Yesterday Skype announced the availability of Skype 3.6 for iOS (iPhone, iPad) with three key updates:

• Chat improvements: Copy and Paste & URL links now work
• UI improvements: Edit button reinstalled in Messages
• Stability improvements and various bug fixes

I installed the upgrade on my iPad (original version) and found the last item is the most important. The initial screen comes up much more quickly showing recent conversations in the left sidebar and “All Contacts” for your account. Go to “Online Contacts” and watch the Contact images “dance around” as Contacts come online or go offline.

Chat sessions with individuals now open up almost instantly when you select a Contact; new messages arrive immediately (at the same time I see them in Skype for Windows). The one remaining “laggard” is bringing up Group Chat sessions where Skype for iPad may take a while to initialize the session as it catches up with all the Contacts in the Group and brings in recent chat messages (in one case for my setup over 300).

I also checked out the Copy and Paste as well as URL links within a chat session; they both work fine. Touch on the message to get the “Copy” icon; touch within the message window to get the “Paste” icon.

Bottom line: Skype 3.6 for iOS is a “must do” upgrade due to these speed improvements. Normally I don’t get pushy about upgrades but this one makes such a performance improvement it is highly recommended. It makes Skype for iPad much more useful as an “always available” Skype platform; for that reason alone it’s worth the upgrade (done via the Apple App Store).

P.S. – When I find my “lost” iPhone I’ll do the upgrade there as well. (“Find my iPhone” did an update a few days after I lost it that would have helped immensely.)

Applicable to both Skype for iPhone and Skype for iPad, a Skype for iOS5 3.5 hotfix released to the Apple App Store earlier this week restores Skype chat sessions on the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad to pre-version 3.5 performance.

While Skype on my iPhone or my iPad is not my primary platform for using Skype, it has become an important backup for monitoring Skype chat threads when I don’t have access to a PC. I could at least follow a thread and make a short response, if appropriate in context. (Full disclosure: I have over 500 Skype contacts which challenges the performance of Skype on these devices due to presence and other ongoing “tracking” issues.)

While the iPhone’s processor speed limits performance relative to responsiveness on a PC, chat sessions with individuals had usually been fairly quick in responses while a little bit of patience was required to follow group chat sessions, especially with more than 50 participants.

However, the release of Skype 3.5 for iOS5 in late September, while introducing some new features and modifying the user interface, also degraded the performance of chat activity. Going to a group chat session would totally freeze the application on either device; even one-to-one chat sessions were unforgivingly slow to follow and respond to. Launching Skype for iPad had long durations bringing up the most recent conversations. I had reported these issues (and I’m sure amongst many others) through Skype’s bug reporting channels; this issue is also raised in several reviews at the iTunes App Store.

Earlier this week I found a new hotfix version 3.5.454 of Skype for iPhone/iPod Touch and Skype for iPad available on the Apple App Store. I have downloaded it and tested it. On a couple of occasions when away from the home office the past few days I found that Skype chat activity on both devices has returned to its pre-version 3.5 performance levels and can once again be a resource for monitoring Skype chat activity while away from a PC. As for group chats, they still take a one to three minutes to catch up but once the content is there, it is fairly responsive.

I have tested Skype-to-Skype calls and SkypeOut calls; for the few times I use this feature, it seems to be working fine.

One caveat: I notice some reviews of this upgrade report that Bluetooth functionality, initially available with Skype for iOS5 3.5, is broken. Update: on my own testing with my car audio by calling Skype Test Call, the Bluetooth connection always attempted to connect but only held the connection to the actual call on one out of three calls.

Bottom line: if you have not done so already, go to the Apple App Store and upgrade your Skype for iPhone and Skype for iPad (it should automatically be offered as an upgrade). It’s not yet at the point where it can take over for Skype on your PC but at least it’s workable for those times when you’re away from a PC. Skype still has some work to do to get to a PC-level of performance at least in terms of chat operation.

For further performance improvement I would still like to see an option to create a subset of my Skype account’s Contacts via the “Category” feature of Skype for Windows or “Tags” feature of Skype for Mac¹. These can then become the Contacts followed on an mobile device. (At least until we see dual core 2.0 GHz processors on these devices.) This would also assist in addressing the ongoing battery drain issue, especially on the iPhone/iPod Touch. (I will continue to monitor this upgrade to see if there is any improvement in the battery drain.)

¹Note that “Categories” in Skype for Windows become assigned as “Tags” in Skype for Mac.

(Note there is a hotfilx upgrade for this version; more information here.)

Yesterday afternoon, for the first time, I was able to make a Skype-to-Skype call from my car using Skype for iPhone over a 3G/HSPA+ wireless service and the Bluetooth connection to my car audio system. I held a (legal) hands-free conversation with a contact in the U.K.; in fact at one point, while waiting to make a turn, I was able to use the rear-facing video camera for a few seconds where he saw, referring to the video quality, a “very fit” lady running down the sidewalk and across the intersection.

Yesterday Skype released new versions of Skype for iOS devices, namely Skype for iPhone and Skype for iPad. The main features promoted by Skype include anti-shake technology and the Bluetooth connectivity mentioned above. However, I also found a couple of additional changes:

• restoration of the ability to access the dial pad during a Skype-to-Skype call; this is necessary to work with PBX’s that can be called via a Skype for business SkypeID using Skype Connect.
• a new call management bar on Skype for iPhone that is more consistent with the call management bar on Skype for iPad and Skype for Mac.

While most of these are self-explanatory, the anti-shake technology probably is best explained through this video; basically it compensates for small movements of your hand while showing a video via the rear camera on the device.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLKE58eA-S8

As mentioned above I made a Skype-to-Skype call from my car to a U.K.-based contact where:

• the Bluetooth connection using my car’s audio system for the speaker/mic worked quite well
• there was crystal clear audio due to the use of Skype’s SILK codec technology
• the other party confirmed that the anti-shake technology appeared to be working for the ~30 seconds when I could use the rear webcam while managing hands-free driving (that’s the law in Ontario)
• one could access the dial pad

Three screen shots to show how the new call management bar works:

• Clicking on the blue “+” icon, second from the right, provides access to the dialpad and chat session
• Selecting the dial pad brings up the dial pad shown
• Clicking on the video camera icon allows selection of the front- or rear-facing camera on the device.
• Clicking on the center icon, initial image above, allows selection of the device’s internal speaker/mic or an external earpiece/mic connected via the 3.5mm audio jack

Four other points to note:

• The new version delivers advertising if you don’t have Skype credit or a Skype Calling Plan subscription; this expands a policy launched with the release of Skype for Mac 5.4 two weeks ago.
• A security issue on Skype for iPhone has been addressed; probably the one reported last week.
• This upgrade supports iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, 2nd and 3rd Generation iPod Touch, and both iPad and iPad 2, running iOS 4.
• During an earlier call to the same Contact between his iPhone and my Skype for Windows, the video transmitted from my PC started out at VGA resolution but dropped down to 160 x 120 resolution, probably to match more closely the 192 x 144 resolution that the iPhone delivers for video calling.

Bottom line: Skype for iPhone 3.5 addresses some user feedback issues, especially when it comes to the Bluetooth connectivity as well as a couple of housekeeping issues that had arisen with previous versions. The new Call Management bar also provides more consistency although it would also be useful if one could see call connection quality information, such as has appeared in previous versions.

It’s not quite at the point where I could say “Call James B. on Skype” whereas, using my BlackBerry, I can say “Call James B. mobile” in a totally hands free way. I had to park the car to launch the call via the
Skype client; for most of the call the front-facing camera showed the retracted windshield shades. It would also certainly be useful to have a mounting bracket above the dashboard to hold the iPhone such that the rear camera can show where you are going during a video call; otherwise one needs a passenger to hold the phone safely.

Note: A few hours after the release was announced Skype came out with a notification that there were a couple of issues with respect to loading Skype contacts – which I’ve noticed – and showing Skype credit. While Skype has provided a work around involving uninstalling and reinstalling the application, we should be expecting a hotfix release in the next couple of days to address these issues. Update – 28/9 evening – the hotfix update that resolves the contact sync issue is now available.

While visiting relatives a few weeks ago I had the chance to participate in a Skype call with a remote family member. While they were using Skype for Windows, this suggestion applies to Skype for Mac also.

Basically both parties had Skype open during a video call when I hear one party say, “I’d like to put some information in the chat but I guess I can only do that after the call.”

They did not realize that you can carry on a chat during a call since the default is for the conversation pane to bring down that big blue-black blind that covers the text dialogue with participants’ avatars. Here’s a visual:

During a Group Video Call yesterday, once again the participants did not realize that one could click on the Chat icon to expose the text portion of the conversation pane. It’s even more challenging with Skype for Mac 5.x since the icon is a barely visible up arrow (second icon from left in the image). One more reason to have a call bar on Skype for Mac 5.x that is consistent with the call bar in Skype for Windows 5.x.

Looking forward to what comes forth with Skype for Mac 5.x now that that the Skype for Mac style contest is near closing. But a modification to Skype for Windows 5.x that addresses this issue would also be helpful.

