Skype's Buzz: Has it Evaporated?
Maybe I'm out to lunch on this one but ever since eBay acquired Skype, Skype seems to have lost some of its buzz. It used to be I checked Skype Journal on a regular basis for the newest software developments, upgrades and partnerships. Now that Skype's part of the eBay empire, Skype seems to have lost some of its rebellious allure. I mean, it's difficult to be James Dean when you're hanging out at the country club with your parents drinking martinis - if you catch my drift. Perhaps the Skype bandwagon is on pause until everyone - investors, developers, etc. - gets a better handle on eBay's strategic plans. It may be eBay needs time to establish its Skype strategy because the acquisition process happened so quickly given there may have been several groups (News Corp., etc.) in the mix. This have meant eBay bid before had time to do enough due diligence, including integration and technology plans. My hope - and that of the fine folks at Skype Journal - is eBay articulates its Skype plans soon, including how Skype will be nurtured as a standalone telecom play.
September 27th, 2005 at 9:42 am
Evaporated? Or perhaps it's just indigestion. Maybe EBay just needs to let the meal settle a little.
September 27th, 2005 at 12:01 pm
I agree with your point. The buzz has fizzled. We also keep a close watch on what they are up too and haven't seen much of note recently. And we hope it stays that way for a while so our microscopic startup http://www.staffonline.ca can gain some airtime! We have been focusing on our Pro edition and will roll out a personal freebie any moment. Skype has made its mark. The big guy took home his bacon. Now the rest of us would like to offer an alternative. Choice is good.
What is StaffOnline you ask? A 1-touch videophone. Web based, one-click communications with real time audio/video, and no downloading, so anyone can use it with ease.
Please drop by and check us out. We're “Made in Canada, eh!”
Christian Spatzierer
VP Business Development
StaffOnline.ca
September 29th, 2005 at 5:14 am
Even Skype has noticed the “lack of buzz”; check out the first line of their announcement of the release of version 1.4 last night.
And Skype would have helped their own cause if they had more presence at VON last week beyond one technnologically flawed video presentation and a couple of reps for a single developer meeting.
Wiht Skype 1.4 be prepared for the surprise of a Skype caller who thinks you are answering at home or office when you have actually call forwarded Skype to your mobile phone (requires SkypeOut). This happened to someone who called me during the beta.
Of course we all needed a few days with no Skype buzz so we could absorb all the Microsoft announcements that came out of their PDC event.