve has increased by 650.000 new users (6.5 million online at peak time, peak being around 15h GMT)!

Although this is only an average increase of 10000 new users online per day (at peak time) between those two dates, the average increase is now 14000 new users online per day in the last 2 weeks. So, in my opinion, yes, the North Americans are responsible for this acceleration.

And there is another point that makes me think this: the bottom of the curve has risen very slightly between the two dates, about 1.5%. But the top of the curve has risen by 11%! The top of the curve indeed is the time most Americans (North and South) are awake!

The next weeks will definitely be important to see if Skype continues to convince North-Americans to adopt their software. Last year, from the beginning of June till the end of August there was a clear slowdown of users online, see also my post here

Some days ago I had the feeling that we would reach 7 million concurrent users online somewhere in the third week of June. I however think that we will have to be patient and wait for September to reach that number. Because at the actual growth of 14000 daily new users online at peak time, we need some 30 days to cross the 7 million line, and I am almost sure by then Skype will experience the "Northern Hemisphere summer slowdown"!

Posted by Guest Blogger at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Many people have commented on how Vonage is pimping its IPO to its own customers by sending them a voicemail.

This voicemail doesn't make their phone ring. I'm not sure if they receive any notification of it. In all, it's fairly unobtrusive.

Anyhow, I'm currently completing a questionnaire from my business bank: "Which of the following types of communications do you recall ever receiving (from us): ... [ ] Courtesy phone calls from our Call Centre". There then follows: "Which is your preferred method of contact..." and the predictable list of existing channels.

Now, they don't know I travel quite a bit. Calling me on my mobile could cost me quite a lot in roaming fees, and I'm not likely to be amused if they call when I'm on holiday. They've got my SkypeIn number, because that puts me in control. But they'd still annoy me by cold calling if I'm online.

Yet I wouldn't mind them being able to directly inject voicemails into my mobile or Skype mailboxes. After all, they're one of the institutions I most want a meaningful relationship with. (I suspect a lot of CRM systems get sold to businesses where the absolute last thing the customer wants is a relationship. Anonymous, transactional commerce, please!)

Today, they can't do it. The voicemail systems are closed. The opt-in mechanisms, privacy and security protocols aren't in place. It doesn't take a lot of technical flair to see how it could be done, though. And as a telco, taking some of the friction out of me and my bank communicating could turn out to be an attractive financial proposition. Unlike email, which is riddled with phishing, spamming and scamming, the telcos could build up a trusted, verified messaging system between businesses and the public.

But that could take brains, heart and courage. Click your heels together and wish...

Get your Geddes injection at Telepocalypse.

Posted by Martin Geddes at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Saturday night, 7-9pm, let's eat. Come to the Skype Blogger Dinner at the Tamba Lounge (between the MGM and the Aladdin). I'll be there, as will our own Jim Courtney, Stuart Henshall (just back from Delhi, so maybe he can tell us how the food compares), Skypeland's gourmand Andy Abramson, technology strategist Michael Slavitch, independent Skype developer Andrew Hansen, and Skype product manager Peter Kalmström. Room for 45, so sign up now. Hot food, spicy conversation! Meet the bloggers, introduce yourself, talk shop. Non-bloggers welcome.

Posted by Phil Wolff at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Everyone has been having a field day commenting on the "fall" of Vonage since its IPO offering last week.  Especially interesting is the mistake made in offering shares to their customers; this could turn into not only a customer relationship and churn nightmare but also a significant legal battle.

Jon Arnold commented on it in a guest post on GigaOm last weekend; today Jon has published a post on a European VoIP IPO that tells a different story. Talk about Business 1.0 vs Business 2.0!  Have a read about how providing your customers with appropriate premium services and building your customer base via the Internet and viral marketing makes for a profitable VoIP business.  Another reinforcement of the Voice 2.0 Manifesto.

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Posted by Jim Courtney at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are hundreds of brands to choose from. But not all Skype telephone adapters are created equal. Study the specification sheets with care. The US Robotics USR9620 has a gem of a function – Call Forward PSTN Calls to a Skype Client. This is especially handy in countries without SkypeIn, like Canada and Chile. This function is sweet in Chile where they pay for all calls, even local calls.

A Skype Journal contact, Dr. Jorge Bianchi in Chile, operates a dental radiology clinic. He told me he was desperate to get call forwarding for his office phone lines to Skype. Jorge said it will save him a bundle of Pesos every month, help his practice be more competitive, and improve the professionalism of his staff. Not bad for a $68 dollar investment. So I pointed him to the USR 9620.

By the way Jorge's staff will be using cordless DECT phones. Nice to have the freedom to roam.

It has other interesting features. Check it out!. Please tell us how you would use Call Forward a PSTN call to Skype!

Posted by Bill Campbell at 04:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

• Cablevision jumps into the Skype and Vonage skirmish. $19.95 to call anywhere.
  
• Vonage squeezed by cable companies. Warner cable, in this case. NYT via IHT
• Russell Shaw tells Vonage how to fight back. Stock buyback, enhanced service, IM/softphone, partnership with independent telcos, longer term customer contracts. I concur.

• Pete Blackshaw on Skypecasts as a marketing vehicle vs. webinars. "digital lipstick"
  
• Vapps launches HighSpeedConferencing.com today. Free 500-person conference calls using Skype. Like the Skypecasts preview but: more people, access via regular phone calls, and Vapps web controls.
  

• Dominican Republic part of Skype's free NorthAm deal?  Apparently so.
  
• Poland is Skype's third largest market. Big in blogging too.
  
• Asus P525 PocketPC Phone scans business cards and has Skype for Pocket PC pre-installed.
• Follow-ups on the tiny Skype-preinstalled-on-two-Dell-models deal still overshadowed by the $1 Billion Google-Dell deal. Comprehensive review of the Dell XPS M1210.
  
• Rave SightSpeed video review. Compares favorable with Skype for being multi-party, having video voicemail, and being at platform parity on the Mac and Linux.
  

• eBay fights for Net Neutrality in congress. Enter your eBay ID to write your representative.
• It's Our Net coalition includes eBay, PayPal and Skype.
  
• Save The Internet! Buy an organic cotton t-shirt!
  

Posted by Phil Wolff at 01:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)