4 ms·

Cisco owns Jabber, inc. Maybe they'll turn Skype into an xmpp-based service, allow federation with other service providers, and lose the proprietary protocols.

by riffic 16y ago

Cisco owns Jabber, inc. Maybe they'll turn Skype into an xmpp-based service, allow federation with other service providers, and lose the proprietary protocols. or maybe not.

rwmj 16y ago
What possible benefit would this be to Cisco or Skype or even to Skype's current users?
- riffic 16y ago
  Federation would allow interoperability with other services. A user on Skype could communicate with users on other networks, such as Google Talk/Voice. Basically, freedom from being locked into a single service provider.
  - rwmj 16y ago
    You're saying that Skype should take a year or two off, rewrite all their software, and come back, safe in the knowledge they'll now be able to interoperate with a bunch of broken VoIP services that have no users. I can't see the killer business plan yet, sorry.
    - riffic 16y ago
      I think they should be bought and shut down, simply for non-compliance with any written standard. Buildings that don't meet building codes get shut down and condemned.
      - rwmj 16y ago
        So you want government intervention to ensure user-hostile technology is forced on the marketplace.
        riffic 16y ago
        okay now this is heading into ridiculous territory. standards-based is user-hostile? If you truly believe this, the IETF and IEEE would like a word with you.
- mdasen 16y ago
  Cisco makes a lot of money on high-margin equipment to deal with IP traffic. If an inter-operable VoIP solution becomes the future of communications (or just raises the level of internet traffic in general) Cisco wins as people have to buy more network equipment (of which a bunch will probably be their equipment). Skype's current business model is non-interoperability. If people are locked into Skype for Skype to Skype calling, then they'll pay Skype Out rates to dial phones. However, there can be a limit to how pervasive you can get with a closed network model. Cisco might calculate out that increased hardware sales would do them better. Likewise, they might feel that the Skype brand has enough clout to stand on its own. I'm not saying that it's likely, just that there is a potential benefit. More internet traffic is probably a very desirable thing for Cisco.
  - rwmj 16y ago
    Skype's current business model is very interoperable. I have a traditional phone line right next to me which interoperates with Skype really well, and so do a billion other people. By contrast, VoIP has never worked (until Skype came along, and even now all non-Skype VoIP services are generally technical and business failures).

by riffic 16y ago

Cisco owns Jabber, inc. Maybe they'll turn Skype into an xmpp-based service, allow federation with other service providers, and lose the proprietary protocols. or maybe not.

rwmj 16y ago

What possible benefit would this be to Cisco or Skype or even to Skype's current users?

riffic 16y ago
Federation would allow interoperability with other services. A user on Skype could communicate with users on other networks, such as Google Talk/Voice. Basically, freedom from being locked into a single service provider.
- rwmj 16y ago
  You're saying that Skype should take a year or two off, rewrite all their software, and come back, safe in the knowledge they'll now be able to interoperate with a bunch of broken VoIP services that have no users. I can't see the killer business plan yet, sorry.
  - riffic 16y ago
    I think they should be bought and shut down, simply for non-compliance with any written standard. Buildings that don't meet building codes get shut down and condemned.
    - rwmj 16y ago
      So you want government intervention to ensure user-hostile technology is forced on the marketplace.
      - riffic 16y ago
        okay now this is heading into ridiculous territory. standards-based is user-hostile? If you truly believe this, the IETF and IEEE would like a word with you.
mdasen 16y ago
Cisco makes a lot of money on high-margin equipment to deal with IP traffic. If an inter-operable VoIP solution becomes the future of communications (or just raises the level of internet traffic in general) Cisco wins as people have to buy more network equipment (of which a bunch will probably be their equipment). Skype's current business model is non-interoperability. If people are locked into Skype for Skype to Skype calling, then they'll pay Skype Out rates to dial phones. However, there can be a limit to how pervasive you can get with a closed network model. Cisco might calculate out that increased hardware sales would do them better. Likewise, they might feel that the Skype brand has enough clout to stand on its own. I'm not saying that it's likely, just that there is a potential benefit. More internet traffic is probably a very desirable thing for Cisco.
- rwmj 16y ago
  Skype's current business model is very interoperable. I have a traditional phone line right next to me which interoperates with Skype really well, and so do a billion other people. By contrast, VoIP has never worked (until Skype came along, and even now all non-Skype VoIP services are generally technical and business failures).