Internet communications firm Skype has unveiled several new products at this week's Consumer Electronics Show, with a focus on broadening its user base.
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Bought by eBay in September, Skype has more than 70 million users in countries around the world. The company specializes in voice calls through PC-to-PC connections over the Internet.
In rolling out new products, services, and partnerships, the company is hoping that it will expand not just into new geographic regions, but also take hold in the mass market as well.
"The growing Skype ecosystem of leading consumer-electronics companies gives Skype users innovative, easy-to-use products and validates the market for Internet calling," said James Bilefield, Skype vice president of business development.
Howdy, Partner
In addition to products designed to compete with traditional phone services, Skype also has announced key partnerships that could give it a wider audience, with companies like Kodak, D-Link, VTech, and Netgear.
The company will be teaming up with Kodak to combine live voice conversations with photo sharing. Called Kodak Photo Voice, the service lets users select pictures from a computer or an online gallery and send them during an Internet-based call.
Another partnership, with Panasonic, focuses on creating a range of products, beginning with a Skype-compatible cordless telephone.
Skype and network-solutions company D-Link have created a jointly developed USB phone adapter that lets you use existing corded or cordless telephones for tapping in to Skype's free calling features.
Tread Carefully
Although Skype's drive to get into the mainstream likely will have an effect on both the company and the market, there might still be some caveats for corporate customers, according to research firm Gartner.
Regulations surrounding telephony could come into play, said Gartner analyst Ron Cowles, just as they have for VoIP in other countries.
"This isn't all set in stone, especially given the role of telecoms in this country," he said. "There are still regulatory issues that have yet to be decided."
Gartner also has advised business users to tread carefully when using voice services that are based on proprietary protocols like Skype because of network-security issues. The firm has noted that standards-based alternatives and PBX softphone clients might be more secure
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20060104...XEjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
ADVERTISEMENT
Bought by eBay in September, Skype has more than 70 million users in countries around the world. The company specializes in voice calls through PC-to-PC connections over the Internet.
In rolling out new products, services, and partnerships, the company is hoping that it will expand not just into new geographic regions, but also take hold in the mass market as well.
"The growing Skype ecosystem of leading consumer-electronics companies gives Skype users innovative, easy-to-use products and validates the market for Internet calling," said James Bilefield, Skype vice president of business development.
Howdy, Partner
In addition to products designed to compete with traditional phone services, Skype also has announced key partnerships that could give it a wider audience, with companies like Kodak, D-Link, VTech, and Netgear.
The company will be teaming up with Kodak to combine live voice conversations with photo sharing. Called Kodak Photo Voice, the service lets users select pictures from a computer or an online gallery and send them during an Internet-based call.
Another partnership, with Panasonic, focuses on creating a range of products, beginning with a Skype-compatible cordless telephone.
Skype and network-solutions company D-Link have created a jointly developed USB phone adapter that lets you use existing corded or cordless telephones for tapping in to Skype's free calling features.
Tread Carefully
Although Skype's drive to get into the mainstream likely will have an effect on both the company and the market, there might still be some caveats for corporate customers, according to research firm Gartner.
Regulations surrounding telephony could come into play, said Gartner analyst Ron Cowles, just as they have for VoIP in other countries.
"This isn't all set in stone, especially given the role of telecoms in this country," he said. "There are still regulatory issues that have yet to be decided."
Gartner also has advised business users to tread carefully when using voice services that are based on proprietary protocols like Skype because of network-security issues. The firm has noted that standards-based alternatives and PBX softphone clients might be more secure
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20060104...XEjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--