Related articles

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At his eComm America 2010 keynote presentation Monday morning, Skype’s recently appointed Chief Technology Strategist Jonathan Rosenberg provided his perspective on where Skype can introduce real time communications into “social sharing” activities.

Positioning the current state of social networking as personal broadcasting where a Twitter or Facebook message “broadcasts” your information out to a selected set of Followers or Friends, he went on to outline how these “broadcasts” were missing two key elements: emotion and interaction. And these broadcasts have a “random” aspect in terms of who receives them:

• Followers and Friends could cover a random mix of interest groups: family, work colleagues, special interest groups
• It’s a bit of a gamble as to who sees your ‘broadcast” message; some may follow every Tweet while others may be selective in what they see and take a few days to see a Tweet; others, for whatever reason, may never see it.

Bottom line is that current social networking is missing the emotion and interactivity associated with “social”.

Jonathan sees three “i’s” that need to be added for social networking to become totally social:

• involvement
• investment
• interactivity

And sees real time communications, integrated into a web property, as the infrastructure required to bring these to the table.

Jonathan then proceeded to give an example of each of the three “i’s”:

Real time and involvement: The quality of the real time call experience matters, as supported by statistics that Skype has mined out from their call detail records. It turns out that Skype’s SILK superwideband codec not only provides a higher quality, more readily understood voice conversation but also has been demonstrated to result, on average, in ~45% longer conversations, based on real Skype call detail records data. Phil Wolfe over at Skype Journal has more to say about this.

Real time and investment: here the example involved multiple people planning a trip together by sharing a desktop browsing travel web sites while carrying on a voice or video conversation.

Real time and interactivity – the virtual couch potato. While Jonathan gave an example, my own experience occurred a few years ago during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy when I was on a Skype call with a person in Sweden. We were both watching the ceremonies on our local television networks while discussing them in Skype voice and chat conversations.

This also brings to mind the couple who used Skype a few years ago for a remote courtship a few years ago; not only did a marriage result after a year of courtship via Skype but also a family with a couple of young ones.

According to Jonathan the bottom line is about turning a “me” experience into a “we” experience by escalating an asynchronous conversation (an initiating email or chat message) into a synchronous experience that can involve voice, chat, video and desktop sharing. And it involves bringing emotional and interactive elements into social sharing activities.

So what are the implications for Skype:

• These experiences need to be easy to invoke. What does it take to make users realize they can easily have these experiences?
• According to Jonathan, creating these experiences would involve invoking a web-based infrastructure into the Skype software offerings. Sounds like something we can expect to see later this year.
• What role would multi-party video play in these experiences? Can we expect to see multi-party video later this year?

Bottom Line: Is this all a precursor to some new Skype experiences or features that will be launched over the next few months?

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Yesterday’s announcement that Skype will become available as a supported service on Verizon Wireless has to have sent a tsunami through the wireless operator world. To review the offering:

• A Skype client will be included on nine models of BlackBerry and Android smartphones in late March; current customers with these devices will be able to download the application
• Free Skype-to-Skype voice calling, both inbound and outbound, worldwide
• send and receive instant messaging (chat and presence) worldwide at no charge
• International SkypeOut calling; domestic calls come out of the customer’s voice plan
• Requires a Verizon voice and data plan
• Skype-to-Skype and SkypeOut calls as well as Skype IM activity will not impact a customer’s voice plan minutes and data plan usage.

The Background. Yesterday I wrote about the market environment and technology infrastructure that led to the ability to make this announcement

• It’s Verizon’s answer to AT&T’s forthcoming Skype for iPhone over 3G; however, given that planning and development activity have been ongoing for the past year, it’s a well thought out response with a focus on the user experience.
• The client will be a customized version of Skype Lite where the voice conversation is carried over the Verizon voice channel while presence indication, chat messages, mood messages and voice call signaling will be carried over the Verizon data channel.
• Launching a Skype voice call or chat session will be the same process as launching a traditional call.
• It’s integrated with the Address Book of the device such that all contacts can become Skype or SkypeOut contacts.
• Both the BlackBerry and Android smartphones can handle multi-tasking such that Skype “data” activity can continue to operate in the background while using other applications on the device.
• Client is optimized to take advantage of any battery life conservation features, certainly one of BlackBerry’s well known strengths.
• In response to one question at the press conference, Verizon stated they will not allow network quality to erode as a result of the additional load created by this service.
• Currently no video calling, file transfer, SMS messaging or WiFi access

Show me the money! Based on information provided by iSkoot at eComm 2008 and 3′s gradual expansion of Skype availability, it would appear at first glance that the business model involves:

• Verizon receiving a percentage of SkypeOut revenues (Skype has an affiliate program that provides referrers with 25% of SkypeOut revenues – an indicator of Skype’s margin for this service; 3 has offered SkypeOut since summer 2008)
• Skype receiving software licensing revenue associated with smartphone revenues (sales or lease) and Verizon voice/data plan revenues
• No termination charges for Skype-to-Skype calls (explains why Verizon can offer this as a free service to their data plan customers)

The implications:

• Has the potential to add 90 million Verizon customers to Skype’s user base
• Verizon customers can call over 500 million Skype accounts worldwide at no cost (probably about 100 million active accounts)
• SkypeOut becomes the de facto replacement for all Verizon’s other consumer international calling activity, especially for calls to those 44 countries on Skype’s Unlimited World Calling plans.
• Provides a subtle but significant carrier endorsement of BlackBerry and Android devices.
• Multi-tasking allows an “always on” user experience; the challenge will be when and how notifications are made of a Skype activity (presence status change, new chat message, etc.) when using other applications
• the underlying architecture takes advantage of the existing robust and scalable voice architecture while exchanging data over a wireless data service that is widely perceived as the best in the U.S due to the combination of its reliability and coverage.
• requires the installation of “Skype gateway” servers within Verizon’s infrastructure to terminate Skype calls under Verizon’s management and control, offset by the fact that there are no termination charges for Skype-to-Skype calls.

The downside: The architecture does not allow for WiFi access to Skype. As a result:

• one cannot readily make calls from WiFi access points outside the U.S. without paying roaming charges which can tend to be expensive. (Skype for iPhone on AT&T or T-Mobile’s @ Home service provide this capability.)
• calls cannot be made from locations without carrier network coverage (to a large extent Verizon’s U.S. geographical coverage addresses this issue but one can also be deep in a building with WiFi but no carrier).

The Questions:

• Will Skype Instant Messaging become a replacement for SMS messaging and cannibalize SMS revenues? Skype IM messages simply go out over the data channel as one application for the data plan.
• What happens when a Verizon customer is roaming in other countries?  Can visitors to Canada or Europe continue to use Skype at no additional cost while in Canada? or will a roaming charge apply?
• Verizon is currently offering these devices with a “Buy One Now, Get One Free” feature and a two year contract at prices ranging from $29.99 (Storm 1, 8530 Curve)to $179.99 (Storm 2). Will the lack of a low cost phone, such as 3’s Skypephone2, with Pay-As-You-Go impact adoption?
• What is the level of carrier exclusivity in the deal? Will we be seeing similar offers from T-Mobile US or AT&T any time soon? What portions of the embedded Skype software in the devices are  exclusive to Verizon?
• Who will be the first Canadian carrier to adopt the Verizon-Skype model? This will be interesting to follow given that:
  • there are no network quality issues with any of the three
  • the Bell Canada/Telus networks can not only support EVDO (same BlackBerries as offered by Verizon) but also GSM/LTE supported devices with their new HSPA+ network launched in time for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
  • all three carriers now offer the iPhone; in this case Rogers was the original carrier with it.
• What level of support will Verizon provide for BlackBerry’s app store and Android’s market? Will Verizon facilitate and promote them or even provide an aggregated app store?

Final question: Skype stealthed its way onto AT&T 3G through the combination of supporting calling over WiFi access points (worldwide) and FCC lobbying; Skype is certainly helping to drive iPhone sales at AT&T. Can the combination of carrier-supported “free international calling”, full multi-tasking, a more robust and reliable network and the currently top selling smartphone brand in the U.S. sustain and build Verizon’s user base?

Bottom line: carriers are recognizing that Skype needs to incorporated into their infrastructure as a key element providing both uninhibited access and the network resources to ensure a high quality, positive user conversation experience. Most importantly they are discovering that Skype can become a marketing tool that drives market differentiation and user adoption.

For further commentary Carl Ford and I recorded a podcast conversation yesterday: Jim Courtney & Carl Ford Converse about Skype & VZW.

Update: Andy Abramson has been on-site at MWC and picked up some feedback: Skype, Verizon (and Andy) In the News

Photo: John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless, and Josh Silverman, Skype’s CEO, announcing their strategic relationship to bring Skype to Verizon Wireless smartphones during a press conference at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain earlier today. (Via Business Wire, accreditat[on not provided)

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The past six months, with three trips to Europe, have given me the opportunity not only to experience roaming on European 3G wireless services but also the strategies and alternatives that allow me to minimize roaming charges while traveling with both a BlackBerry and iPhone. A key to the achieving this goal lies in the support available for WiFi access points in hotels, restaurants, airports and at conferences that provide robust, scalable WiFi support. But the question outstanding is why would I use both devices? The answer lies in the applications and content.

