Aid workers and care givers who provide services in politically- and infrastructure-challenged countries where law and order is not necessarily a given, where war, violence and crime are rife, have always ranked very high on my admiration list as one of the most unselfish and high risk roles that one can perform in hopes of betterment of individuals’ lives. And often these workers are in hardship situations where they must spend not only weeks or months but even years with little or no contact with their families and friends.

So what is Skype doing to help?

Today Skype announced a partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) where Skype has not only worked to supply communications services to 120 “hardship locations” but also adapted their software technology to deal with the low bandwidth communications infrastructure available to these locations. Skype’s Antoine Bertout has discussed this partnership with UNHCR’s Mohammed Faisal:

In Skype experiments with refugee workers, Skype Journal’s Phil Wolff outlines some of the special technical features of this “bespoke” version of Skype:

Changes that limit bandwidth use:

• Video will not start automatically.
• Video will not start until Skype sees needed bandwidth.
• Skype’s SILK voice CODEC (8-40 kbps) will be used when possible.
• No Facebook support.

In the video you will hear Mohammed refer to “our network”; there is an element of a virtual private network (“VPN”) involved in some circumstances as well. Also the client supports Skype Chat, including Group Chat, and SkypeOut calls to the PSTN. Note also that the Blue Wall firewall incorporated into the associated infrastructure allows calls only “outside business hours” in order to minimize impact on critical business operations.

Video calling may be bandwidth challenged in some situations; it would be interesting to know what resolutions and frame rates are supported (even if lower that High Quality Video’s 640 x480 @ 30 fps, at least one should be able to see images at, say 320 x240 @ 15 fps, etc., given Skype Video’s bandwidth adaptation features). But just hearing a distant voice will suffice for most calls.

But why just for UNHCR?

Dan York questions why such technology would not also benefit a sector of the business market in Interesting Tech in Skype’s Low-Bandwidth Version for UNHCR – Wouldn’t Enterprises Want This?:

As I listened to the video, it definitely occurred to me that there are businesses and organizations out there who could also benefit from a low-bandwidth version of Skype. I think, for instance, of shipping companies with limited Internet connectivity to vehicles or ships. Or to companies with distributed offices with very small branch offices with very small Internet connections.

Skype’s Peter Parkes has responded to a comment (to the original Skype blog post) about other aid organizations with:

UNHCR is the first partner to benefit from this low-bandwidth version of Skype for Windows. A large dispersed organization such as UNHCR is an ideal testing environment to evaluate the performance of this software in a wide variety of challenging connectivity networks. At the moment we are focused on ensuring a successful roll-out of Skype to a planned 80 to 85 per cent of UNHCR “hardship” locations before the end of 2011.

As such, it is not currently available to other organizations or the general public to download. It is clear to us however, that others could benefit from the changes and the lessons learned during the evaluation of the software that Skype has developed for UNHCR. Unfortunately, however, we are unable able to talk about our future intentions and can only discuss our partnership with UNHCR at present.

You can support UNHCR’s activities also….

Skype and UNHCR have also put up a page where you can provide financial resources to UNHCR to assist with supplying textbooks and training manuals, funding teachers and purchasing solar-powered computers, amongst other requirements that go to support their programs.

Bottom line: Over the past few decades advances in communications technology have helped to overcome many political injustices, natural disasters and barriers to economic opportunity . While it’s been great that Skype offers many cost-free services to all of us,  when it comes to providing assistance to those helping peoples disengaged from life’s real opportunities, Skype’s services become “priceless”.

Related articles

• UN refugee agency staff trial new version of Skype (guardian.co.uk)
• Skype Creates Bespoke Software to Help Refugee Workers (mashable.com)
• Low-bandwidth Skype custom app created for UN Refugee aid workers [Video] (slashgear.com)

Launch of the iPad last week and the Apple’s recent change in their developer terms of service involving the removal of restrictions for using VoIP technology over a carrier’s 3G network have had the Skype mobile team busy reviewing the opportunities.

In a Share Skype post, An update on Skype for iPhone and calling over 3G, Peter Parkes interviews Skype for Mobile team member David Ponsford making a few points:

• Skype’s high quality audio SILK technology will be embedded in the next version of Skype for iPhone (for both the latest model iPhone 3G S and iPod Touch)
• “Real soon now” (quoting David in the video) we’ll be able to make Skype for iPhone voice calls over a carrier’s 3G network using Skype for iPhone.
• The next version will also incorporate the call quality indicator, a very useful tool found currently in the Skype for Windows 4.2 beta release.
• Skype for iPad is under consideration; given Apple’s claim that all current third party iPhone apps should run on the iPad, this should not involve too much change other than adapting to the larger screen size.

Here’s the video:

Skype for iPhone has bailed me out for voice calling on my recent trips to the U.S. for CES 2010 and IT Expo. During both events several calls from outside parties to my BlackBerry resulted in very poor call quality when roaming over the AT&T network. As a result I had to ask the calling party to hang up and called them back using Skype for iPhone (fortunately I was in a WiFi access point’s range). And the call quality was more than acceptable in each case. Just reinforces my point last spring about WiFi becoming a stealth carrier.

