Just the take of today. For fun. weaving the link together into a hyperlink-mash-up. Somebody reported that Skype’s 2.5's new stealth mode is "cracked". Well okay. What’s new under the sun… While Skype «The Global Internet Telephony Company » (skype is not a telephony company remember that) says to all Telecoms that it is not the enemy which is frankly kind of hard to believe with offers whereby all Skype users can make free calls in US, Canada. Will all North Americans be lured with free SkypeOut now. The bigges free calls promotion in US and Canada.
But if all is for for free how will Skype not go Broke? And what about the privacy issues and Neutrality ?
It is being said this move towards free skype out is linked to more business-like offering from Skype. I think that is right. The money is in the systems and network you can attach to the Skype Cloud (ever growing), so the more difficult you make it for people to jump on it, the slower it will grow. Strange on the other the Ebay / Skype does not do advertising on TV with such a powerful global brand. Yahoo does ! Even here on Malaysian TV. Kind of important since India, China propel Asia- Pacific broadband revenue higher and higher. Once business get’s going between Asia, Europe, USA for many SME the Live Translation Service of Skype could be useful. I for example could provide translation from French to Dutch to English. I understand German too.
And see here how Mobile unit Celcom arrests decline in postpaid subscriber base. Maybe «soon» when stuff like www.iskoot.com, www.eqo.com, crawls into more mobiles phones we can save even more money on the roaming phone-bill. But currently Telekom Malaysia still sees spike in first quarter profits. The box Skycube from www.qoollabs.com is something to keep an eye on. It links your SIM card to your SKYPE line. Read this too Mazingo ICED mobile phone: VoIP and maybe one day we shall have Skype embedded in cellphones like Nokia who unveils their upgraded 770 Internet Tablet with Google Talk ... Maybe. In mean time Skype offers free calls to regular phones in certain parts of the world. In China too : if you've got the money.
And (it keeps coming yes) do keep a look at Telnic to launch .tel domain for VoIP calling. I hope Skype does not forget to get their www.skype.tel.
In mean there is not yet a business version of Skype but Instant messaging has evolved into regular chatterbox and it is used in corporate environments too. It would be interesting to have something manageable with business-features. Keep an eye on www.skype.biz to see if, how and awhen VoIP Goes to Business Class. What is also missing today is VoIP interconnectivity. Except maybe experiments like TelEvolution that Bridges the Gap Between Skype and Other VoIP and Uplink just to name sth.
And would USB-phones stay in business now that USB wireless is moving forward ? I would love to just plugin my cheap usb-phone in the couch. I would never give my expensive WIFI-phone to kids…
To finish with China check these 2 posts : Business Digest & Skype goes freebie crazy across the pond and in Malaysia they say to share the market with smaller players, big telcos told while Michael Dell set on 'changing the approach' to stay ahead with his factory and research facility in Malaysia.
Related : Fixed Mobile Internet Convergence: Technology Trends and Market Dynamics | Consolidation – Main St. vs. Wall St. |
Somebody who I was just talking to (living in the US and Canada) wondered why his SkypeOut credit had not been touched, while he had actually been calling to landlines and cellphone via his Skype program. Well here is the answer :it is for free now.
But I wonder how Skype can know wether somebody is in the US or Canada ? Many interesting questions come to my mind. Interesting scenario’s can occur if you want to try to save money on your phone-bill.
How does Skype know that I am an American abroad (I am not because I am actually a Belgian in Malaysia) that still wants to use his free SkypeOut to call within the US or Canada ? People would of course try to login to their computer at home in the US via VNC or maybe even assume a different IP (like with TOR and others) to make their American based SkypeOut. What about businesses that will evolve around that model or concept. Basically it’s simple : put your communications in the country where it is cheapest. This means that you can now call for free from anywhere in the world but only to numbers within Canada and the US. It’s only a matter of being physically or virtually on the right spot.
Or how to erode the existing Telecom balance. I guess it’s the way of the VoIP. The are all searching for the cheapest route. No wonder VoIP is seen as something illlegal in China.
Related : www.ebay.com | Skype Accessories Store | Become a Skype Reseller |
I don’t know exactly why but everytime when I think about traditional telecom systems and then take brief look at my fixed pstn-phone, I think about the word «extinction» and the term «old-fashioned». It’s probably a trend marketing issue.. Anyways an image says so much more than words. Soon the telecomargeddon will have to evolve or die out.
«Definition Extinction : In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of taxa. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species. Extinction is usually a natural phenomenon; it is estimated that more than 99.9% of all species that have ever lived are now extinct. [1] Through evolution, new species are created by speciation — where new organisms arise and thrive when they are able to find and exploit an ecological niche — and species become extinct when are no longer able to survive in changing conditions or against superior competition. A typical species becomes extinct within 10 million years of its first appearance, although some species survive virtually unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.» (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction). Related : A mathematical model for mass extinction
Or jokingly : replace in this posting and this one the word dinosaurs with telecoms. For sure disruptive technology like Skype like a big comet / meteor falling out of the sky and it is blasting a big crater in the minutes that Telecom are (not) selling anymore. 
The extinction of the dinosaurs. Think about the shockwaves to follow and the changes to come. Remember : FCC Chairman Michael Powell says Skype is "fantastic"
| “I knew it was over when I downloaded Skype,” Michael Powell, chairman, Federal Communications Commission, explained. “ |
| Online:
| Skype 2.5 SMS a& Video
| Integrate Skype / Outlook | Pamela Skype Answering Machine | SAM Skype Answering Machine | Yappernut-box | Vosky Call Center | USB-Telbox | Wiki describes Skype | del.icio.us/Skype | |
This box is really something to follow. I have not tested it yet, but I will and it looks promising. There are actually 2 models. The Skyqube and SkyQube². Here are the functions and some mugshots of how the box really looks. Get a feel of it. I like this box because you can link your cellphone and fixed phone to this system. How come nobody thought of this earlier ? And it looks good too. If it is a qool, it is cool. Here are the hands-on mugshots. Feast away ! Basically this is the only system I know that allow to link your phone, your headset and a your cellphone (by inserting a 2nd sim-card). So when I travel I will leave this box at home with a SIM-card be able to connect to it receive call without having to pay for the roaming costs. Great ! Just another to use the Skype-cloud for cheap calling (globally). I like it already
You will find here the press-release, where to talk to the guys in Cebit and Singapore, the initial specification and functions of this box.
“With skyQube and skype™, you can now answer your skype calls even on the go with your mobile phone! You won’t have to be tied to your PC in order to make free international calls.” says Mr. Oleg Khaskin, CTO, Havoq Research. skyQube2 is another version with built in GSM module. With the additional GSM module, users can insert their SIM card into skyQube2. Users can save international roaming money by inserting theiir home country sim card into skyQube2 and all their received calls and smses will be followed to their phone in the destination country with skypeout™ or to your laptop for free (with skype™). 
Full Specs here in (47 kb/doc) | Key functions explained (36 kb/doc)
Company : www.qoollabs.com
Skype ID : qoollabs
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Microsoft Phone 1.0 will be shipping with Vista. This amazing new software product actually allows you to place telephone calls from your desktop computer using the newly-announced Microsoft Live Web Phone Online Service, currently in beta. The basic service, which allows you to have up to five "buddies", will be free, while the Enterprise Edition, available separately for just $495 (per installed seat), will allow an unlimited number of buddies, but those buddies must also be using Microsoft Phone.
Continue reading "Microsoft Live Web Phone Online Service : Microsoft Cell Phone" »
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