While one can theorize academically about various low cost scenarios and one attempts to use WiFi wherever feasible, in actual travel, you need access to some form of wireless service wherever you may be. For instance, if lost in a city where you don’t speak the language, Google Maps can often help get you sorted out quickly. Or find the nearest restaurant district (was a big help in Paris, for instance). But you need wireless carrier access to use these services.

So what measures can I recommend?

First step: buy an International roaming package from the home wireless carrier. Over the summer Rogers introduced European roaming packages; here’s the comparison:

The good news about these packages is that the per MB and per minute charges remain the same for any overage over the minimum expenditures. The bad news is that roaming charges are still “huge” compared to the $0.03/MB or approximately $0.10 per minute paid when on my home Rogers network. U.S.-based users should check with their “home” carriers to see if similar plans are available. Rule of thumb and current reality, however: roaming charges remain the last ultra-high margin service for wireless carriers.

So, while relatively expensive, these packages are helpful when away from a WiFi access point; however, as mentioned above, the real saving comes when you set up for using WiFi wherever possible. (In addition I encountered a couple of situations where 3G coverage was weak or non-existent; in these cases access to WiFi became essential.)

Second step: ensure you have installed both Skype and Truphone on your iPhone; you can then make voice calls from WiFi access points at prevailing Skype or Truphone rates. For instance, Skype-to-Skype calls are free while SkypeOut calls are based on using either a Skype Calling Plan subscription or Skype credits.

Third step: buy, at a minimum, a Boingo Global Mobile plan; while WiFi in hotels and restaurants is usually free or has a daily charge, Boingo Global Mobile provides access in over 70 countries at airports and often at hotels where, otherwise, you would pay a daily fee that is usually more than Boingo Global Mobile’s monthly charge.

Fourth step: put the iPhone in Airplane mode but with WiFi access turned on. In this way, no voice calls are received via a wireless carrier; also the iPhone specifically requires proactive user permission to roam on data – leave this turned off. But the iPhone applications, including Skype and Truphone, can all be used when attached to a WiFi access point. (Note: I do not give out my iPhone voice number but do use it for various tests; Google Voice is not yet available in Canada to provide multi-smartphone calling.)

So here is where I use each device:

BlackBerry Bold 9000: email (both BlackBerry email and GMail), BlackBerry Messenger 5.0, Google Maps, SocialScope – still the most comprehensive Twitter application on a smartphone; SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry. Keep in mind that BlackBerry is overall more efficient for handling data due to the data compression provided by the BlackBerry Network Operations Centre architecture for managing data traffic. This ongoing wireless data compression feature is a major reason why I prefer BlackBerry for services such as Google Maps or downloading/uploading pictures in SocialScope as opposed to the iPhone when on a 3G wireless carrier network.

iPhone: main application is Skype, followed by Truphone. Very handy for making calls back to North America from hotel rooms or lobbies, restaurants as well as offices and conferences supported with WiFi access. (But you must have the relevant application open to receive calls and receive/send chat messages.) Other preferred applications include the Safari web browser (faster and more versatile than BlackBerry’s) and Facebook (which has a richer user experience than on BlackBerry) and a few applications that are unique to iPhone. Also comes in handy if the BlackBerry battery has died and I need immediate access to, say, GMail or a browser.

Bottom line: the feature that continues to dominate my preference for BlackBerry over iPhone is the keyboard; it’s a real time two-way communications device whereas the iPhone, with its superior browser capability, continues to be an information delivery device but works best for one way communication. My use of its touch screen keyboard tends to be limited to entering user names and passwords.

A few comments:

• There’s one major application missing on the BlackBerry – with its full multi-tasking capability the BlackBerry is ideally suited for Skype as a VoIP client. One can have real time chat sessions continue in background while using other applications; we experienced this with iSkoot but at this point one would expect to have seen the Skype for BlackBerry that was announced by Skype around the time of last spring’s launch of Skype for iPhone. And now that Skype for Symbian beta supports both 3G and WiFi and the FCC is supporting for “net neutrality”, the “carrier-support” argument for avoiding VoIP clients over WiFi on the BlackBerry no longer holds water. In fact, Rogers has made it clear that they have no issue with running Skype over 3G networks. Let’s hope that Skype and RIM can get the act together such that we can see a product introduction early in 2010.
• On my most recent trip I only bought the 15 minute voice package; with BlackBerry Messenger and SocialScope (for Twitter) available I found little need to make voice calls while in 3G only mode. Skype on my PC at hotel rooms and conferences as well as Skype and Truphone over iPhone addressed 95% of my voice calling needs. (Now, if I could just learn how to order a taxi in Spanish!)
• I realize most smartphone users will only have one phone. I present this post simply to provide an overview of my experience using both these devices while optimizing my roaming experience when traveling out of the home country. I need to have both devices due to not only their popularity but also the different content exchanged and user experiences for each smartphone.

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Jaanus Kase, pictured right at eBay Developer Conference 2006, was a member of the Talinn-based Skype engineering team at the time, back in 2004, when Skype decided that they needed to create a unique Skype chat user experience. He subsequently become Skype’s most public face through his Skype blogging activity but left Skype in the summer of 2007 to pursue a degree related to human interactions with digital technology at Cargnie-Mellon.

Today he posted on his personal blog, “On Google Wave, and how we made Skype Chat”, outlining the Skype chat design exercise and many of the decisions they had to make in coming up with the instant messaging service that is available on Skype today.

So, it was somewhere in 2004 and Skype realized they need to revamp their text chat/conversation system. Skype actually had one from the very beginning, but it was one-to-one and not very nice. It did support the basic concept of queuing messages that is extensively used today as well; that is, you could write a message to someone regardless of whether they were online or not, and it would be delivered the next time you would both be online. True to Skype’s serverless architecture, the message would simply be queued in your computer.

Jaanus was tasked with leading the project. In the post he recognizes others who made a contribution and discusses the evolution under four headings:

• The Goal: “We set out to ‘fix the email problem’, and provide a convenient group collaboration tool that would first and foremost support our own organization of many ad hoc groups coming and going.”
• What’s the content model vis-a-vis people coming and going? What happens when you close the window? “I chose to make chats persistent because that is how teams work in an organization. A team tends to be consistent over time, and it is in the interest of the team that everybody is constantly filled in and knows the same information.”
• Are chats public or invite-only? How do you get in a chat and what do you see then? Answering questions such as “If you are added to a chat, do you see the whole history or only from that point onwards?” (And here he explains a major difference from Google Wave.)
• How will multiple devices/computers work?
  

  Skype’s architecture, though, was more complex than simple client-server. Everybody was a client and a server at the same time. What would “one client at a time” even mean? It would have created more problems than it would have solved. So, we realized that what were dealing with was not a messaging problem, but more of a distributed database problem. And through some brilliant engineering by Indrek, we created a system based on “synchronizing”. That is, each device signed in with a particular username has a local database of all chats, and when (re)connected to the Skype network, synchronizes the chats with the “Skype cloud”, posting messages created locally, and retrieves new ones from the cloud.

His overall conclusions:

I have not looked at Wave protocol guts, but it feels that our design and implementation was/is fairly similar to the gist of Wave federation, except that Wave is more complex, spanning multiple servers, networks and who knows what else. But all in all, you have a collection of waves, and in those, you post messages locally and retrieve remote ones, and it works quite nicely already today, e.g across multiple browsers.

One important thing that Skype and Wave do right, but that’s completely broken in Twitter, is the distribution of metadata, and in particular read/unread states. In Skype, we synchronize not only message content, but also the read/unread state, and Wave does the same. But in Twitter, it highly annoys me that there is no facility to synchronize read/unread state, and I have to read the same tweets ten times across different clients and devices.

Bottom line – especially if you are a heavy user of Skype chat – read the entire post to learn more about the thinking behind Skype chat, how it differentiates from other instant messaging products and how he feels it compares to Google Wave. And the post certainly explains the behavior I observe when logged into multiple devices.

Full disclosure: Skype Chat and the associated File Transfer probably constitutes over 80% of the author’s use of Skype. And is often logged into multiple devices (PC’s and iPhone being the most common).

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Canadian iPhone and iPod Touch users will be able to celebrate all 9’s day (today is 09-09-09) by participating in Skype conversations from their iPhone. At 12:01 a.m. the Canadian Apple App store will be making Skype for iPhone available.

Breaking news (12:04 a.m. Sept. 9): I have just successfully downloaded Skype for iPhone from the Canadian Apple App store and sent my first chat message to the Skype 5.x Public Chat session.

When Canadians woke up on the March 31 worldwide launch date of Skype for iPhone they learned they could not be amongst the over 6 million iPhone users who have since downloaded Skype for iPhone from Apple App stores worldwide, except, of course, in Canada. A shock to the country where Alexander Graham Bell made the world’s first long distance call to Brantford, Ontario across a six kilometre wire from a nearby telegraph station back in 1876.

