The user base for Skype will be reaching the half billion mark soon, which makes it the biggest P2P VoIP service on Earth. But get yourself used to the idea that Skype might not be around anymore somewhere in the future, as its very existence is under threat. The Skype team however wants to be optimistic about it and claim no such thing will happen. So, what is happening?
eBay bought Skype in 2005 from Joltid, which is the company of Skype's developers Zennstrom and Friis. Now, Joltid claims that that a section of the application's code, called Global Index, wasn't included in the sales contract, meaning that Skype shouldn't be using it. But Skype depends heavily on it, because it is a core element in the P2P structure of the application. Now Skype either has to win this legal battle and keep the right to use the code or face extinction. The court session is scheduled for June 2010. Meanwhile, Skype is trying to develop a module of the like on its own, but such maneuver may not be sucessful, as it could result in loss of functionality and users. If it does happen to be successful, it will be expensive.
Skype is far from being a gold mine for eBay - it is more like a liability. This reduces the likelihood of eBay investing on a Skype alternative in the event of skype's death. An eventual Skype disappearance would open the door for other software-based VoIP services, and also Google Voice. But rest assured, an eventual Skype death would not mean the death of VoIP; it might mean the contrary. Anyhow, we are not there yet. As at today, Skype still rocks.
eBay bought Skype in 2005 from Joltid, which is the company of Skype's developers Zennstrom and Friis. Now, Joltid claims that that a section of the application's code, called Global Index, wasn't included in the sales contract, meaning that Skype shouldn't be using it. But Skype depends heavily on it, because it is a core element in the P2P structure of the application. Now Skype either has to win this legal battle and keep the right to use the code or face extinction. The court session is scheduled for June 2010. Meanwhile, Skype is trying to develop a module of the like on its own, but such maneuver may not be sucessful, as it could result in loss of functionality and users. If it does happen to be successful, it will be expensive.
Skype is far from being a gold mine for eBay - it is more like a liability. This reduces the likelihood of eBay investing on a Skype alternative in the event of skype's death. An eventual Skype disappearance would open the door for other software-based VoIP services, and also Google Voice. But rest assured, an eventual Skype death would not mean the death of VoIP; it might mean the contrary. Anyhow, we are not there yet. As at today, Skype still rocks.
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