What will be real interesting is how much data traffic is generated by calls over 3G:

• Will it be the application to cause me to take full advantage of the 6GB data plan (for Canadian access) on my iPhone where my usage currently runs under 100MB per month?
• What will be the impact on roaming data plans and the resultant charges?
• While there is no doubt that Rogers, Bell and Telus will be able to handle the additional data traffic load in Canada, will Skype for iPhone over 3G be the application that brings down AT&T’s network in the U.S? (Especially if they can’t deliver good quality voice calls on their voice channel – see above.)

One final question: Does “real soon now” mean prior to or during the upcoming Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Winter Olympics that start in nine days (Feb. 12)?

Thanks to Skype’s Chief Blogging Officer Peter Parkes and David Ponsford for the update.

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Early today Skype released Skype for iPhone 1.3, available as an update in the Apple App Store.

Two key new features:

Landscape Mode for Skype IM:	Call Quality Indicator

The Call Quality Indicator builds on the experience gained with the call quality indicator in Skype for Windows 4.2 beta – a tool I have found most useful in sorting out call quality issues.

Check out Skype’s Peter Parkes post where he also discusses what the roadblock is for “Calling over 3G” as well as progress with incorporating push notification. C’mon Apple – it’s time to allow Calling over 3G: AT&T says Yes, Rogers does not have an issue. What’s the hold-up (iPhone 4?)? Maybe it’s a hardware performance issue?

The first thing I noticed after downloading the update was that the application appears to operate much more “snappily” in that wait times for chat sessions to appear or even to recognize you are Online appear to be much shorter. But I need more usage experience to confirm this perception further.

With the proliferation of WiFi access points in hotels, conference sites, offices, restaurants, airports and other public places, Skype for iPhone has become a very useful calling option for me with the extensive traveling I have been doing recently. And tomorrow I will put up a post about how I use Skype for iPhone to call my BlackBerry. Eh?

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Following on the heels of the recent launch of Skype for Linux 2.1 Beta, Skype announced to additional updates of note last last week:

Skype for iPhone 1.2

Peter Parkes sums it up in Skype for iPhone 1.2: adds call forwarding, SMS and quality improvements:

• You can set up call forwarding from your iPhone – forward Skype calls to a phone number when you’re not signed in, so you can pick up calls even when the Skype app isn’t running on your device
• Improved performance and better audio quality when making Skype-to-Skype calls
• It’s even easier to send text messages (SMS) – you can now send SMSs from the Call tab

The release notes provide a complete list of not only new features, but also improvements, fixed issues and known issues.

Using Skype or Truphone on the iPhone has always been limited by the fact you have to be in the relevant application in order to receive calls. (There are a few comments to Peter’s post asking for incorporation of “Push” for a reason.)

Adding this call forwarding feature to Skype for iPhone means that you will receive calls even when not in the application. However, there are costs: (1) it will use minutes from your carrier subscription and (2) as happens with call forwarding on Skype for Windows/Mac, you will need either a Skype Calling Plan subscription or Skype Credits to cover both the connection fee and and the Pay-As-You-Go rate for the length of the call.

Question: when launched it was mentioned that the SILK codec was “modularly designed for embedding into silicon”. We have also seen its migration into Skype for Mac 2.8 and Skype for Linux 2.1 beta. Has this version of Skype for iPhone incorporated the SILK codec as part of “improved performance and better audio quality on Skype-to-Skype calls”?

Skype for Windows 4.1 Hotfix 2

A hotfix does not introduce any new features; however, it does address known issues and it seems that Skype for Windows 4.1 had its share of them. However, the Skype for Windows (build 4.1.0.166) hotfix 2 released late last week addresses a long list of issues (document version). And the links also outline known outstanding issues, with work arounds where feasible.

Strongly recommended that you update either via the “Help | Check for Updates” menu item in the Skype client or by redownloading Skype if Skype itself does not offer to upgrade when you next log into your Skype account via Skype for Windows.

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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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Consider this a “Retweet for video”; in Renee’s dialogue/interview with/between Skype’s Chief Blogging Office Peter Parkes and Robert Scoble we learn a lot about the evolution of Skype’s approach to using social media.  Skype sees social media as a key channel for engaging customers in conversations as a complement to both their marketing and support activities.

Just to reinforce, Peter can be found on Twitter as @peteratskype listening for and responding to questions, comments and support issues.

And thanks to Renee for making this interview available.

Update: Dan York highlights a key statement made by Peter: Social media: Where brevity is appreciated, where clarity and simplicity win:

One phrase of Peter’s, though, stuck out in my mind as being so accurate about Twitter and really the whole current state of social media:

It’s actully quite refreshing to be able to work in an environment where brevity is appreciated, where clarity and simplicity win.

Indeed. A nice concise summary.

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