The Canadian launch of the Skype for iPhone was delayed while Skype and Apple Canada’s licensing teams worked out “ambiguity” issues related to Skype for iPhone’s use of the G729 codec in Canada. In an interview with Skype personnel yesterday I was advised these issues are now resolved with the Canadian launch set for 12:01 a.m. Sept. 9, 2009 when they will be able to download the recently released Skype for iPhone 1.2.

From the press release:

“We are delighted to bring the Skype for iPhone application to Canadian iPhone and iPod touch users as it opens up new ways for them to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues for free or minimal cost,” said Tom Yeung, Skype’s director of market development, Americas. “With more than 6 million downloads from the App Store so far, the Skype for iPhone application is one of our most popular mobile offerings so we’re delighted to say that Canadians can now also carry their Skype conversations with them wherever they go.”

Where can it be used: All Skype for iPhone features are available at any WiFi access point on both the iPhone and iPod Touch; however, when an iPhone is on a 3G wireless carrier the voice application is not available to be in compliance with the terms of Apple’s Software Development Kit licensing agreement. However, chat and presence activity can continue over a 3G carrier’s network.

To review Skype for iPhone’s feature set:

• What’s free:
  • Skype-to-Skype calls (only via a WiFi access point)
  • Skype IM: presence information and chat sessions between individuals or across groups
• What’s requires payments:
  • Calls to landline or mobile phones using either a Skype Calling Plan subscription or “pay-as-you-go” Skype Credits (requires WiFi access; connection fees may also apply)
  • Receiving calls at a Skype Online number (requires WiFi access)
  • Voicemail retrieval
  • Call Forwarding: (new in version 1.2) when the Skype for iPhone is not open on the iPhone, calls will be forwarded to the iPhone’s mobile number under the same terms as calls to landline or mobile phones.
  • SMS outbound messaging (new in version 1.2)

How useful is Skype for iPhone? when I was at a business meeting in Spain in early July, I found two North Americans using their Skype for iPhone as a “walkie-talkie” to communicate with each other while on the hotel property using its WiFi connection. Neat actually. With the rapid spread of WiFi access points as an alternative to using wireless carriers iPhone users should find many public and private (home, office) locations where they can use Skype for iPhone.

Rogers is ready to run Skype for iPhone’s voice calling over their 3G network whenever Apple removes their licensing restriction on VoIP applications employing 3G protocols. (But AT&T in the U.S. is probably nowhere near being able to handle the data traffic load that would result from lifting this restriction.)

Skype for iPhone suffers from one limitation of the iPhone: the lack of background processing. You must have the application open, not only to send and receive voice calls, but also to follow chat sessions. Hopefully the previously announced Skype for BlackBerry will address this issue where the BlackBerry supports background processing.

Bottom line: with Skype chat as over 80% of my Skype activity I look forward to being able to track chat sessions while riding buses and commuter trains (but not while driving a vehicle – text messaging while driving becomes illegal in Ontario this month). And making Skype voice calls from my home as well as hotels, restaurants and other myriad of locations with a WiFi access point.

P.S. – Is it coincidence that Skype for iPhone became legally available to Canadians so soon after the announcement that 17 million Canadians will have a shareholder interest in Skype? Probably not.

• Globe and Mail: Canadians, rejoice: Skype for iPhone is here
• CBC.ca: Skype finally hits iPhones in Canada includes a more detailed discussion about the licensing issue.

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Last week Skype announced Skype for Linux desktop 2.1 Beta, the first new release of Skype for Linux in over two years. As a result it’s a huge “catch-up” release bringing to Skype for Linux many features that have been introduced on Skype for Windows and Skype for Mac over the past two years:

• Incorporation of Skype’s SILK codec which not only improves call quality for Skype-to-Skype calls but minimizes bandwidth usage
• High Quality Video support: VGA-standard video calling at 30 frames-per-second over a broadband Internet connection (minimum upload speed 384 Kbps)
• SMS send support (requires Skype credits)
• Chat: incorporates typing notification, message editing and other features into chat so we no longer get those “this person does not have a Skype client compatible with chat” type of messages.
• Contact groups
• Other “catch-up” details and improvements as listed on the Skype for Linux 2.1 Beta announcement post (link above) and in the release notes (link below).

Note that this is still a Beta release; it still has several “known issues”. Check out the release notes for details including details of how to make video work on Logitech Quickcam Manager and features that may result in crashes, such as accepting screen sharing from a Mac or Windows client.

The one recently introduced Skype for Mac/Windows feature that appears to be missing: initiation of a screen sharing session. The release notes indicate you may be able to receive a screen sharing session but you may also encounter a crash.

Bottom line: Finally a much awaited Skype for Linux that has most of the features of the current versions of Skype for Mac and Skype for Windows. if you’re a Skype for Linux user and have tried the 2.1 beta, please comment below on your experience. (Of course, Skype also appreciates having all bug details reported to Jira.)

Earlier today, Skype released to its Mac users Skype for Mac 2.8, following two beta releases over the past seven months (here and here). To summarize its feature set:

• Includes Skype’s SILK codec, offering not only 12KHz audio bandwidth for clearer voice calls but reduced Internet bandwidth demands. Effectively with this release SILK calls can be cross-platform between Skype’s Windows 4.x and Mac 2.8 clients.
• Screen sharing: using the Skype video channel, Skype’s screen sharing feature allows a user to share a portion or all of his/her desktop with one other party. No, it’s not a threat to Skype’s partners offering managed multi-party web conferencing services. Once again it’s simply an additional communications mode supporting a one-to-one Skype voice and/or chat conversation. Since it uses Skype’s video channel, it does not work during a Skype video call; nor can the call involve more than two participants. But three comments, having now used this feature several times in both Skype for Windows 4.1 and Skype for Mac 2.8 beta:
  • It’s very handy for complementing voice and chat conversations; simply click on the desktop sharing icon and the other party sees (a portion of) the desktop in his/her Skype client – but it can be expanded to a separate window or full screen.
  • It does allow sharing of streaming video services, such as YouTube, running on the desktop
  • It’s really driving awareness of the potential to do screen/dekstop sharing to a much broader user base than any of the web conferencing services have reached. These services see Skype video as an awareness generator for the potential of managed, multi-party desktop sharing services.
• Skype Access: if you’re on the road and desperate for an ad hoc WiFi connection, Skype Access provides per minute access services via Boingo. But if there is no free service in your hotel, restaurant or coffee shop and you don’t already have a Boingo account, then it becomes an alternative when you really need to connect. Charges are made against your Skype credits.
• Other new features now available to all Skype for Mac users include:
  • Follow friends’ and your own Mood Messages through a Mood Message chat session
  • Create “notes” for each of your Skype contacts – useful as a very basic customer relationship management tool, for instance.
  • Prioritization of your concurrent chat sessions in the Chat window; especially useful when you have more than ten concurrent chat sessions going.
  • Quick Add for adding contacts to a chat session; simply type a name into the Quick Add search bar and it’s there. A feature I hope we can also soon see in Skype for Windows.
  • Hidden avatars for incoming contact requests. Peter Parkes says it most discretely: “A small minority of Skype users have profile pictures which others may find unpleasant, and so they’re now hidden by default in contact requests.”

Amongst PC platforms I find Skype is most intuitive and most easily accessed via the Skype for Mac client; these features certainly enhance the management and versatility of options during Skype conversations.

Other posts:

• Peter Parkes, Skype for Mac blog: Skype 2.8 Gold for Mac out now.
• Raul Liive, Skype Garage, thanks the volunteers who translated Skype for Mac 2.8 into multiple languages.
• Release Notes for release build 2.8.0.659

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• Skype for Mac 2.8 Beta 2 with SILK Codec (voiceontheweb.biz)

I follow several forums about Skype, for instance at LinkedIn and on eCademy. Recently I have noticed a thread on the LinkedIn Skype for Business Group asking about using Skype without a PC. While eventually I intend to have more detailed information in response to such a question in the reference content on this site, let me summarize what is available as of today. The sales channels for these products are largely through the Skype Store (which is country-specific). Unfortunately several players who had good offerings have abandoned their Skype hardware offerings over the couple of years; however, we are starting to see the emergence of new devices.

Mobile Phones

Update: March 1, 2010: Access to Skype on mobile smartphones has evolved to several platforms; there are several posts that provide an update to what is stated below:

• Skype for Mobile – Now Focusing on a True Skype User Experience includes a summary table of options, as of March 1, 2010, for running Skype on mobile smartphones.
• Skype for iPhone: Now Legally Available for Canadians

Update: May 30, 2010: Skype for iPhone now works over GSM 3G/HSPA+ networks:

• Skype for iPhone 2.0 Released: 3G Skype-to-Skype Calling to Require a Fee
• Skype for iPhone 2.0: The End User Experience
• Skype for iPhone 2.0: The Commentary and The Reality

Obviously the most popular is Skype for iPhone. With over 1 12 million downloads since its introduction in late March 2009 earlier this week, the major caveat is that you need either an iPod Touch (with a microphone accessory) or iPhone. In both cases you also need to be at a WiFi access point to take full advantage of Skype’s voice and IM features; however, you can also use Skype IM (presence and text chat) on the iPhone using a carrier’s 3G or 2G/EDGE data plan (but not voice). Currently Skype for iPhone is not available in Canada pending resolution of a patent licensing issue. Skype for iPhone does require that the application be open in order to received messages and Skype calls.

