by : Angus KidmanThe new Mac and Android versions announced this week are just the tip of the iceberg: Skype has a lot more on its schedule for the year.
Plans for 2009 from the market-dominating VOIP provider include the imminent release of the final version of the Skype 4.0 client for Windows, additional clients for the BlackBerry and (potentially) the iPhone, and a range of new subscription options for cheap calls and enhanced support for business users, chief operating officer Scott Durchslag told APC in an exclusive interview during CES 2009 in Las Vegas.
Skype’s biggest release for the year will be version 4.0 of its Windows client, which is scheduled for gold release in February. That product has been beta-tested since June 2008, though the process hasn’t been without controversy. The initial version, which incorporated a full-screen design designed to make it easier to make video calls and to manage multiple conversations, came out in June, but many longtime users reacted angrily to the design changes. The second beta release, which came out in October, added a new compact mode designed to occupy less screen real estate for non-video users.
While the feedback process from around 66,000 Skype 4.0 beta 3 testers is continuing, user reaction has steadily improved, Durchslag said. In a recent survey of 4,000 current testers, 88% said they were now happy with the product.
Apart from the expected bug fixes, the main change between the beta release and the final version will be the incorporation of a new voice protocol, which should produce dramatically better voice quality, Durchslag said.
During CES, Skype announced the release of version 2.8 of its Mac client. That includes several features not found in the mainstream Windows version, such as screen sharing and Skype Access, which provides quick connections to Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots via the Skype client. (Existing Skype credits are used to pay for the service.)
Skype plans to continue using the Mac as a test platform for concepts that could later be added to other releases. Durchslag said, and Skype Access is a likely candidate for that process. “It’s expensive, but if you need to communicate in a hurry – say you’ve got 15 minutes before you get on a plane – it can save you a lot of time,” he said.
Skype also announced new clients for several mobile platforms, including Google Android and many other mobile phone models. The two key development platforms for mobile users are Java and Windows Mobile, with the new client for the latter “heaps better” than earlier releases, Durchslag said.
In theory, the Java-based client could be installed on a BlackBerry, but as there are no specific power management features built in it would drain the battery quite quickly. Skype is continuing to work on a separate BlackBerry client for release later this year.
RIM itself developed a “very efficient” BlackBerry client, Durchslag noted, but since it relies on sales via carriers who don’t want Skype calls eating into their voice revenue that version isn’t likely to appear any time in the near future.
Similar issues would restrict the distribution of an iPhone specific-client, which might not make it through Apple’s own unpredictable process for App Store approval. Skype has also released clients for use on Intel-based mobile Internet devices, though Durchslag admits that these remain something of an untested market.
Having re-organised last year into three operational groups – consumer, business, and mobile – Skype will develop specific niche products aimed at each market, Durschlag said. One enhancement planned for consumers is an enhancement to Skype’s current subscription model for calling landline and mobile numbers. While it currently offers “all you can eat” plans that allow calls to a large number of global locations, cheaper customised subscription plans that link popular calling locations – such as the UK and India, or Australia and Greece – are also in development.
For business users, Skype wants to develop priority support systems which allow quicker access to support staff when technical problems arise (which would be a good move, because in APC's experience, customer support is practically non-existent beyond scripted responses.) Such services will, of course, inevitably attract a higher fee, but businesses largely using Skype-to-Skype calls could still make significant savings.
source : apcmag.com
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