Skype 3.5 Beta: New Release Today
Enhancing the real time conversation experience, Skype today is releasing for public testing a new 3.5 beta version of Skype for Windows. In an interview with Mike Bartlett, Skype for Windows Product Manager, he described the following new features:
Extended video snapshot capture: Skype 3.2 allows you to take your own photo from your video camera for, say, your Skype Profile photo. This new release will allow you to capture snapshots of your remote party during your conversation. The major question here is whether this feature includes the etiquette for call recording such as requesting permission to take a snapshot of the remote party. Update: Providing your video also implies that your provide your remote participant with permission to make snapshots. Video snapshots inherits existing privacy mechanisms associated with turning on your video.
But the video options gets even more dynamic. You will now be able to share video content like film clips and music videos with friends and family through your mood message. You can also share a video clip into a chat discussion during a conversation. The caveats are:
- videos are served up by one or two TBA video hosting partners (who are also responsible for associated copyright issues and management)
- video may be from the hosting partners' content libraries or user generated using the hosting partners' services
Call Transfer, initially introduced with the first 3.5 beta and available in Skype for Mac 2.6, has now been enhanced to allow Call Transfer during cross platform calls between Windows and Mac PC's. But to review how Call Transfer works:
- Skype to Skype call transfer is free.
- Skype to SkypeOut, SkypeIn to Skype and SkypeIn to SkypeOut call transfer requires a SkypePro subscription. If you are in North America with the Skype Unlimited Calling Plan, you still need a SkypePro subscription; however, it will bring other benefits such as a 50% discount on SkypeIn subscriptions and free Skype Voice Mail.
- Call Transfer within the Skype client to individuals and Skype Contact Groups is handled manually during a call; however, as described so well by Don Kennedy recently, automated Call Transfer is also available via the Skype API's. Don offers a free Skype Call Transfer Example within the Skype Extras.
New to Skype in this release is an Auto Redial feature that will redial your engaged party every two minutes until the call is answered.
There is also a new marketing program and feature called Commercial Contacts, involving managing a business's presence and brand when using Skype. I'll leave it to Phil to provide more details.
One of my concerns with such a rapid flow of new releases and beta versions is how Skype is managing overall performance quality as I had experienced minor difficulties with a couple of the 3.2 released versions (under specific configurations and circumstances). With the adoption of Skype by many small businesses, Skype has become mission critical and must have 99.999% (aka five nines) availability.
Mike mentioned the primary test for a release is ensuring that call quality keeps the high standards associated with the Skype brand and that several releases have been stalled pending addressing call quality issues. However, they also are expanding their Quality Assurance team and take user feedback, especially from the beta versions, seriously. I can personally vouch that upon reporting a couple of problems with the 3.2 releases, fixes were available within one business day.
Looking forward to checking out the new beta release features and reporting on the experience. Tell us about your experience with Skype 3.5 beta in the Comments to this post. Keep in mind what Peter Parkes has posted on the Share Skype blog:
It includes a number of new features and fixes a range of previous problems. However, as Raul points out over at the Skype Garage blog, this Beta version is only intended for use by those of you who don’t mind a few rough edges — it isn’t perfect yet.
Download the Skype 3.5 beta release here. Skype for Windows Release Notes
Tags: Skype 3.5 beta, Skype for Windows, Call Transfer, Skype video, SkypePro, auto redial, Mike Bartlett
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[Correction: Mike Bartlett's title is corrected in the text above. Sorry about the "demotion", Mike. - Phil Wolff, 4 July 2007 1830 Pacific]
Comments
Jim ~
Glad I found this page...looked at Camfrog yesterday. Any word on when Skype will be able to have multiple video cap?
Posted by: Chuck Wood | July 7, 2007 08:11 AM
We can only speculate that video conferencing (à la SightSpeed) is an obvious feature that Skype has to be considering. But keep in mind that they always want to release quality before quantity. The initial Skype Video was in beta for many months before it was "released" as an acceptable final version.
Posted by: Jim Courtney | July 7, 2007 05:42 PM
Fancy features, but still no word on the memory leak. At least it looks like they cleaned up a few of the stability issues.
Posted by: Rick | July 10, 2007 09:33 AM
Jim, I am picking up on your comment "One of my concerns with such a rapid flow of new releases and beta versions is how Skype is managing overall performance quality..."
This is a BIG concern as Skype enters the SMB space as quite frankly it is NOT UP TO IT.
The company is impossible to deal with, worse than a classic bureaucratic telco, and they have forgotten the basics while they rush off developing new "mood" features and the like, such as the features which dominate release 3.5.
In the meantime, for example, in Australia:
1. they have not managed to get CLI working;
2. they have failed to get dial tones DTMF working (when dialing a SkypeIn number the tones do not transmit into the application);
3. they have failed to correct a horrendous billing problem which ends up overcharging about 10 times more than a standard landline call for 1300- and 13- numbers (they refunded me $16 for one complaint but did not fix the system - buyer beware); and
4. they do not even recognize certain legitimate phone numbers which they report as "invalid or does not exist" - well I am sorry but I use those numbers every day in my business - (try +61 500 500 321 or 0500 500 321 locally).
These are all very basic telco features which Skype consistently ignores or fails to execute correctly.
This also means that many of the products and extras they PROMOTE don't work, since they rely on some of the above features and in particular CLI and DTMF. (For example the Tumara XS and the Tumara PBX.)
Skype KNOW these features don't work in Australia yet they continue to promote them without warning, a fact which caused me to waste $29.99 last week. This is a scam since Skype is promoting worthless extras without any sense of accountability.
Come one Skype, get your feet on the ground since other services are getting a good focus on the SMB market and your early advantage is being diluted through a lack of focus on basic detail. Not to mention the RAPIDLY ERODING brand value of Skype in the small business market, after a very promising start through the simple proposition of cheaper calls.
Walter Adamson
Australia
Posted by: Walter Adamson | July 28, 2007 07:01 PM
Hi, Walter. About Jim's remark "One of my concerns with such a rapid flow of new releases and beta versions is how Skype is managing overall performance quality..."
Short development cycles are generally a good thing. They focus developer and QA attention. And short cycles allow product managers to change course and reprioritize as needed. Good for adapting and for using scarce resources.
You point out two problems: customer service and poor localization for Australia. The technical stuff is straightforward to fix but you're right, it can be hard getting the attention of the right people at Skype.
As for the business side, you're right, the mechanics of billing and payment are still not at 100%. Even eBay doesn't do business in as many countries as Skype so the amount of detail is huge and most companies get things wrong at first. Still, it's an obstacle to SMB acceptance and Skype needs to nail this.
As for customer handholding, you may be wrong about the need for that. Skype can cost 1/10th or less than other SMB telephony solutions. Skype can't possibly offer the same levels of hands-on care at these rates. So they have three things they can do: 1. make their software and business systems so easy a caveman could use them, 2. enable third-party companies (VARs, system integrators) to sell support/consulting services, and 3. make the product sufficiently different/better than POTS that customers overlook flaws.
Posted by: Phil Wolff | July 29, 2007 10:03 PM
Hello! Help solve the problem.
Very often try to enter the forum, but says that the password is not correct.
Regrettably use of remembering. Give like to be?
Thank you!
Posted by: AltaGid | August 15, 2007 03:20 AM
Help! I upgraded skype to version 3.2 For Windows XP last week and now get an engaged tone when trying to contact people. Has anyone else experienced this, and is there a fix? I have Skype on a Mac also, and this works fine contacting the same people...
Posted by: John Matabele | October 20, 2007 11:59 PM