Skype Lite for Nokia has been replaced by Skype for Symbian.

Skype has also been developing Skype Lite for a wide range of Java-enabled phones, including the Nokia N- and E-series phones. Again one can use Skype IM (presence and text chat) for those phones that support a WiFi connection (such as many of the Nokia N- and E-series smartphones). But for voice, one needs a carrier for which Skype is setting up arrangements in ten countries. Skype announced earlier this week that a Skype Lite for BlackBerry will be available in May, 2009.

As mentioned in the first update post above, Skype for Windows Mobile has been withdrawn.

Skype for Windows Mobile has been available for several years, recently released version 2.5 and demonstrated the Skype for Windows Mobile 3.0 beta. They recommend its use via WiFi access points; however, its use on a Windows Mobile smartphone over 3G may have performance limitations, especially with respect to battery life.

If you are in one of the nine countries served by 3 as a carrier, you will find the Skypephone 2 available as well as a few other devices that supports Skype operation. Later this spring Skype will appear embedded into Sony Xperia X1 and new Nokia smartphones.

There are two third party solutions that I have used quite often: iSkoot (BlackBerry, several Nokia smartphones) and IM+ for Skype (BlackBerry, iPhone/iPod Touch, a few Nokia smartphones). On the BlackBerry they can take advantage of the inherent background processing to allow Skype chat sessions to remain active while executing other applications; they also require both a voice and data plan (2G or 3G GSM) in order to complete voice calls; chat sessions are supported over a WiFi connection.

There are several other third party offerings which provide Skype access, including Truphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, some Nokia models), Fring (iPhone, some Nokia) and Nimbuzz (iPhone). Suffice it to say that, while one can carry on conversations via these services while dealing with user interface, performance and/or call quality issues, the best service level is achieved from a service where Skype has full control of the software and network connections.

Skype’s strategy for mobile was recently outlined by Skype COO Scott Durchslag.

Dual Mode Phones

About two years ago several hardware vendors introduced dual mode PC-free phones that allow you to connect to both Skype via a broadband Internet connection and the PSTN. However, currently these devices are undergoing a transition as Skype restructures, the only phone that is readily available today is the Philips VOIP3211 which can be found for several countries via the Skype Store. Update, Fall 2009: The only dual mode phone that is readily available as of fall 2009 is the RTX 3088 Dualphone; feedback here. The one caveat for these phones is that they support voice and presence but have no chat capability.

IPEVO also offers their Skype Desktop Phone S0-10, which only provides Skype calling over an Ethernet connection into a router.

Skype Video Phone

I recently received an evaluation ASUS Eee Videophone AirGuru SV1, which provides support for both Skype voice and Skype video calling along with presence information (no chat). My few conversations with it have been quite satisfactory and the user interface provides easy setup of calls. Basically all operations are done via a five-way trackball where you have up/down/right/left to navigate and a central push button to perform an action. While it is basically a video speakerphone, there are headphone jacks on the rear.

To get started you simply plug it into an Ethernet port on a router or switch with a minimum broadband Internet service and enter the setup routine to provide your Skype account information. Optionally it also supports WiFi access if you are not attached via an Ethernet connection.

WiFi Phones

These are again available via the Skype Store with models provided by Netgear and Belkin that support voice and presence. I have never been a fan of the Skype WiFi phones, especially from a price/performance perspective, as they have very limited functionality and have found them to have battery life issues amongst other problems. But some people seem to like them. More recently IPEVO has offered their WiFi Phone for Skype S0-20.

Others

Skype can be found on the Nokia N800 and N810 N900 small tablet handsets; Sony Mylo and some Sony PSP models. However, these are examples of embedding Skype into a device as part of Skype’s “Skype Everywhere” strategy where conversations become one more feature of a specialty device.

Conclusion

“Skype without a Computer” is inherent in Skype’s new “Skype Everywhere” strategy recently outlined by the new Skype executive team. With the current restructuring of Skype where more mature business processes are being introduced to incorporate product marketing, build partnerships and spread the availability of Skype across many platforms, we can expect to see new “PC-free” Skype hardware coming out in the future. In their visioning statements, beyond mobile devices, they point out that we may see it attached to TV sets, automotive dashboards and embedded into other hardware.

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• Skype for iPhone: What’s the point? (news.cnet.com)
• Skype is Coming to the iPhone. For Real. (mashable.com)

While, being a Canadian where I could not try out Skype for iPhone “legally”, I have followed the coverage and comments across the web. At this point I simply want to provide a summary and links to some of the feedback. In some sense, Hudson Barton’s tweet earlier today, shown above, sums it all up.

First, I should mention, however, that as of the end of its first day of availability, Skype for iPhone was the number one downloaded iPhone application in ten forty countries: U.S., U.K., Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia, Japan and Australia and thirty others; it was number 2 in China. According to one chat message I observed, there were over 600,000 downloads on Tuesday’s launch day.

The Reviews

Om Malik on GigaOm: Review: Skype for iPhone. Verdict: Awesome

My Verdict: For those of you that use Skype on a daily basis and own an iPhone, this could very quickly become the simplest way to make long-distance calls. And I’m predicting a big upsurge in Skype as an “IM client” with this release.

To Skype developers who worked on this product, I have two words: Great work! Of course, it would be even better if you got it launched on the BlackBerry so that I could use it on my Curve 8900.

Liane Cassvoy on PC World: First Look: Skype for the iPhone

You won’t find a whole lot in the way of iPhone-only features in this version of Skype. You can use your iPhone camera to take a picture to use as your profile photo, or you can upload a picture from your existing photo roll. But that’s about it. Still, if you’re looking for a solid mobile VoIP service for your iPhone, I can easily recommend Skype. Sure, rival services like Truphone have some features that Skype for iPhone lacks–such as the ability to chat via third-party IM services like AIM and Yahoo Messenger. But, to me, call quality is what matters. And Skype wins that battle easily.

Phil Glockner on ReadWriteWeb: Skype for iPhone: It’s Real and It’s Spectacular

Rest assured the interface is slick and the app works as promised. But, I think the real reason why we are all so excited about this release over other Skype-enabled iPhone apps like Fring or Truphone is simply how much it works like its desktop-bound big brother that we know and love. Instant messaging chats just work. Group chats just work. Getting at-a-glance status on your Skype friends just works. The bottom line is, other apps may get the job done, but due to bad interface design, a critical missing feature, or trying to do too much, are not a pleasure to use. This client actually is a pleasure.

James Kendall at jkontherun has done a video of his call to colleague Kevin Tofel attending CTIA; they certainly were impressed.

Dan York, Skype for iPhone – All I Want From It Is …, discusses the power of Skype’s persistent chat feature, especially when it comes to group chats:

MY ONE BIG WISH

While all this is true, I personally don’t really care. Sure, it will be great to be able to receive a Skype call and sure, it be great to be able to make a Skype call (all on WiFi of course). Sure, all that’s great.

But there is one single thing that I am looking for in this Skype for iPhone application that has been missing from Fring, IM+, TruPhone and every other iPhone app that has offered some type of Skype integration. In a word, it is simply this:

groupchats

Over the past several years I have become a huge user of Skype multi-user groupchats. Both for internal groupchats within organizations or companies and also for public groupchats where people have joined together to discuss common topics. They are an incredible communication tool – and no other iPhone app has delivered those for Skype.

On Dan’s point I have to agree strongly. Chat is 90% of my Skype activity. I have used iSkoot on the BlackBerry largely to follow my Skype chat sessions when out of my home office. The biggest issue has been battery drain; it is imperative to recharge at least daily when using iSkoot (and sometimes more often). iSkoot will follow Public Chats but not group chats.

If Skype cannot resolve the Canadian patent-licensing issue, at least offer a Canadian edition that follows chat sessions. One major advantage of iSkoot (or any Skype client, such as IM+ for Skype) on the BlackBerry is that chat activity can occur in background with message notification whereas following chat activity on the iPhone requires that the Skype application be open.

My own experience: Yesterday I did receive, on my Skype for Windows 4.0 client, a call from a Skype for iPhone user in the U.K.; it was a twenty minute call where call quality was fine for a call over the G729 codec. We could carry on a normal discussion. At the end the caller said that Skype for iPhone got the JB Seal of Approval.

Bottom line: I have seen several Tweets and chat messages along the lines of Hudson’s message above, it appears that, in spite of technology limitations, there will be a lot of Skype chat messaging over WiFi, 3G and 2G/EDGE and a lot of Skype calling from WiFi access points.

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Over the past eight months 1.2 million Skype users have participated in the Skype for Windows 4.0 beta program (stage 1, stage 2, stage 3). During this beta period, not only current user feedback was sought but also feedback from new users installing Skype for the first time. The goal was to provide a user interface that was more intuitive while encouraging users to go beyond simply voice calls to experience and use chat and video conversations.

