• wumarkus on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  everybody please look into asterisk... SIP is definitely a standard protocol, as are many codecs. it's the proprietary codecs that are making it even more difficult to interconnect different VOIP networks. if skype was so "cool" like google and apple, they would allow others to interface with their network.

  and to clarify, vonage's softphone is a standard SIP-based solution that can be used with non-xten SIP clients

  plus, the article mentioned above is completely retarded. 3 IM clients at the same time? download trillian! 3 different VOIP connections? use asterisk - same concept. consolidation is key, but providers need to keep their networks open to work properly...

• paul on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  Can we use Skype on the Windows Mobile operating system installed on a cell phone? Specifically on the new Verizon Treo 700W Smart phone?

  Thnaks

• Jimimac on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  Hi Connected and all,
  apologies if this is a basic question - I'm not from a tech background..

  Are operators able to block Skype traffic through their networks? Surely they must have control over what traffic they allow to flow from the cellular space to the web? I am just trying to work out if the upcoming launch of mobile Skype clients for MS and Symbian is being over hyped.

  Thanks in advance for any help!

• Connected on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  By handsets I mean Mobile handsets.

  Yes, Mobile operators will frustrate users and will continue to do so. They will deliberately hamper the development of anything that will reduce their voice mins.

• Stuart Henshall on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  Connected,
  Is there not a miss mash of things here? Re Handsets are you meaning landline type phones or mobile handsets from Nokia et al? Or perhaps Wi-Fi handsets.

  When a "communications" application is just "free" and anyone can download it, it is more likely that the mobile operators will frustrate your choice.

  It's why a Symbian solution for Skype that provides presence and texting over GPRS is such an interesting short-term item. I could download it to my phone and don't have to ask T-Mobile.

  The only thing I am missing right now for a simple solution to make calls is for Skype and my Mobile to ring at the same time. I'm sure that will come. Be even better if they had the same number.

• Connected on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  I agree as there is nothing to stop me from running Skype and a new competitor's software at the same time on the same PC and the same Internet connection.
  

  
  However, I think Skype's proprietary codecs like WigiWigi will pose problems when you move beyond the PC world:
  

  
  - Handset and PDA manufacturers will not want to install multiple clients on their devices and will probably opt for the most popular or the one that supports open standards like SIP/Simple
  

  
  - It will get annoying for users to have to pick and choose which client to use to make a call
  

  
  VoIP needs to work like email - you just send it to an address and it gets there, regardless of what the recipient is using. VoIP needs to avoid how email used to be where you couldn't email a Lotus Notes user etc.
  

  Connected

• Stuart Henshall on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  Chris and Rick,
  The observations about SIP are interesting in the context of walled gardens. For while you can get an Xten phone from Vonage (for extra dollars per month!!!!) you cannot connect the Vonage SIP client to a FWD number for example. Thus you must dial out of Vonage just like you would SkypeOut.

  SIP compliant from a consumer perspective is meaningless. It's also all about control points. In a decentralized world SIP and the mobile carriers IMS proposed duplication simple try to port the old telecom rules to IP. It simply isn't going to work.

  I'm concerned that the "strategies" that companies are being sold on for VON / voice IP solutions aren't approaching the problem from the perspective of where the real value is going to come from. It's cost and control focused --- not value added opportunities.

• Chris Woods on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  Rick,

  Interesting comments. Quick question, though. Since Xten promotes itself as standards (SIP) compliant, can they really work with any other SIP compliant client? So, if I have a Xten client, can someone with a Vonage client just dial me?

  It seems to be one thing to be SIP-compliant, but what happens if the RTP payloads aren't the same thing--meaning, what if I am encoding with H.263, but the other end doesn't have a H.263 decoder?

• Rick on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  Skype is great, but you mention service providers using their product. I must bring up the fact that XTen is gaining a lot of equipment and service provider clients who are obtaining their much more sophisticated, SIP client/SDK. I'm not a big fan of XTen, but I have noticed their traction in the marketplace with their advanced product. I believe the company is on the ropes financially, but they have been flooding the market place with their product.

• CypherXero on Could Skype achieve Windows-like lock-in?

  To correct Brough Turner, you CAN run more than one Operating System on your computer, and you can also run more than one at a time, too. Using Microsoft Vitual PC 2004 or VMWare, you can (if you have a lot of RAM). Run like 6+ Operating Systems at one time, with a mix of Windows and Linux flavors.

• continued in the Skype Journal Comment River: 200 fresh comments

Skype Links

Author's Posts

• Phil Wolff
• Jim Courtney
• Martin Geddes
• Guest Bloggers

Thanks to our Founding Alumni:
• Stuart Henshall
• Bill Campbell

Archives

• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• July 2006
• June 2006
• May 2006
• April 2006
• March 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005
• July 2005
• June 2005
• May 2005
• April 2005
• March 2005
• February 2005
• January 2005
• December 2004
• November 2004
• October 2004
• September 2004
• August 2004
• July 2004
• June 2004
• May 2004
• April 2004
• March 2004
• February 2004
• January 2004
• December 2003
• November 2003
• October 2003
• September 2003

Featured Events