a. Scoping and Validation: research projects would at a very basic level validate and scope out hypotheses around Skype.

b. Gather and Tell Skype Stories: research would collect and tell stories about the joy and ability to connect and join the Skype generation, bringing alive the new lifestyle that Skype is encouraging. The stories would be around what Skypers do, how they use Skype, how its changing the way they are communicating.

c. Customer/User Empathy and Insight: as part of our offering, we have the capabilities to examine customers closely and in-depth in order to gain insights into and segmentations of basic motivators, drive and barriers. Rational and emotional. Cognitive and connative. Pragmatic and semantic. Apart from fleshing out this user in a more touchy-feely manner, thus making it much easier to speak their language, this would help identify triggers and hot buttons in the pathway to adoption of this new communication culture. It would also allow marketers and advertisers to better tailor products, solutions and communication to segments of interest.

d. Understand Usability and Design Issues: by studying how Skype is being used you would get a better understanding of how it fits into current communication patterns, how it is changing them. For instance, explorations of features – SkypeMe, SkypeOut, SkypeIn, conferencing, multiparty chat, voice messaging etc – how they are used, areas of connect and disconnect, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, how they are changing the way people communicate. Extend this to implications for other applications around Skype and you have a whole new set of potential areas for exploration – into headsets and handheld devices, recorders, video, cordless devices.

e. Set up and Provide Innovation and Expert Panels: we have a panel of leading experts in this area, and their views and visions would be sought as appropriate. Along with the panel of Experts would be an Innovation Panel that would combine industry experts with leading-edge users. This balanced panel would provide the playground to seed and germinate ideas, brainstorm on propositions, and provide visions for the future.

f. Identify Needs, Explore and Prototype New Value Propositions: based on our understanding of user values, needs and practices, and our access to experts in the field, we are in a position to explore and prototype new value propositions and services.

Who Would Benefit from the Program:

Skype is part of a people's telephony and communications led revolution. Organizations that would benefit from the Mosoci Research Program are:

- The most obvious, those interested in VOIP, telcos and mobile phone manufacturers (Nokia, LG, Samsung, Motorola, Reliance, Google?, Skype, Yahoo? , ....)
- Next, companies offering associated services and products (Plantronics, Cordless USB devices, Recorders etc …….)
- Third, any organization interested in communications (MTV, Reliance, ad agencies, telcos ...)
- And finally, any organization interested in the target segment we are addressing through our research (Pepsi, Coke, Rayban, Saatchi and Saatchi, Airlines....).

Our People:

- Market Researchers - Qualitative and Quantitative
- Facilitators
- Futurists and Scenarists
- Experts on VOIP

Framing a Pilot Study:
For starters, we thought it might be useful to frame a pilot study on one issue - "How is Skype changing communications behavior in social and business contexts?". Maybe 8-10 mini-groups across countries and user types run on Skype conference calls? Look at this PDF Document for a list of questions and detailed framing of the Pilot Study.

If you're interested in being a part of the research program in any way, do get in touch with us at : email, Skype (Stuart Henshall); Skype (Dina Mehta).