Today Skype is announcing the Gold release of Skype 4.0 for Windows. From the download page:

We’ve built this brand new Skype so you can have the conversations that make a difference to you, every day. It’s easy to use, plus step-by-step guides help you get started.

While most of the new features have been revealed during the beta period, Skype’s marketing will focus on three key features:

• New user interface; with over 25% of Skype-to-Skype calls involving video this new release has been designed with a focus on improving the video call user experience.
• Improved call quality: Skype 4.0 for Windows incorporates Skype’s new SILK codec whose features are discussed in a separate post today. Bottom line is a crisp, crystal clear audio experience, yet only half the network bandwidth of other codecs is required to support a voice call.
• Bandwidth management: a new bandwidth manager has been developed with the goal of improving overall call performance by adapting, in real time, to degraded or low speed network conditions, such as those caused by excessive packet loss and/or jitter.

The new user interface also has taken into account factors that encourage users to explore Skype beyond voice calling. Incorporating beta user feedback Skype has found that the new UI is driving up adoption rates for Instant Messaging, file transfer and video. When you open a contact window launching a voice, chat or video conversation requires a single click on the respective voice (“Call”), chat or video button. The associated text pane tracks not only chat messages but also voice and video call detail information (launch time, end time) as well as file transfer information. And, as in the past with chat, the entire record is all archived on your local PC for future recall.

Other features: You can choose to view your Skype activity in one larger screen or in individual “conversation” windows. During a call a drop down menu on the “call audio control bar” provides quick access to making any necessary audio or video settings. Single click buttons allow you to quickly change oe add conversation modes to adapt to the context of the conversation. A wizard provides assistance with testing audio and video settings. During their testing they found that these features drove new users to more quickly experience chat and video while there was an increase in usage of these modes by legacy users.

On-the-fly the bandwidth manager can adjust both video and audio transmission by making real time adjustments to parameters such as video resolution, frames-per-second or audio bandwidth. to ensure an ability to maintain a basic level of communication while enduring these conditions. Once again the goal is to improve the overall user experience with no user intervention required.

Two changes;

• The SkypeMe! status button has been removed as a result of its tendency to be used for spamming and other forms of unwanted calls. (Of course you also still have the option to only allow callers in your Contact list to call you.). Along with this Skype has introduced “abuse reporting” which is monitored by Skype personnel for dealing with undesirable calling activity.
• While you can still participate in Public Chat sessions launched or joined from Skype 3.8, there is still no ability to launch or join a Public Chat from Skype 4.0 for Windows. This is my primary complaint about the new user interface. We have had a Skype 4.x Public Chat discussion ongoing since May, 2007; it has provided an interesting dialogue amongst Skype users and Skype personnel, including some feedback on features in Skype 4.0. And is has supported many other informal “water fountain” conversations amongst special interest communities of Skype users. Skype for Windows Product Manager Mike Bartlett claimed yesterday, during an interview, that Skype was reviewing how to embark on “public conversations” in today’s messaging world where services such as Twitter and Friend Feed also provide ongoing dialogues. However, Skype Public Chat has its own “space” in terms of user community; it needs to be brought back as soon as possible.

Over the next few weeks, with more experience using Skype 4.0 for Windows we may cover some features in more detail. In the meantime you can download it here. We look forward your feedback in the Comments. Release Notes are here.

Yesterday Skype went past 16 million concurrent users around 1830 GMT. It will be interesting to monitor both the concurrent user number and Hudson Barton’s “real user” indicator as Skype 4.0 for Windows installations grow over the next couple of weeks..

Of course, the best news is that Skype-to-Skype calls (including multi-party calls), chat and video calling remain free. And there are calling plan subscriptions available for low cost calling to landlines worldwide.

Other Posts:

• Mike Bartlett Discusses Skype 4.0 Beta on Squawk Box
• Skype’s videos about the 4.0 beta limited release
• Mike Bartlett Comments on Skype 4.0 User Feedback
• Mike Bartlett on Skype 4.0 Beta 1 Feedback

Over the past few years we have seen the evolution of several conversation communities, some simply employing instant messaging; others employing both instant messaging and voice. Skype is the primary example with its support of IM, voice and video as well as auxiliary features such as file sharing (and, as announced tonight, basic screen sharing) but we are also seeing these services diffuse into Google, via GTalk’s voice and chat capability, MSN Live via Live Messenger, and, in spite of its trying to define who they are, Yahoo. Truphone is a mobile voice calling service that I have used for a couple of years from a Nokia N95-1; it became critical in a situation I encountered in Germany two years ago. I have liked both the quality of the voice calls as well as the user interface, especially its use of the device’s native address book for initiating a call. While they have had some hiccups with their recent product launches, Truphone has become the leader in providing low cost calling from the iPhone while breaking the carrier barrier via Apple’s App Store. I will soon be reporting on Truphone Anywhere for BlackBerry. Now, under recently appointed CEO Geraldine Wilson, Truphone is making a move to grow their user base rapidly by leveraging the user bases of other services.

This evening at the MacWorld Showstoppers event Truphone announced an enhanced Truphone for iPhone providing connectivity to these four conversation communities. Supporting both instant messaging and voice conversations, voice calls to, say, Skype contacts are free provided they go over a WiFi connection. Calls to these communities can also be made over a carrier’s 3G network, usually at the cost of a local call. In addition Truphone is providing access to Twitter as one additional messaging service accessible via Truphone’s iPhone application.

In my interview this evening with new Truphone CEO Geraldine Wilson, she pointed out:

• Using Skype as an example, Truphone’s enhancements set up an appropriate Skype client on a Truphone gateway and complete the call to the Skype contact, taking advantage of Skype’s peer-to-peer architecture such that there are no resulting termination charges.
• By introducing instant messaging, Truphone is recognizing the key role IM is taking on in IP-based conversations where a conversation may start over a chat session and migrate to a voice session if deemed appropriate.
• Truphone sees the introduction of these enhancements as a key to building the Truphone user community; Truphone generates revenue through offering low cost calling to/from the landline and mobile PSTN network.
• Truphone is looking at adding BlackBerry and Android to their supported platforms for this service over the next few months. Key here are devices that support an application store in order to make user access to these services simple and trivial.
• To avoid high roaming charges it is recommended that Truphone for iPhone be used either over a WiFi connection anywhere worldwide but only over a user’s home country 3G carrier.
• These new features go live on next Monday, January 12.

Some outstanding questions:

• Given that the Truphone application needs to be active for conversations, how will this work when other applications are open? Currently if I have Truphone as the open application on my iPhone, I can receive free Truphone calls and my presence will be indicated to other Truphone for iPhone users if I am in their “Favorites” tab. However, if I am in another iPhone application, I cannot receive “free” Truphone calls over WiFi; nor is my presence indicated to others. I look forward to seeing how the enhanced Truphone handles Instant Messaging when Truphone is not the “open” application on the iPhone. This is where BlackBerry’s full multi-tasking capability is a major advantage over the iPhone.
• Calling Skype contacts involves providing your SkypeID and password. What security is in place to maintain the confidentiality of this information. What other security aspects are compromised as a result of placing the calls via a connection to a gateway that supports the caller’s Skype client.
• What is Skype’s reaction to having Truphone siphon off what could otherwise potentially be SkypeOut revenues while leveraging the Skype user base and using the “free” aspect of Skype? We know Skype is working to launch mobile phone applications, probably this week at CES. With iSkoot and the Skypephone on 3′s networks, as we learned at last year’s eComm 2008 iSkoot presentation, a portion of carrier revenues are shared between Skype and iSkoot.

A major step forward in making low cost calls worldwide, Truphone’s moves once again emphasize that WiFi is becoming an ever growing alternative connection option to making wireless calls. At the same time it will be interesting to see how the business model plays out in a world where the cost of voice calling continues to move towards zero.

GigaOm: Truphone Brings Skype to iPhone and iPod Touch

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With about two months’ experience using a BlackBerry Bold, I was able to pull my experiences together for Web Worker Daily yesterday when this smartphone became available in the U.S. on AT&T: BlackBerry Bold: Upgrading Your Mobile Experience.

Last night at a small local dinner on the topic of social networking in public relations, a few attendees had Bold as it has been available for a couple of months in Canada. Our consensus was that in a world where one wants to keep current in real time with Twitter, email, document viewing and editing (a new feature of Bold) and browsing weblogs or many websites, the BlackBerry Bold can be considered as the first generation “laptop for the hip or purse”.

As for Skype via the Bold, whenever I’m away from home, I open iSkoot and am able to follow Skype chat messages (including Twitter4Skype) while riding the commuter services or in a restaurant. With Ontario’s forthcoming law banning cell phone use (except for Bluetooth headsets) and text messaging while driving. it means safer roads but I may not respond immediately. Of course iSkoot also gives me calls to Skype contacts with only charges for local wireless minutes.

And, if you don’t want to be “Always On”, BlackBerry Bold (as well as the forthcoming Storm and Pearl 8220 Flip) includes a bedside mode feature with options to turn off both phone call and email notifications (but logs them) yet still allows the alarm to work.

