Is Skype a telco?
It looks like a telco.
It sure smells like a telco.
Why?
They’re making money from minutes. And they’re not very accommodating of partners.
Here’s the evidence (click to expand):
I got an offer to try out this new service. As you can see, they want me to enter my Skype password to log in on my behalf. Sorry, no go, boys.
But the real problem is Skype hasn’t provided the necessary platform — be it Liberty, OpenID, or whatever — to let 3rd parties use their authentication system. Skype is acting like a closed-up old style telco. Sure, you can attach stuff at the network edge in your own home and PC. But access any of our core network functions? No way!
Martin logs in to Telepocalyse by whatever means necessary.
Technorati tags: skype, skypejournal, skypeapi, mobivox, openid, digitalidentity, digitalid, telco, telco2.0
Comments
I completely agree with Martin: NO WAY to give my Skype password away to a third party!
And indeed, Skype is a closed system. This remembers me the success story of innovating Apple with their Macintosh computers and "windows" system back somewhere in 1985 ... closed system, they didn't die, but slowly lost their competitive advantage to ... Microsoft!
Posted by: Jean Mercier | May 18, 2007 01:38 AM
surely skype is not a telco. here are some of the reasons : skype never picks up their own free voip phone :). now that is so funny it is not even funny anymore. they don't have proper business reselling channels (not talking about wallmart selling some boxes...). what deals does skype have with local/global bandwidth and cable providers ? seems to me that those guys are more concerned about conserving bandwidth by NOT giving it out for free to Skype and Joost, in order for Ebay to fill up it's pockets via Paypal by making Skype develop all kind of rediculous systems (as seen from the perspective of "are we providing telecomlike service) such as SkypeGames, SkypeCasino, Skype Prime... So surely it's not a telecom. Until they have globalized support (b2b, b2c) the adheres to proper Service Level. Let's face it ; Telecoms will be able to offer a more reliable dumb pipe. Skype is viral marketing project of Ebay.
Posted by: jan geirnaert | tropicaljantie | May 18, 2007 08:59 PM