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Skype Journal: Get your software Skype Certified

November 1, 2005 10:38 AM

Software certification is warming up. I just noticed the software funcitonal test requirements (pdf), software checklist (pdf), and the user documentation requirements are on the Share Skype Certification Specifications page. Just for Windows right now. Skype has certified software before, but always with hardware.

Skype's requirements aren't rocket science, but few software products pay such close and extensive attention to usability basics. The cert program program will raise the bar for many developers. That's a very good thing. Users will come to trust the "Skype Certified" brand stands for polished software that works out of the box with Skype.

By driving partners to improve customer experience, even on generic items like installation and documentation, Skype software certification:

  • Bolsters the parent Skype and eBay brands, by raising the quality of the Skype ecology
  • Telegraphs specific goals and values to the development community. This lowers development costs as horizontal capabilities are made generic and standard.
  • Brings in knowledge from outside developers about best practices and use cases. The developers represents many different software engineering cultures, user communities, and regional differences. This exposure provides valuable off-campus views for Skype's internal product management and engineering teams.

Call Skype Journal if you'd like help getting your own products ready for certification.

For a sense of the topics covered by the certification...

4.1 HIGH-LEVEL FUNCTIONALITY

4.2 CONNECTION MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

4.3 CALL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

4.4 VOICE MAIL REQUIREMENTS

4.5 CHAT INITIALIZATION REQUIREMENTS

4.6 CHAT CONFERENCE REQUIREMENTS

4.7 PROFILE MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

4.8 CONTACT MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

4.9 CLEARING

4.10 DEVICE PRESENCE, CONTROL, RINGING, AND CALL-STATUS REQUIREMENTS

4.11 FILE TRANSFER REQUIREMENTS

4.12 VOICE CONFERENCE REQUIREMENTS

4.13 CALL FORWARDING REQUIREMENTS


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