BlackBerry will continue to be a major player in the smartphone market; but these new smartphones are devices you have to see and experience to realize their full potential as not only a business productivity resource but also a personal associate for both your business and personal social networks and activities.

Tags: BlackBerry Bold, iSkoot, mobile, smartphone

OK, so it’s the fourth post this week where I’ve referenced Dan York. But over the two years I have known Dan I have to say he is, in my view, one of the most respected authorities on the technology behind today’s communications revolution. Yet he also understands the value of the user experience.

In celebration of Skype’s fifth birthday Dan has written the most thorough post yet on Skype’s accomplishments and how it has changed not only his life but also the communications market space he works in. He starts out with a personal reminder (along the lines of many of the “What Skype Means to Me” posts that Phil has been coordinating):

I had a personal reminder of that the other day when I wound up in a video chat with one of my closest friends who was my best man at my wedding 12 years ago. Although we have spoken in the intervening years, we had not actually seen each other in probably most of 10 years due to living far apart. He and his wife emailed a group of folks that they now had a Skype ID. I added them as a contact, opened an IM chat and wound up calling them… and then moving into video and seeing them both. It was a powerful moment – and a great reminder of the power of Skype to easily connect people.

Articulating his contribution to our Skype discussion on yesterday’s SquawkBox, Dan then goes on to talk about the many unique aspects of Skype:

• How Skype Disrupted Technology
• Skype “Just Worked”
• Wideband Audio
• Secure VoIP
• P2P VoIP
• Voice First
• Multi-Modal Communication
• PSTN Interconnection
• Cheap Calls
• Challenging SIP and Open Standards
• Persistent Chat – with History

Dan goes on to discuss some of the imperfections and bumps that Skype has experienced over the years and the need for the new executive team to express its vision for the future. (Although Josh’s “liquid communication” term is an appropriate description when I look at the variety of ways I can converse currently via Skype over my PC’s, Blackberry, Nokia N-series phones, Sony mylo, Nokia N-800 tablet, Skypephone).

Last week at Rogers’ Blackberry Bold launch, RIM’s Director of PR pointed out how, during the famous patent lawsuit, settled over two years ago, enterprise IT managers were seeking out alternatives to the Blackberry, should a court injunction force disruption of the Blackberry service in the U.S. This turned out to be one of the best “zero cost” marketing tools RIM has ever had. The IT managers could all report back that the only total solution to their mobile communications needs was indeed Blackberry. (And will remain so, in spite of iPhone’s success.)

So show me another multi-modal, secure, archiving, interconnected conversation platform that provides all the features above in a user-friendly means and that can deliver all the user experiences posted on Skype Journal over the past few days and I’ll stop being a Skype Cheerleader. (But, going forward, the Skype team still has to earn their way … and will.) Yet I’ll also be a cheerleader for anyone else who delivers beneficial user experiences with access to over 40 million ongoing users.

CalliFlower: iotum rebrands its Free Conference Call service with a focus on a rich user experience not only for conference call moderators but also for participants.

Value-add in the Web 2.0 world comes primarily through the user interface. There’s a plethora of great technology innovation happening out there. But it’s becoming acknowledged that ease of installation, implementation and operation has been one reason for many services’ success to date, including Skype’s. Yet with only 30-35 million “Real users” out of 300 million registered accounts, Skype has embarked on a new beta program designed to improve on the user experience and ongoing adoption rate for both new users and power users. In the end it’s viral user adoption that builds a business.

Last fall iotum launched its Free Conference Call for Facebook service; over the intervening months, participants on iotum’s daily Squawk Box conference call, using their Free Conference Call service, have seen the evolution of a user interface that has set a standard for enriched conferencing services. While the host or moderator tools have established call recording, participant management and a comprehensive invitation process as basic requirements for any complete multi-party virtual meeting, it is the interactive participant interface that has made Free Conference Call popular with not only the regular attendees of Squawk Box but have also found Free Conference Call being used for other series of regular Special Interest Conference Call events.

But Free Conference Call initially required you to be a member of Facebook; later a separate web-based user interface, independent of Facebook, was introduced to allow participation and hosting outside Facebook. On the participant interface itself we started to see pictures of all the attendees if fewer than 20 participants are in a call; otherwise there is a text indicator. Hand raising, muting and a chat wall all made the calls a richer, more vibrant yet still manageably spontaneous experience. And the calls are stored in perpetuity for later recall. Oh, and, other than being an Unlimited Skype user, I have never paid a cent to attend these Squawk Box calls. (Seven years ago I was paying $200 for a five party, one hour conference call.) Conference calls are as much about organizing, moderating and archiving as they are about the actual call connection.

And, with over 200,000 registered users, iotum learned:

• the need to focus on the participant experience as much as on the moderator experience
• participants valued the rich user experience
• every participant is a potential organizer or moderator
• its most active users were small business entrepreneurs

Building on this feedback and introducing additional features, iotum took on a mission to reinvent business conversations. Today iotum launches the beta of its rebranded conference call service, Calliflower, with two user interfaces – one for the moderator and one for the participants – that deliver an even richer user experience. A interactive dashboard for call moderators, calendar integration, a selection of call-in options and an interactive chat wall all contribute to establishing a new benchmark for a complete conference call experience.

Calliflower is targeted for small businesses who wish to conduct a more interactive and complete conference call experience for both the moderator and the participants. Their longer term goal is to have “open access” via any social network or any device. Yesterday I saw a demonstration of the service running through the iPhone browser but they are still working on the adaptation to the iPhone format. Certainly Nokia and Blackberry smartphones are also in their sights, provided they have appropriate advanced browser support.

But most importantly, iotum has demonstrated that an engaging, interactive, yet simple user interface is key to mass adoption of Voice 2.0 services. It’s also a business fundamental being encountered by other service providers, such as Skype and the revamped SightSpeed for Business about which I’ll be posting in the next few days.

Try out a demonstration of CalliFlower here; or sign up and organize your own CalliFlower conference call here. If you have a Facebook account, you can use your Facebook login information. You can access CalliFlower conference calls via SkypeOut; if you have a Skype Unlimited plan that includes either North America or France, that connection comes at no additional charge..

This morning Squawk Box turned the tables. Adam Somer acted as a guest host and interviewed Alec Saunders and Howard Thaw of iotum about the new CalliFlower service and their experiences leading up to its launch. Alec is putting up a recording of the call here (awaiting posting); listen in for more information.

Tags: iotum, Free Conference Call, Calliflower, SkypeOut, Squawk Box, Facebook

One unique aspect of Skype is its very “fluid” or simple approach to adding a another contact to a Skype call to build a conference call. Select “Add a Caller”, select the contact to be added (or enter a phone number, if on SkypeOut), click “OK” and the caller is added. I find I am having more frequent multi-party calls as a result of this simplicity of establishing conference calls for up to 10 participants.

In the past web collaboration has been associated with structured meetings, involving scheduling, emailing invitations and other activities just to set up a desktop sharing session. But a “fluid collaboration” (YouTube video) approach – that allows users to spontaneously escalate conversations from voice and text to incorporate desktop sharing, persistent file sharing and whiteboarding – provides a more intuitive ad hoc process. Yugma’s Web Collaboration for desktop sharing has an architecture that has taken this approach.

Another user consideration: The increased acceptance of both Mac (a record 2.1 million sold in the fiscal 2007 fourth quarter) and Linux (especially Ubuntu) platforms in the market a has led to rising demand for Skype Extras that run on these platforms. A good place to start is a desktop sharing application that is effectively agnostic to the operating system and runs seamlessly in cross-platform scenarios.

Yugma, who has been providing desktop sharing services for a couple of years, recently released a version 3 upgrade to its Yugma Skype Edition, Once installed on a Windows platform simply go to Tools | Do More in the Skype for Windows client and “YugmaSE Team Collaboration” will appear on the drop-down list; on the Mac, install Yugma from the Yugma website and then simply start Yugma Skype. Currently Linux participants can view a session but not host one.

Initiating a session: Once Yugma Skype has been installed via the Skype Extras menu, the ad hoc launch process involves:

• launching the host’s Yugma Skype client via Skype’s Tools | Do More menu¹
• inviting the participants available as Skype Contacts via an “Invite Participants” window which sends a Skype chat message with the URL,
• inviting participants who are not Skype contacts via email address entry from the same window; the resulting email, containing a link, should arrive within a couple of minutes of sending; and
• letting the Yugma Skype client download onto the remote participants’ PC’s and install (if this is the first Yugma Skype session on the PC)¹

Operations: The basic Yugma Skype Toolbar provides an overview of several features:

• Begin Sharing: launches the sharing of your own desktop
• The “mouse” desktop icon controls mouse and keyboard sharing with other participants in the session.
• The mannequin image icon allows you, as the host, to change the presenter who would then share his/her desktop.
• The “page” icon launches a file sharing client.
• The crossed sticks icon opens up a drawing toolbar to provide annotation
• The circle starts session recording
• The right arrow commences playback of a recording
• The double circle allows you to upload a recorded file to your PC
• The matrix image launches the session scheduling website page for those events when you require scheduled collaboration..

