We're the geist in the heist in the deus ex machina
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Skype severs its ties with Asterisk
THE TELEPHONY FIRM recently snapped up by Microsoft for a song at $8.5bn, Skype has decided not to renew an agreement with the open source SIP software developer Digium, which will result in Asterisk users being unable to set up Skype services.
Digium, developer of the popular open source Asterisk SIP PBX software, signed an agreement with Skype in 2009 that allowed the development of a proprietary Skype client to allow Asterisk users to connect to the Skype network. Digium announced that Skype chose not to renew the agreement, meaning that Skype for Asterisk sales and activations will cease on 26 July.
Skype's decision not to renew the agreement leaves Skype for Asterisk users looking for a replacement, although Digium has said that its users should be able to access Skype's network until 2013, saying, "Representatives of Skype have assured us that they will continue to support and maintain the Skype for Asterisk software for a period of two years thereafter." However for businesses the hunt for an alternative is likely to begin sooner than that. Google might step up, ya think?
The decision continues Skype's bid to disconnect third party clients from its network. Asterisk becomes the third high-profile victim after Fring and Nimbuzz.
Some pundits have suggested that Skype's decision not to renew its contract with Digium is a sign of things to come under Microsoft's reign, however Skype started throwing its partners overboard some time ago. However, given that Skype stores contact list data on its own servers, from Microsoft's point of view the more data it has access to, the greater the opportunity it will have to make money out of Skype, so this decision seems somewhat baffling from a strategic point of view.
Whatever the reason, new Asterisk users will no longer be able to connect to the Skype network. Skype and its new owner Microsoft clearly must hope that many of those open source SIP users will shift over to Microsoft's proprietary PBX software, once it manages to develop some, that is.
Skype was asked to comment on why it took the decision not to renew its agreement with Digium and whether Microsoft's recent acquisition had any bearing on the decision.
Update
This morning Skype got back to The INQUIRER with a statement regarding its decision not to renew an agreement with Digium, developers of the Asterisk PBX.
"Skype made the decision to retire Skype for Asterisk several months ago, as we have prioritized our focus around implementing the IETF SIP standard in our Skype Connect solution. SIP enjoys the broadest support of any of the available signalling alternatives by business communications equipment vendors, including Digium. By supporting SIP in favour of alternatives, we maximize our resources and continue to reinforce our commitment to delivering Skype on key platforms where we can meet the broadest customer demand."
Although Skype might be implementing the IETF SIP standard, limiting access to its network overlay means that other voice-over-IP providers cannot access Skype's large membership. So while it might use an industry standard to initiate connections between nodes on its overlay, by keeping it closed off to potential rivals the firm appears to be trying to keep its valuable user data for itself. µ
Tags: Software
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It’s only been a couple of weeks, but we’re already starting to see what Skype’s future under Microsoft could look like. The fact it has decided not to renew its agreement with open-source telephony system Asterisk, suggests we could be moving towards a closed, proprietary integration between Skype & Microsoft Lync.
Some will say this is a mere change of strategy from Skype and nothing more or that it’s too early for Microsoft to have had an influence. But the timing feels more than a coincidence! This summer Microsoft is due to launch an online version of Lync, a Microsoft-hosted version of its Lync unified-communications server - Asterisk happens to be a competitor to the Lync line. And are we really supposed to believe that it didn’t pop up in conversation when Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer and Skype chief executive Tony Bates discussed a £5.2 billion deal?
Sadly the biggest losers in all of this are the SMEs that rely on Skype for Asterisk to conduct their business. Not only did Skype for Asterisk represent an affordable system allowing cheap integration with a free network, but it gave SMEs an alternative option.
However, this all stands to change. While businesses still have use and third party support for Asterisk/Skype software for a couple more years, we’re undoubtedly facing a future of less choice and more rigid standards.
What does this mean in practical terms? That nice convergence of Asterisk and Skype where our desk-phones talked nicely with our Skype accounts, meaning we only needed one set of devices for everything and could work the way we wanted is no longer. And, if your Asterisk supported website (like ours) has a little Skype button for customers to call you - it probably won’t work – or at least not at the nice price levels we were used to.
I’m afraid it leaves SME who want to use Skype with little option than to embrace the new face of Skype - and it has Microsoft’s smile written all over it.
Voip works far better then Skype.
Skype is somthing I dropped years ago when ADSL was mature enough for Voip usage.
Also Skype can't use a DID in most countries, so it's useless.
The telephone became popular because every telephone could talk to every other telephone.
When people realise that real VOIP apps can talk to all other VOIP apps for free then Skype will disappear.
havent used skype in the last two years... google talk ftw
Microsoft is the company that is dictating Skype's future. Microsoft has their own Asterisk like service that they sell to businesses. This is Microsoft attempting to eliminate the competition.