One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine - Sir William Osler
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Ballmer welcomes Skype to the Microsoft fold
THE POPULAR VOICE AND VIDEO over IP software provider Skype will slot nicely into Microsoft's communications services, according to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Ballmer enthusiastically welcomed the firm and its CEO into its Redmond offices, explaining that it will become firmly rooted in the heart of Microsoft's software and continue to be lead by Tony Bates as president of Microsoft Skype.
The new Skype, Ballmer said, will be much like the old Skype. For example, it will continue to support operating systems other than Microsoft's Windows software, and will bring together hundreds of millions of users.
Some people might have been concerned that the firm would drop Linux and Mac OS X client versions, for example, but this does not seem to be the case. Ballmer did not go into much detail, but he explained that Skype will support the existing userbase and the systems that they use, while also extending its reach. Later during the question and answer session he repeated this, but again, stayed light on detail.
What we do know is that Skype will link into Outlook, Kinect, Messenger, Windows Phone and the Xbox Live gaming service, and might in effect replace the Messenger software as the standard chat feature on its hardware, particularly when it comes to mobile devices.
Other hardware such as televisions will also get a lick of Skype, and Ballmer painted a picture of people, from workers to grandmothers, talking to each other using the software wherever they are and whatever they are doing.
"We want to extend the reach of Skype," he said. "We will enhance its customer value and its brand. We are bringing the tools to help you communicate with everyone no matter [what] you are in."
Bates was equally keen on the acquisition, which involved a cash transaction of $8.5bn, and said that one area where the firm is predicting growth and opportunity is in Skype's video chat service. He said that currently 40 per cent of the firm's traffic goes through video channels and added that video advertising is an attractive prospect.
Like Ballmer, Bates expects Skype to increase its sociability, and added that he looks forward to increasing its reach to everyone on the planet. µ
Tags: Microsoft
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In Microsoft whoever will manage Skype's integration and continued progress will seal it's fate. You give it to the guys who gave us the Zune and their music store, their virus propagating browser IE, Windows CE, ME, Vista, the Kin and all the other failures, and you'll kill it's market lead. You give it to someone who can deliver like the Xbox team and you're almost guaranteed continued success.
A match made in heaven, or in this case the deepest bowels of hell.
Another turd put into the manure.
Mr Adams,Gomez,and Coulter.. I could not have said it better. THANX! I ABHOR M$'s history of FUD,LIES, etc. they seemingly are on an inevitable treck to assimilate and plunder. WHY oh WHY Google and other's who are not saints to be sure, but have a bit LESS of a DARTH Vadar-like track record of Threats ( remember Billy & Co LITERALLY sitting across from APPLE'S people and saying " We will destroy you"? and MEANING IT. Actually XEROX PARC INVENTED the ICON on screen, and using the mouse. Apple used it on the 1st Macintosh. Oh,and M$ telling EVERYBODY "We will NOT change the API of WINDOWS" Then doing JUST THAT to throw of OS/2? ( Ah the days of OS/2 in '96 and being able to easily format disks in the background, fax, AND download, no system slowdown) And on and on. I am GOING to find another VOIP process and use it. What do you guys reccomend? email me. 'When I find not better but just usable years of contacts will have to be moved but I'll do it!
Looks like it is time for the end of the world!
A little bit later than expected, but Sky.NET is now activated ;-)
As a frequent Skype user I find this to be some of the most depressing news I have read in a while. My fear is that this very usefull application while suffer the same fate that many others have at the hands of microsoft's so-called "innovation." The very last thing I have any interest in is integration with facebook, outlook, and the rest of that nonsense. That makes me want to throw up.
The Idea that MS would support a product running on linux is laughable, and a blasphemy for them as they hate Linux with all their corporate heart. (Or lack thereof)
The truth is they will optimise the windows versions while slowly effing up all the others, until they put the kibosh on them. At least on linux and android.
Now the really good question is why they went with ms instead of fb or google. Perhaps more money?
Since microsoft could have easily developed this software had they wanted to (the whole idea of peer to peer or open source offends them so they wouldn't), we have to assume that the real reason here is simply to buy market share. Now, a share of a market that isn't monetized isn't their thing, so what to be looking for is, how are they going to jack up prices and monetize this, while destroying it as they have every other partner in all history. They'll milk it dry and ruin it for everyone in the process -- again.
So sad to see a good thing go.
Since microsoft could have easily developed this software had they wanted to (the whole idea of peer to peer or open source offends them so they wouldn't), we have to assume that the real reason here is simply to buy market share. Now, a share of a market that isn't monetized isn't their thing, so what to be looking for is, how are they going to jack up prices and monetize this, while destroying it as they have every other partner in all history. They'll milk it dry and ruin it for everyone in the process -- again.
So sad to see a good thing go.