The Session

The session above is a shared Mac desktop being viewed on my Windows XP Professional laptop.

The host has various options as represented by the toolbar shown above with additional options in the Action drop down menu shown on the right. Usually the host would “Begin Sharing” simply to ensure the connectivity with other parties is there. At that point the host can continue sharing or change the presenter to one of the other participants. Other options in the toolbar are described above. One should note:

• Users must set up the voice conferencing independently using any of the voice services shown below.
• Participants can be invited in either an active sharing mode or a passive viewing only mode.The host would also need to add them to the voice conference call. Only “active sharing” participants are able to share their desktops – when invited by a host on a Professional account.
• Underneath the bandwidth indicator and to the right of the Session ID number is a Click-to-Copy button with three options as shown. Very handy for launching spontaneous, ad hoc sharing sessions when in a Skype conversation.
• Changing presenters, sharing desktop controls, session recording, scheduling and shared file space require one of the Professional accounts beyond a 15-day trial period.
• Yugma Skype will share either the entire desktop or one selected application. Presenters should make sure their screen is not showing any confidential information.
• The “Shared File Space” client provides a “persistent” shared file space where up to 100 MB of “sharable” files may be stored for retrieval either during a session or later. The host has access to his/her Shared File Space even if there are no other participants in a session.
• Persistent Meeting mode: you can leave a meeting open for various participants to join by keeping the same Meeting ID and communicating it to parties with whom you want to do desktop sharing in the normal course of your activities. The host can also “dismiss” participants at will.
• In the upper right corner of the client is a bandwidth indicator; it should be at least two bars strong to have a continuously reliable sharing session.

In our tests, involving two parties, we found that changes on the screen, such as text chat entries and changing the focus window, were transmitted quite rapidly; only the live video of the Skype call could not keep pace with the video movement. Remote display quality is excellent; while normally it will default to an optimum size on a remote PC there is an option to adjust the remote viewer size (File | Settings) for best viewing.

I have found the combination of Yugma Web Collaboration and Skype’s conference calling algorithm make it a very easy process to set up a small training session, to present a personalized product demonstration or to incorporate desktop sharing into a customer support call. If you are in a Skype call and have a persistent meeting implemented, along with a Skype chat session running, it’s as simple as restoring the Yugma client, Copy a URL via the click-to-copy button and Paste the resulting URL into the chat window. The other party(ies) then click on the URL to access the session.

The essentials:

• Operating Systems: Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS/X 10.3 or higher, Linux; also requires Java 1.5 or later.
  • If the user does not have Java installed – often the case for Vista installations, a Yugma-specific Java client is included in the Yugma Skype installation¹.
• Yugma Skype runs on its own (Java) client; however, there is interaction with the web browser; either IE 6 or 7 or Firefox 2.0, as well as the Safari browser on the Mac.
• Meeting Types: Instant, Scheduled, Recurring (through persistent meeting ID)
  • Invite participants via a Skype contact list and email to non-Skype participants
• Packages:
  • Free: (“Personal”) 10 participants plus host; basic desktop sharing, instant sessions only; website support only; sponsor advertisements.
  • Professional: 10, 30, 100, 500 participants: $9.95/month, $29.95/month, $69.95/month, $89.95/month respectively. Adds “change presenter”, remote participant mouse and keyboard controls, session scheduling, web session recording and playback, shared file space. Webinar features on 100, 500 participant packages. Enhanced support via email, phone and web.
  • A 15-day free Professional 10 trial is available to test the service.
• Voice services:
  • Currently voice operates independently of the Yugma Skype client; conference hosts have several options for setting up a conference call:
  • Skype’s inherent conference call feature (up to 10 participants via either Skype or SkypeOut);
  • and three low cost extended conferencing services (long distance charges may apply)
    • Yugma’s Free Teleconferencing service: call into +1-605-475-4261; long distance charges may apply.
    • HighSpeedConferencing (up to 500 participants on either Skype or landline/mobile phones) with HD Voice for Skype participants.
    • iotum’s FreeConferenceCall service (an optional Facebook application – not supported by Yugma)
  • as Yugma’s desktop sharing is almost totally independent of the voice service, you can also use other VoIP or PSTN conferencing services. However, with Skype there is ready access to Skype contacts for chat and other Skype features
• Private (as disclosed by host’s sharing the session ID through individual invitations);
• Public via a Widget button or, for Professional 100 and 500 subscribers, the Yugma Webinar feature.
• Capacity: up to 500 participants
• Web Session Recording (Professional subscription required)
• Access: via Skype Extras (Tools | Do More – Windows only), Skype Extras website (Windows and Mac) or from Yugma’s website (Windows and Mac editions).

Positioning: Yugma Skype is unique for its cross platform desktop sharing capability and providing a free basic desktop sharing service that can have as many as ten participants in a desktop sharing session. Session recording, whiteboarding and file sharing options make it a more feature rich platform. Operation of desktop sharing sessions has always been quite smooth, with rapid refreshes, and transparent to the platform itself provided there is adequate bandwidth on the Internet connection; this is where the bandwidth indicator has been a valuable aid.

Strengths:

• Cross platform desktop sharing (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• Free basic desktop sharing for host + 10 participants
• Rapid remote viewing updates from shared desktop
• Rapidly switch presenters (shared desktop)
• Choice of interactive (Sharing) or passive (Viewer) modes for remote participants
• Several voice conferencing options
• Display versatility: options to resize the remote desktop viewing window
• Web session recording
• Connection strength indicator

Weaknesses:

• Needs the ability to include voice conference information within the desktop sharing invitations
• Lacks tight integration of Skype voice channel to voice conferencing options
• Lack of Outlook integration for email invitations

Other posts in this series on collaboration tools:

• Desktop Collaboration: Ten Years Later – The Skype Impact
• Desktop Collaboration: The Skype Ecosystem Expands

¹Windows Vista users may encounter several “permission” windows during installation as explained in Alec Saunders post about “Sun’s Tactical Error on Java”. This may change with Windows Vista SP1.

OnState Communications have been evolving their Skype-based on-demand call center offering over the past year. Launched a year ago to provide basic voice contact, they added an “open” chat capability last summer. As a result call center agents could communicate with prospective or current customers via Skype, PSTN and/or chat sessions (and could escalate chat sessions to a voice session). However, as they built their customer base, they found three new requirements:

• a need to provide customers a full service call center launch in terms of setting up Skype accounts and acquiring any Skype-related hardware such as Skype phones and/or headsets
• toll-free number call-in for customers responding to OnState’s clients’ broadcast or print media campaigns, and
• local dial-in numbers for Canadian clients who could not obtain SkypeIn numbers

Yesterday OnState launched their total solution for OnState clients that provides one-stop shopping to not only acquire the core call center services but also offer:

• Skype account setup and management
• toll-free US and international coverage in over 30 countries;
• Skype-compatible hardware (phones, headsets, etc.)
• PayPal™ easy-payment plans for all call center needs
• accessibility to advanced customer contact management solutions;
• voice, video, and business chat capabilities;
• reduced operational costs at industry redefining prices;

• Web integration including click-to-call, automatic call-back, and online chat

• streamlined customer communications; and

• improved customer management.

From their press release:

“Our new storefront actually creates a new business model – the on-demand, pay-as-you go call center,” explained Pat Kelly, CEO and cofounder of OnState Communications. “We offer one-stop shopping that spans toll-free telephone numbers, advanced call center capabilities and accessories, and Skype-compatible products,” continued Kelly. “Within minutes rather than days or weeks, businesses can launch a call center or customer contact management solution that delivers end-to-end customer service – all from a single site.”

………

The integration of Skype services and offerings with the OnState CallCenter for Skype gives businesses a single, unified source for customer service at an industry-redefining price. Unlike traditional call center solutions where businesses contract and manage any number of vendors including network, hardware, system, and software providers, OnState CallCenter customers have a single point of contact for all call center and contact management. “OnState customers eliminate the complexities and costs of dealing with multiple technology providers,” said Pat Kelly, CEO and cofounder of OnState Communications.

OnState’s evolution represents another entrepreneurial, co-operative effort between Skype and its partners to provide a disruptive offering that results in both a less expensive and more effective business process incorporating Skype infrastructure and Skype API’s. Whereas previously call centers typically required a minimum six figure investment for the required hardware, OnState’s solution provides the same or even additional functionality for $30 per agent per month with no subscription required. By providing this end-to-end one-stop offering, they simply make implementation of their solution a quicker exercise that also saves their clients associated implementation overhead costs.

Previous posts:

• Memo to Skype CEO Candidates: An Interview That Nails What Skype Can Be. OnState CEO Pat Kelly interviewed by AuctionBytes Ina Steiner.
• A Primer for Skype’s Direction – Skype’s Extras Gallery and Developer Partner Program
• Getting the Story Right: Whose Call Center for Skype Was Introduced?

Tags: OnState Communications, OnState Call Center, Skype, Skype Developer Program, Skype Extras, Pat Kelly